RAMONA'S WORLD

Even after a fifteen-year hiatus, Cleary's text and Channing's voice are a stellar combination. Channing's matter-of-fact narration is the perfect foil for the cast she creates: nasal, utterly unexcitable Howie; laconic Yard Ape; snotty, sugary Susan; and Southern Daisy. But Ramona, crafted with exquisite precision, is her triumph. She emerges as she always has: scabby-kneed, determinedly fair, eager to love and be loved, hardheaded and quick to forgive both her own faults and those she sees all too clearly in others. Like the book itself, this audio production is a splendid finale that will cheer the ears and hearts of generations of young listeners still to come. K.T.B. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 00]