The Tent

Gr 5–10—Paulsen's novel (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1995) focuses on revivalist Christian preachers. As a single parent, Corey has been working a series of low-wage, dead-end jobs to support himself and his 14-year-old son, Steven. He gets the idea to become a revivalist tent preacher, even though he and his son have almost never been to church. Stealing a Bible from a local motel and fashioning a clerical collar out of cardboard, the pair start out on their new lives. Attendance and offerings are low at first, but soon Corey finds his rhythm and hires two assistants on whom he performs "faith healings" every night. Before they know it, Corey and Steven are raking in buckets of cash. However, Steven is troubled and knows that he is complicit in his father's deceptions. Whether Steven can convince his father to do the right thing sets the stage for a very satisfying conclusion. This audiobook could appeal to religious and secular listeners alike, albeit for different reasons at various points in the story. MacLeod Andrews masters many colorful characters' voices and accents, and his performance adds to listeners' enjoyment. This would be a great story for families to experience together, although conservative parents may wish to compare it ahead of time to their own religious beliefs. For middle school and public library collections.—Bernie Morrissey, The Harker School, San Jose CA