WALK TWO MOONS

On a road trip with her grandparents, 13-year-old Salamanaca Tree Hiddle is retracing her lost mother's steps on a journey from Ohio to Idaho. To pass the time, she tells a tale of her friend Phoebe Winterbottom's missing mother, seeing parallels that help her cope with her own loss. Hope Davis brings this 1995 Newbery winner to life with an insightful performance. Phoebe's voice is especially poignant and believable. Davis manages to communicate Phoebe's excitement, fears, and curiosity in the voice of an adolescent rushing to adulthood. The loving relationship between Sal and her grandparents is also brought to life vividly through their banter and a generous sprinkling of idioms that reflect Sal's Native American heritage. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]