Dunc's Dump

Culpepper Adventures #10

by Gary Paulsen

Polluters are putting toxic waste in the school dumpster. Dunc and Amos set out to find these environmental criminals, and Amos even begins to glow in the dark.

67 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1993

About the author

Gary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ten books into this series, it's safe to say I don't love it, but there's a certain quirky fun that comes from hanging out with Dunc Culpepper and Amos Binder. Whether solving mysteries or attempting madcap stunts, Dunc and Amos are usually good for a few laughs even if the story doesn't make sense.

After getting in trouble with his parents, Amos needs a good grade on his upcoming science project, and his friend Dunc has an idea. A strange substance has recently turned up in the local dump, fueling speculation that someone is using the garbage collection system for illegal purposes. If Dunc and Amos solve the mystery it will be an excellent topic for a science project, and everyone will be impressed...including Melissa Hansen, the girl Amos loves. What does he have to lose?

Sneaking out by night, Dunc and Amos harvest some trash from the dump. After testing it, Dunc's suspicions are confirmed: it contains chemical fertilizer that someone is illegally dumping. Against Amos's protests, the two boys camouflage themselves as garbage and infiltrate the dump a second time, hoping to see which truck brings the fertilizer so they can follow the vehicle back where it came from. Soon Dunc and Amos are facing a pair of crooks guilty of contaminating the town's garbage, but stopping them is dangerous when flammable chemicals are involved. Will this be another case solved for Dunc and Amos?

Dunc's Dump has a confusing plot that ends abruptly without much detail about what was going on at the dump, but the humor is pretty good. Gary Paulsen is best at writing wilderness adventure and philosophy, but some of his books show flashes of comedic talent. If you're a fan of the author's Hatchet or Nightjohn, it's far from guaranteed you'll feel the same way about Dunc's Dump, but I'd consider rating it one and a half stars and will be back for more of the Culpepper Adventures. It's an offbeat series.