JUNEBUG AND THE REVEREND

Reeve McLean, aka "Junebug," is a precocious 10-year old boy living with his divorced mother and younger sister in New Haven, Connecticut. His mother is the resident caretaker for a number of elderly people. Junebug relates stories of his new life in this home, as well as his adventures: making new friends; dealing with bullies at school and the summer soccer league; getting to know one of the residents, a retired minister; and dealing with the minister's son who begins to date his mother. One of the sad aspects of the story is Junebug's desire to see his incarcerated father. J.D. Jackson's winsome narration brings out the character of the cast; the young, cocky, and yet very vulnerable Junebug; the somewhat curmudgeonly, but loving Reverend Ashford; and all the others are done well. The narrative is just as effectively rendered. M.T.F. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB / MAR 03]