Darnell Rock Reporting

Signing up for the school newspaper is one of the few positive things 13-year-old Darnell Rock seems to do. His encounter with a homeless man is a counterpoint to his seeing his own world a little differently and beginning to write about it. The story's a good choice for audio and adds a choice outside light-hearted subjects or classics. It also doesn't have the depressive bent of much young adult fiction. This story can be listened to by much younger children and is a good one to share as a family. James's narration is suitable, if not exceptional. He doesn't seem to get into the rhythm of the kids' street-talk. It's almost as if he's speaking clearly so listeners who never hear street talk will understand and to that extent the choice is probably the right one. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

January 29, 1996
A struggling middle school student finds a way to turn his life around when he works on the school newspaper; PW called this story "lively" and "uplifting." Ages 8-12.