Aurora County All-Stars

Kate Jackson takes on the role of an expert storyteller, pausing to let listeners savor Wiles's rich wordplay, then rushing enthusiastically at more dramatic points. Her performance transports listeners to slow-moving Aurora County, Mississippi, for Wiles's third saga about this caring community. This time the central character is 12-year-old House Jackson, popular pitcher for the Aurora County All-Stars. Out of commission for a year because of a badly broken elbow, he's been secretly reading classics to 88-year-old Norwood Boyd, the town recluse, who is dying. Jackson's slow pace lets listeners enter the contemplative mind of House, who must sort out his feelings when responsibility, loyalty, and truth become blurred. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

Starred review from July 9, 2007
Batter up! National Book Award finalist Wiles (Each Little Bird That Sings
) delivers the third book set in her fictional Aurora County—a more boy-friendly read than its predecessors, with plenty of talk about baseball and what constitutes a stalwart team. Twelve-year-old House Jackson, the Aurora County All-Stars captain and star pitcher, has slogged through the preceding year with an out-of-commission elbow. Instead of playing baseball, he’s spent most of his time indoors, reading the classics to an old recluse, Mr. Norwood Rhinehart Beauregard Boyd. But when Mr. Boyd dies, House is reminded of his itch to play. Unfortunately, the All-Stars’ only game of the year is scheduled for the same day as Aurora County’s 200th anniversary pageant, an event directed by pesky 14-year-old Frances Shotz, the girl who broke House’s elbow. After a series of minor mishaps, betrayals and bouts of miscommunication, House and Frances work out a hilarious compromise that all readers can root for. In the spirit of Ernest Thayer’s poem, “Casey at the Bat,” the energy during the game mounts, and sports fans will be on the edge of their seats to see which team triumphs. Quotations from Walt Whitman’s poetry, baseball players and Aurora County news dispatches pepper the story and add color; Love, Ruby Lavender
fans will enjoy Ruby’s fortuitous cameo. A home run for Wiles. Ages 10-up.

January 1, 2008
Gr 5-7-National Book Award finalist Deborah Wiles's third book (Harcourt, 2007) is the story of House Jackson, 12-year-old star pitcher and team captain of the Aurora County All-Stars. The boy has been sidelined for the past year by a broken elbow, and he's kept it a secret that he spent every afternoon reading to the mysterious old recluse all the other kids have call Mean-Man Boyd. After the elderly man's death and with a healed arm, House is ready to play ball again. Unfortunately, the only game of the year that's left to play falls on the same day as Aurora County's 200th anniversary pageant, an event that has been planned by Frances Shotz, the very girl who was responsible for breaking House's arm. In the ensuing standoff, House learns that just about everyone in Aurora County has a secret or two. Kate Jackson's raspy, southern-tinged voice is clear and she interjects lots of emotion into her reading, adjusting her voice to reflect the different characters. Sure to be a hit with baseball fans.Kathryn Tvaruzka, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

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