The Aurora County All-Stars
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Kathryn Tvaruzka, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire -- School Library Journal, 1/18/2008
The Aurora County All-Stars (unabr.). 5 CDs. 5:38 hrs. Recorded Books. 2007. ISBN 978-0-7393-5138-3. $45.
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.
