WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU O.J.

Narrator Abigail Revasch's voice radiates the youthfulness of Zelly Fried, who desperately wants to own a dog and who acquiesces to her grandfather's unique plan to convince her parents that she is both serious about and mature enough to care for one. How long will she have to feed, walk, and care for a practice dog that is crafted from a plastic orange juice jug? And how will she navigate friendships in her new Vermont town? Revasch picks up on the nuances of a 10-year-old's speech patterns--and listeners can easily picture the head toss, glare, or rolled eyes as Zelly tries to bargain with an eccentric grandfather, negotiates "family time" with her mother, or suffers humiliation as schoolmates see her walking her practice dog. Revasch's use of a Brooklyn accent and Yiddish words adds to the authenticity of this humorous story. A.R. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2013]