CRASH

John "Crash" Coogan doesn't know what to make of his new dorky neighbor, Penn Webb. Penn doesn't have a television or toys, and he wears secondhand clothes and doesn't eat meat. Years later in junior high, Crash still struggles to understand why Penn is so much happier than he, the football star with the best clothes. Jeff Woodman does a credible job making Crash and Penn sound completely different. You can hear the differences in their lifestyles, priorities, and even their coping mechanisms. Woodman also makes Crash, a bully with his own insecurities, a character whom listeners can sympathize with. By making the both main characters realistic, distinct, and likable, Woodman's narration keeps the story thoughtful without being moralizing. J.M.S. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 07]