MS. BIXBY'S LAST DAY

Narrators Jesse Bernstein, Ramon de Ocampo, and Maxwell Glick prove their excellence as they quickly define the trio of sixth-graders featured in this story: Topher is a bit sarcastic, Steve is big on getting the facts, and Brand enjoys wordplay. At first, the story takes a light tone as the boys run from a girl with cooties. But the tone changes abruptly when their teacher, Ms. Bixby, announces she must leave to start cancer treatment. The boys come up with a plan to honor her. It gains in complexity and demands extreme courage. Soon, the boys' collaborative power becomes clear as do the reasons for their devotion to this life-changing teacher. S.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2016]