The Teacher's Funeral

A master of middle-grade historical fiction, Peck packs this book with history, quirky characters, humor, and poignancy. In turn-of-the-century Indiana, 15-year-old Russell dreams of escaping the dreary boredom of the one-room schoolhouse by jumping a train to the Dakotas. To his horror, his bossy, no-nonsense older sister has become the town's new teacher, and she is determined to see him finish high school. In a seamless performance, Dylan Baker becomes Russell. He convincingly brings each character to life, turning a great story into an even greater listening experience. This book is so laugh-out-loud funny that its depth sneaks up almost by surprise. E.S. 2005 ALA Notable Recording (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine