ONE-THIRD NERD

Narrator Maxwell Glick plays up the gross humor in the latest middle-grade novel from the author of AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS. Liam strives to find the perfect balance of attitude and actions to achieve total coolness in fifth grade, but his younger sisters seem to destroy his chances at every step. Glick packs the voices of the children with character: Liam's awkwardness, Dakota's know-it-all sass, and Izzy's gentle sweetness. The mother's Australian accent comes out slow and a bit strained, though that fits her constant exasperation at the antics of her children as they try to save their incontinent dog from eviction. Glick's upbeat tone finds the hope in a meandering plot that tackles myriad issues, including divorce, poverty, and having a sibling with Down syndrome. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2019]