I, EMMA FREKE

All Emma Freke wants is to fit in. Her height (too tall), personality (too shy), and family (too absent) are all working against her, along with her name, which makes her cringe every time she has to say it out loud. Narrator Ali Ahn is believable in her portrayal of Emma, a tween frustrated with her situation and desperate to find a place for herself. Ahn’s spot-on vocal performance takes listeners through the highs and lows of Emma’s life: removing herself from school, meeting a new friend and a new mentor, and attending her first-ever Freke family reunion. There she discovers that she finally fits in—though she eventually learns that creating her own niche is the key to her self-esteem. E.A.B. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2011]