Starclimber

Gr 6—10—Full-cast narration is the perfect choice for the final volume (2009) in Kenneth Oppel's action-packed sci-fi sequel to Airborn (2004) and Skybreaker (2005, all Eros and Full Cast Audio) that continues the story of Matt Cruise and his strong-willed love, Kate deVries. Matt undergoes vigorous training before he can become an astronaut on the first mission to space. He and Kate participate in Canada's efforts to be the first to conquer space, but not before Matt has a near-death experience working on a space tower, sabotaged by Babelites, who are against man's efforts to reach the heavens. The plot is complex with many unexpected twists and turns. The mishaps that occur in space add to everyone's discomfort and sometimes elicit near hysteria. The narration captures that fear in the various reactions of the participants, from the pompous and cowardly scientist Sir Hugh who disregards Kate's work to the eccentric Dr. Turgenev with his Russian accent and odd efforts at humor. One can hear the quiver in Sir Hugh's voice when the mission experiences a few unexpected mishaps and the outrage when Haiku, a monkey, puts him in his place. Listeners will be on the edge of their seats.—Edith Ching, Washington Latin Public Charter School, DC