IVY TAKES CARE

Narrator Emily Beresford vividly portrays Ivy and her life on a Nevada dude ranch in 1949. With Ivy's closest friend leaving for an exclusive camp, Ivy faces summer on her own. Money is tight for her parents, who work on the ranch. So it looks like Ivy will spend the summer being plagued by the annoying and trouble-making Billy Joe. Beresford brings all the characters to life. Ivy sounds tight-voiced and monotone as she faces a summer without her best friend. Her parents are given voices that are loving but firm. And Billy Joe sounds alternately full of bravado and secretive. With the support of the local vet--whose tones are brusque yet friendly--Ivy finds jobs tending animals and begins to build the confidence to negotiate friendships and follow her dreams. As the drama of Ivy's activities increases, Beresford picks up the pace and emphasizes Ivy's determination, especially as she saves the life of a horse bitten by a rattlesnake. A.R. [Published: MAY 2013]