MAO'S LAST DANCER Young Readers' Edition

Plucked from poverty, Li Cunxin was brought to Beijing to learn ballet. Later, after defecting, he became a principal dancer in both the Houston and the Australian Ballets, ultimately becoming world renowned. Paul English's crisp accents march precisely through Chinese pronunciations and the difficult stories of Li's early life in Quingdao. Occasionally, English pauses on emotional peaks, portraying, for example, Li's fear when his mother faints from hunger and his loneliness while adjusting to life at the dance school. Mostly, English's level narration allows listeners to imagine the contrasts of Li's life--his incomprehension of the wealth and freedom he sees while visiting the U.S. and, soon after, his struggle to attain them. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 07]