Henry and the Clubhouse

Neil Patrick Harris (who played Doogie Howser) narrates this old favorite in a well-modulated, expressive voice with spot-on pacing. While he has Henry down pat, some of his other characterizations miss the mark. Beezus sometimes sounds like a middle-aged woman, and Ramona mostly sounds like an old man who has smoked too many cigarettes. Cleary's books have endured because she thoroughly understands how children experience the world, and she writes with a ticklish humor that never condescends. Henry builds a clubhouse, tackles a paper route, and tries to survive the ever pestering Ramona. In the end, to his amazement, it's Ramona who helps him reach his most important goals. An interview with the author is a perfect finish to this audiobook. E.S. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine