The HEROIC LIFE OF AL CAPSELLA

All 14-year-old Al Capsella really wants is normal parents--that is , until he experiences the rigid normalcy of life with his punctilious grandparents. This is just one of the life lessons shared in Clarke's story of teenagers, school, and family life in Australia. Mrs. Capsella and Mr. Capsella, as Al refers to his parents, are too caring, too different, too everything--and are perfectly conveyed by Stig Wemyss, who relishes telling the story from the vantage of the earnest, unsettled teen. Everyone is conveyed as if heard by Al--so there is screeching, grouching, and grumbling parents; meek teachers; possessive, aggressive librarians; and classmates--all terrific fodder for Wemyss's amusing vocalizations. D.P.D. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]