Best Friends and Drama Queens

Tara Sands's perky, youthful voice is a perfect match for Cabot's preteen drama about dealing with bullies, the third installment in her Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls series. Listeners are caught up in the excitement as Allie anticipates the arrival of a new student from Canada, who is joining her fourth-grade classroom. Allie and her four best friends enjoy playing make-believe. Cheyenne, the new girl, tells them they're immature and demands that boys and girls pair up and "go steady." Sands expertly conveys each classmate's distinctive personality, as well as those of Allie's younger brothers and her Uncle Jay. Sands's delivery totally registers Allie's confusion and growing resentment towards Cheyenne and their eventual confrontation. A thoroughly enjoyable audio experience. L.A.C. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine