Pi in the Sky

Mark Turetsky's energetic performance propels the listener out of this world and into The Realms. There Joss, the unassuming seventh son of the Supreme Overlord, must set aside his "pi-delivering" chore to save earth. Turetsky's dynamic range of voices inhabits the characters, notably one of the overlord's snooty employees and one of Joss's extraordinary brothers. Joss's keen determination to return a stranded plucky 12-year-old girl to earth and bring back his friend Kal is compelling and portrayed with consistent liveliness. Turetsky deftly masters pacing and adds what sounds like lag time to his rendition of Kal and Joss's broken sentences as they communicate from parallel worlds. The author narrates the closing part of the production, in which she shares the inspiration for this imaginative story. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

Starred review from April 22, 2013
“Life in The Realms has fallen into a sort of ‘been there, done that’ kind of routine” for Joss, the seventh and least skilled son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe. The Realms occupy the dark matter of the universe and keep the whole thing running; Joss’s job is to deliver pies for the Powers That Be (PTB), pies that hold “the very fabric of the universe together.” When 12-year-old Earth resident Annika accidentally spots a pie baker in the Realms, the PTB rip Earth and its solar system out of the space-time continuum, effectively revoking its existence (“This way it’s nice and neat, and we don’t have that nagging guilt at killing off a five-billion-year-old planet,” says Joss’s father proudly). Annika herself somehow appears in the Realms, and she and Joss must recreate the entire solar system from the ground up. Full of fascinating science and clever humor, Mass’s (The Candy-makers) story shines as bright as the stars of Joss’s universe. A high-stakes extraterrestrial adventure that’s as exciting as it is fun. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown.

October 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-Joss lives in a mysterious place known as the Realms and is the 7th son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe. He is content to let his older brothers and parents deal with keeping the galaxy in order while he tends to his routine of going to school and hanging with his best bud Kal, and his seemingly mundane job of delivering magic pies. Everything changes when an Earth girl named Annika peers through a telescope, leading to dire consequences for Earth as well as the entire universe. It's up to Joss, with help form Annika, his friends, and his family, to save the day. Mark Turetsky vocalizes a huge cast of characters both alien and human, making each unique through pitch, volume, and tone. His female voices are especially impressive. Mass is a true spinner of yarns, and her novel (Little, Brown, 2013) is full of colorful language that creates immediate visuals, and Turetsky's humorous vocalizations bring it all together. Given the detailed storytelling and the variety of kooky characters, middle school listeners will be engaged.-Shari Fesko, Southfield Public Library, MI

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