Game

Harlem's Drew Lawson sees basketball as his future. But he must get through his season first, and that means trying to understand the influences around him. From heeding the messages his coaches send him to watching a friend's brother go through the court system to dealing with people from other backgrounds, it all weighs on Drew's mind. In these characters JD Jackson's narration shines. Primarily through varied pitches, characters are given personalities--a deeper, slower voice for one teammate, an Eastern-European accent for another. Jackson gives his best narration to Drew's sister, a precocious student with a fun attitude. Myers uses kids' street language (more hip than crude), and his message is fairly basic. But Jackson brings his "game," so to speak, to listeners. M.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine