Junonia

Starred review from April 11, 2011
In this introspective story about a child's search for a rare shell, Henkes (Bird Lake Moon) again displays his ability to find profound meaning in ordinary events. Every year Alice Rice and her parents take a trip to Florida's Sanibel Island, but this year things are different. Some of the people Alice is looking forward to seeing are missing, and the neighboring cabin usually rented to a fun artist from New York is now occupied by a friend of Alice's mother, her new boyfriend, and his moody and disruptive six-year-old daughter. Swallowing her disappointment, Alice still believes that her vacation will be a success if only she can find the rare shell she most covets, the junonia ("After all, she was going to be ten. Finding a junonia would be the perfect gift"). Like her disappointments, Alice's discoveries aren't what she expects, but her understanding of peopleâboth old friends and new acquaintancesâdeepens during the process. Readers will empathize with Alice's frustrations and relish her moments of joy. Images of the beach and the moving, meaningful interactions between characters will linger with readers. Ages 8â12.

Stina Nielsen's narration complements this touching story of 9-year-old Alice's return to Sanibel Island for her annual birthday vacation. There she finds that things are not always as they have been in the past. Nielsen's even cadence captures the gentle tone of the story, which is part coming-of-age and part nature journal. Nielsen demonstrates an excellent use of pacing; she speeds up or slows down her voice at appropriate times to portray Alice's skepticism and Mallory's eagerness. The listener can also hear the tenderness in the parents' voices. Nielsen provides subtle shifts in inflection to indicate who is speaking and easily distinguishes the narrator's voice from those of the other characters. J.K.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine