MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE

Narrator Bryan Kennedy animates the angst and glory of Rafe Khatchadorian’s first year in middle school. With quick changes in pitch and pacing, Kennedy matches the roller coaster of events recounted in Rafe’s sketchbook, which details his attempt to break every rule in school. Rafe and his imaginary friend, Leo the Silent, make one rule: No one gets hurt. That rule is what makes Rafe different from his soon-to-be-stepfather, Bear. As Rafe ponders the turmoil of his life, he tries to decide what it means to be good or bad when he’s always in trouble either way. With or without the accompanying PDF of Rafe's sketches (downloadable and available on the last CD), Kennedy's performance achieves a vivid rendering of Rafe’s art in the listener's mind. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2011]