WILLIWAW!

Tom Bodett, sure-handed author and teller of wacky and poignant tales of life in Homer, Alaska, attempts an adventure story for children. Sadly, writing and narrating for a young audience demand different skills and sensibilities. Ivan and September Crane are waiting on their remote Alaskan island for the return of their fisherman father. Bored, and wishing to be more like town kids, Ivan hooks his video game up to the battery of the radio that is the only connection to any source of help. When the battery dies, the children try to replace it and get caught in a violent storm, nearly losing their lives. Bodett's laconic delivery, so well suited to his adult stories, is reduced to a drone here, largely due to the bombastic text. Too bad he was unable to translate his skills as a storyteller to this work for children. S.G. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]