Wild Things

Nicole Poole dramatizes 11-year-old Zo‘ Royster with a smart, sassy voice. After the death of her mentally ill mother, Zo‘ finds herself living with her uncle, a sculptor, who she believes is more interested in his work than in her. Poole's snappy comments fully convince listeners of Zo‘'s pessimism, born out of years of taking care of her mother and her string of irresponsible boyfriends. Poole subtly changes her tone as Zo‘ learns to trust the adults in her life. Periodically, Liz Morton inserts vignettes by "Mr. C'mere," the aging feral cat Zo‘ seeks to tame. Morton's mature voice fits him in terms of his age and instinctive appreciation of Zo‘. As the story depicts the many meanings of "wild things," the narrators enliven all the characters Zo‘ comes to love. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

December 1, 2010

Gr 4-6-Reminiscent in many ways of Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie, Clay Carmichael's novel (Front Street, 2009) tells the humorous and heartbreaking story of a number of wild characters both human and animal. The narration is mainly told in the first person by feisty 11-year-old orphan Zoe who has been sent to live with Uncle Henry, a famous sculptor, after her mother's suicide. Mr. C'mere, a feral cat, narrates occasional chapters. Liz Morton delivers the cat's thoughts in a cool, matter-of-fact way, and does an excellent job of bringing the other characters to life. Zoe acts as a catalyst in her new surroundings, bringing together various solitary people, Mr. C'Mere, and a mysterious white deer. As the relationships build so too does Zoe's sense of well-being and security. Carmichael's accomplished handling of characterization is all the more compelling when compared to the many plot-driven aspects of this story. Highly recommended.-B. Allison Gray, Santa Barbara Public Library, Goleta Branch, CA

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