Alida's Song

Gr 5–8—Paulsen's autobiographical tale (Delacorte, 1999) follows the experiences of a 14-year-old protagonist referred to only as "the boy." Returning from the army as a young man, the boy visits his beloved grandmother Alida and recalls a summer from his youth when she changed his life. Living with his drunken parents, the boy survives doing odd jobs and hiding in the boiler room of his building. Struggling in school and within himself, one day he receives a letter from his grandmother inviting him to spend the summer with her. She has arranged work for him on the farm where she serves as the cook. He spends the summer working with the elderly farmers Gunnar and Olaf and learning to dance, to love music, and to appreciate the quiet steadiness that the farm provides. Luke Daniels's narration captures the affectionate nature of the story. He gives each character a unique voice, and his voicing of Gunnar is a standout. Listeners will fall in love with all the characters in the story as a result of Paulsen's vivid descriptions and Daniels's excellent reading.—Deanna Romriell, Salt Lake City Public Library, UT