MISS NELSON IS BACK

[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with MISS NELSON HAS A FIELD DAY.]--In the series of books about Miss Nelson, Allard and Marshall have taken the good guy vs. bad guy routine and turned it into a teacher vs. substitute situation, with predictable yet somehow surprising and enjoyable twists. Diana Canova reads both of these stories slowly and surely, creating distinct voices for Miss Nelson, Viola Swamp, and Mr. Blandsworth. The beauty of audiobooks shines through here, with a solid combination of all the important elements: background mood music, realistic kids' voices, great sound effects, solid narration, and a dramatic (if predictable) plot with a satisfying ending. MISS NELSON HAS A FIELD DAY comes across as livelier and, as the last story in the series, enjoys the more unexpected ending. But both audiobooks will be surefire hits, as the books have been for years. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]