ON THE ROAD TO MR. MINEO'S

It's a lazy summer in Meadville, South Carolina, and one of Mr. Mineo's homing pigeons--one-legged Sherman--is on the loose. Listeners hear the interwoven pursuits of eight quirky townspeople as they scheme to take home the pigeon. Will it be narrator Stella with sidekick Gerald; her annoying brother, Levi, and fellow punks; town liar and bully Mutt; or someone else? Suzy Jackson's brisk pace necessitates careful listening to take in the story's quick shifts from one location to the next and Connor's many descriptions of small moments, such as rain that is "weighing down the Queen Anne's lace." Jackson's enunciation is clipped and precise. She's convincing as young Stella, skillful as the scheming boys, ever resigned and helpful as Gerald--all with a just the right touch of Southern twang. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2013]