STARRING JULES (AS HERSELF)

Narrator Cassandra Morris is perfect as "pizzazzy" second-grader Jules Bloom. Her cadence and voice are light and girlish yet strong, an excellent characterization for a girl who would rather dig worms than play beauty makeover. But Jules isn't a tomboy either. She's Jules. She wants to be a star and is willing to audition even if she's in danger of throwing up. Morris paces the drama, both internal and external, superbly. There's plenty of both, as Jules needs a new best friend, and the perfect candidate, a girl from England, has just joined her class. Morris's youthful-sounding timbre and British accent are charming. The exuberance of this production is endearing and entertaining. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2014]