TILTAWHIRL JOHN

This rediscovered gem from 1977 comes from prolific, three-time Newbery Honor winner Gary Paulsen. It's the first-person account of an unnamed 15-year-old who leaves his uncle's farm and goes in search of "life, sex, and what it means to be a man." He ends up joining a group of migrant workers on a beet farm, where the work is drudgery and the boss is sadistic. Running away again, he settles into the somewhat sordid life of a carnival, where he works with "T-John," of the book's title. Todd Haberkorn brings a wide-eyed innocence to the voice of the youth. Listeners will wish Haberkorn would just keep going, telling us more tales about this kid's coming-of-age. Even though the story involves graphic violence, Haberkorn makes this idealistic boy into a friend listeners will miss as soon as he stops talking. M.C. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2012]