GONE-AWAY LAKE

A splendid summer discovery is shared by two young cousins who stumble upon a swamp and its colorful occupants, human and otherwise. Children in 2003 probably can't relate to the main characters' all-day summer freedom and exploration. Nevertheless, GONE-AWAY LAKE is a delightful escape, even fifty years after it was written. Reader Colleen Delany's pace is a touch slow, but helpful to juvenile listeners. Her precise diction is maintained throughout the more exciting scenes, which are delivered with an energy that rivets the young audience's attention. The elderly characters are suitably voiced with distinctly old-fashioned, trembling tones, but the youngest children come off too babyish. N.M.C. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 03]