Foundling

Rossamund Bookchild is adapting to living as a foundling at Madam Opera's Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys and Girls. But as soon as he's chosen as lamplighter, he's off on monster-slaying adventures that take him from boyhood to manhood. This is not an easy listening experience. Right away listeners encounter a slew of uncommon names and an unfamiliar fantasy world peopled with all types of monsters and unique characters. Humphrey Bower's narration provides a raft as one travels in this strange world. His talent for voices differentiates characters, and his distinct pronunciations help listeners wade through jargon and detailed descriptions. Further, his emotional timbre allows listeners to dive into the character of Rossamund, as well as the monsters who people his world. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

October 1, 2007
Gr 7 Up-Rossamünd Bookchild, who is among the eldest residents of Madam Opera's Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys and Girls, is thrust into a monster-filled journey when he is kidnapped on his way to claim his position of Emperor's lamplighter in this fantasy adventure by D. M. Cornish (Putnam, 2006). Humphrey Bower gives voice to a quirky cast of characters from the hissing and wheezing leer, Licurius, to the friendly yellow-eyed monster, Freckle, skillfully employing British accents and dialects to denote class. Cornish's lilting vocabulary (landaulet, vinigaroon, threwd) is delightful to the ear and one of the unique words is defined at the head of each chapter in a tone that separates it from the story, yet doesn't jolt the narrative flow. The tempo is quite rapid in places to suit the pace of the story, and pauses and slowing of narrative are well placed to mount tension or fear. The novel includes a massive "explicarium," including diagrams, maps, and an extensive glossary. Enthusiastic listeners will want to have the book available to explore this feature, since it is not included in the audio version. This recording will more than satisfy fans of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series and Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy, all available from Listening Library.Kelly Vikstrom, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.