All That's Missing

Gr 3–7—Eleven-year-old Arlo has been raised by his grandfather, "Poppo," for as long as he can remember, but Poppo's memory is failing and Arlo's life is slowly falling apart. He decides that his only chance of staying out of the foster system is to locate his paternal grandmother. Arlo's quest to find his grandmother will unlock painful family secrets and challenge everything he has ever thought about his family. Macleod Andrews has an appropriately youthful voice for Arlo and is even able to crack it here and there to show how he is slowly going from "kid" to "teen." Andrews' gruff deeper tones make Poppo very believable, and he is equally capable of handling the many other male characters using both mid and lower ranges to keep each voice distinct. However, the opposite gender voices prove to be more difficult. He struggles especially with Arlo's grandmother and her best friend; his attempt to make them older and wiser is exaggerated and borders on grating. Overall, this an admirable production though slow moving and will have to be hand sold to listeners looking for a homespun tale of family and friendship.—Shari Fesko, Southfield Public Library, MI