WYVERN WINTER

Young Thomas Ketch must deal with his mother's cancer, trying to find his lost dog and finding himself heir to protecting the ancient wyverns (winged dragons). Tomelty uses the dramatic technique of quickly dropping her reading voice to a lower tone and slowing the rhythm of her reading to produce a feeling of suspense and eeriness. She varies the voices of the children so that each of the three becomes an individual in character, as well as vocal quality. Tomelty's British accent modifies enough to become an American accent, although not quite that of a true New Englander. The unique context of the story, matched with the special quality of Tomelty's reading, makes a special listening experience for young listeners. P.A.J. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 98]