THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTON

Imagine the school cafeteria: bright lights, frenzied voices, smells of fresh pickles and chocolate chip cookies. Janie experiences it all one minute; the next, it fades as her world shrinks to the two-inch face on her milk carton, the face of a missing child, her 3-year-old face. Alyssa Bresnahan offers an energetic reading, breaking into song with the back row of boys in Mr. Brilow's English class. With her characteristically accentuated verbs, protracted adjectives and deliberate pauses, Bresnahan takes us on the tumble of emotions that is Janie's trip from the high school lunch room to the truth about her identity. T.B. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 99]