CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS

A coming-of-age story, this sea adventure will delight adolescents, especially boys. Rich, spoiled Harvey Shane falls overboard, is rescued by a commercial fishing boat, and has to earn his keep. The best reader is narrator Jim Barker; his voice is calm and steady throughout this salty tale. Lots of "aye-aye" and "ahoy, mate" dialogue between fishermen sounds natural, but most other characters, especially the boys, sound stilted and artificial. Appropriate sound effects, such as birds shrieking and storm sounds, augment the production. A.G.H. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 00]