NOBODY NOTICES MINERVA

Doesn't anyone in the family notice anything about Minerva even when she voices it aloud and even when she does unspeakable things--like pulling strips of wallpaper off the wall, turning over a glass of milk at lunch, and kicking brother Francis's favorite toy down the stairs? Strangely, by the end of a terrible day, she doesn't even feel better. Lucky for Minerva that Dad finds her in the sofa cushion fort. Michele Medlin narrates with a youthful voice, making Minerva's plight all the more poignant. She sets a steady pace and lets the words themselves, rather than her inflection, disclose Minerva's identity. Young listeners will take comfort in Minerva's family situation. A.R. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2008]