UNITED TATES OF AMERICA

You gotta love Paula Danziger's dry delivery as she voices Mrs. Lipschitz, the teacher who oversees the student newspaper at Biddle Middle School, in this full-cast (16 voices) recording. Sixth-grader Skate Tate (convincingly voiced by teen actress Carmen Viviano-Crafts) is on staff as artist and travel correspondent, coping with unfaithful friends, budding crushes, and, worst of all, the untimely death of her beloved Great Uncle Mort. When the young voices in the cast choke up as they try to express their grief, you're guaranteed to get a lump in your own throat. Funny, real, and like, totally sixth grade, "United Tates" is a great place to visit. M.C. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB / MAR 03]