I, Emma Freke

All Emma Freke wants is to fit in. Her height (too tall), personality (too shy), and family (too absent) are all working against her, along with her name, which makes her cringe every time she has to say it out loud. Narrator Ali Ahn is believable in her portrayal of Emma, a tween frustrated with her situation and desperate to find a place for herself. Ahn's spot-on vocal performance takes listeners through the highs and lows of Emma's life: removing herself from school, meeting a new friend and a new mentor, and attending her first-ever Freke family reunion. There she discovers that she finally fits in--though she eventually learns that creating her own niche is the key to her self-esteem. E.A.B. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

October 18, 2010
Having a weird name isn't the only reason 12-year-old Emma Freke ("Like, if you say it slowly, Am a Freak") feels like an outcast. She's taller and more intellectually advanced than her peers; she knows little of her father except his name; and she's nothing like her flighty single mother. When Emma has the opportunity to meet the "Freke" side of her family at a reunion, she jumps at the chance, thinking she will finally meet people to whom she can relate. But fitting in with the Frekes—a motley crew of Midwesterners dedicated to keeping the memory of a frontier ancestor alive—has its drawbacks. Atkinson (From Alice to Zen and Everyone in Between) has written a lively novel with an empathetic, well-drawn heroine, but other aspects of the story—like Emma being allowed to travel from Massachusetts to Wisconsin on her own to meet a group of people she doesn't know—strain belief. Characterizations of Emma's eccentric relatives (on both sides of her family) feel as forced as her "just be yourself" realization does preordained. Ages 9–13.

August 1, 2011
Gr 5–7—-Twelve-year-old Emma Freke is the target of teasing for more than just her name in this novel by Elizabeth Atkinson (Carolrhoda Books, 2010). She is extraordinarily tall and mature for her age, skinny, and has red hair. Add to all that a shyness that keeps her from making friends, and she becomes an outsider nearly always looking in. When her free-spirit, hands-off mother decides to keep her home under the premise of "home-schooling" her, but fails to go about it the proper way, Emma finds a warm and supportive tutor in her local librarian. Emma is unexpectedly invited to the Freke family reunion in Wisconsin. Never having met her father, she is both excited at the prospect of being around people just like herself and nervous about what she might discover. Ali Ahn effortlessly brings Emma to life and easily shifts vocal perspectives for each fully-voiced character, with some of the most colorful episodes occurring at the reunion. The performance is so convincing that listeners will feel like they are hearing a close friend share their heartbreaking and lonely path from outcast to insider. As Emma discovers her inner strength, the emotional narration reflects her growth and self-acceptance through pitch, pacing, and vocal patterns. Listeners will enjoy this heartfelt, sometimes humorous story.—"Stephanie A. Squicciarini, Fairport Public Library, NY"

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