JENNINGS' DIARY

In this installment of the 25-book Jennings series, listeners join Simon Vance and young Jennings for a spirited romp through a term at a 1950s boarding school. In episodic chapters, Jennings invents a secret code, goes on an out-of-town excursion, starts a museum, and has several comedy-of-errors style misunderstandings, all of which Vance delivers with wry humor and warm familiarity. Buckeridge's characters are well meaning but good at getting in their own way, and Vance's characterizations are both endearing and funny. His pacing prevents this relatively short listen from feeling too abrupt, while keeping the day-to-day events from dragging. A good match for families, road trips, or those who are looking to jump into a series without having to start at the beginning. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2016]