THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SEVEN

There's action aplenty, as usual, at 44 Scotland Street, but most UNusual is this novel’s preface, in which Alexander McCall Smith admits that Bertie (who is eagerly awaiting his seventh birthday) is his favorite character, and the one most favored by his international readers. Narrator Robert Ian Mackenzie delightfully captures the witty and diverse cast. His rendering of Bertie and his friends Tofu, Hiawatha, and Olive is much like eavesdropping on a group of noisy kids. The account of Bertie taking his baby brother, Ulysses, to school for show and tell is priceless. The fussy and warring adults, especially Bertie's tiresome mother, are equally believable and enjoyable to befriend for a spell. Best of all, Mackenzie is spot-on in delivering McCall Smith's subtle humor. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2012]