Rufus M.

Rufus Moffat is an absolute delight as he goes to great lengths to get his library card, even before he can read. Eleanor Estes wrote this 1910 story in 1943, and it continues to charmingly regale twenty-first-century listeners. Seven-year-old Rufus has many adventures alone and with his family. He joins the girls' baseball team hoping for lots of punch and cookie breaks, he expects to see an Indian reservation when he attends a function at the Settlement House, and he digs through ice to get money to help his family. Christina Moore perfectly captures each voice, and her Rufus demonstrates the great emotional range of a small boy making discoveries as he grows up. Moore conveys an earlier time and language, never losing her listeners. An irresistible treat for listeners of all ages. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine