HEAVEN

What brings happiness to 14-year-old Marley, living in the town of Heaven? Summer unfolds with a job babysitting for Feather, trips to Ma's Superette for flip-flops, and a developing friendship with the perplexing Shoogy. Postcards arrive regularly from Uncle Jack and his dog, Boy. But Marley's world suddenly explodes and realigns when a letter arrives in the mail. In her Coretta Scott King award-winning book, Angela Johnson presents the poignant struggles of Marley as she comes to grips with the relationships in her life. Narrator Andrea Johnson treats the listener to all the emotions of a young adult--enthusiasm, dejection, tenderness, perplexity, and the craving for what might have been. Johnson's intensity leads both the listener and Marley to an understanding of what makes a family. A.R. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 01]