THE CAY

In April, 1942, following the torpedo blast that sinks his Virginia-bound ship, eleven-year-old Phillip Enright is left blinded and stranded on a saltwater cay with an initially fearsome West Indian native, Timothy. Burton reads the part of Timothy masterfully, fully capturing the melodic West Indian cadences and successfully contrasting them with his reading of Phillip. Additional sound is used to good effect, particularly during the hurricane that sweeps the cay and results in Timothy's death. Less successful are the introductory chapters. Despite these initial problems, collections that serve intermediate and middle school students will want to purchase the audio version of this modern survival classic. T.B. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPT 92]