Boy

Dan Stevens reads Roald Dahl's autobiography of his childhood beautifully. His tone and tenor resonate with the emotions of childhood, whether it be with a boy's lust for speed on his first tricycle or the agony of homesickness in his first semester of boarding school. Likewise, Stevens's pacing modulates with each moment, reveling in the glee of pulling pranks, or surviving the pain of corporal punishment. In every detail this performance succeeds, especially with the cast of supporting characters, from deranged doctors to maniacal matrons and smarmy headmasters. Their various accents and speech patterns are exaggerated, giving them a looming largeness that is appropriate for a story told through the eyes of a boy. A.M.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Derek Jacobi narrates this humorous and delightful account of Roald Dahl's childhood in a friendly, amusing tone. The listener feels as if he is at his grandfather's knee listening to tales long ago. Jacobi's enchanting voice makes one feel that Dahl himself is speaking. Dahl's practical jokes, trials and tribulations through boarding schools, and sense of wonder at the world are charming, and voiced by a master storyteller. Gaining insight into Dahl's memory, the listener is treated to the nexus of his comical tales. Adults and children alike will enjoy this reminiscence as the past comes alive and they are transported to a simpler and raucous time. D.L.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2003 ALA Notable Recording (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

December 1, 2013

Gr 5 Up-Dahl's childhood memoir (Farrar, Straus, 1984) contains anecdotal memories from his earliest years through his teens, including the terrorizing of a candy shop owner in the "Great Mouse Plot of 1924," which he recounts with a mixture of apology and fiendish delight, as well as unfortunate run-ins with "the birch rod" at various educational institutions. In addition to the tales themselves, Dahl's reminisces are punctuated with explanations of esoteric references related to pre-World War II England and Norway which may be unfamiliar to listeners. Children will derive delight from the author's stories of his family, including his "ancient half sister" and his summer vacations among the frigid fjords of Norway, where he'd eat fresh-caught fish from the sea. Dan Stevens's excellent narration adds another layer of charm. Listeners will be eager to devour more tales from the author's companion volumes, More About Boy and Going Solo. An excellent listen for the young and young at heart.-Michaela Schied, Indian River Middle School, Philadelphia, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In this rollicking romp through his childhood, Roald Dahl's listeners glimpse some of the imaginative inspirations for his delightful stories. We spend idyllic summers in his mother's native Norway, grow weary at the boredom of his English public schools, wince at the canings administered to 7-year-old boys by 40-year-old psychopaths, even find a real live chocolate factory that gives free samples to young boys. Yet we relish every minute. The author covers all in the rosy hue of nostalgia, while Sachs fills it with twitches, grunts, and tipsy 10-year-olds. His familiar voice playfully marshals before our eyes the saints and demons from Dahl's memory as only an accomplished actor can, capturing with them all the drama, suspense, and energy of the written text. P.E.F. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

January 1, 2014

Gr 5-Up-Here Dahl recounts memories from his earliest years through his teens, including terrorizing a candy-shop owner in the Great Mouse Plot of 1924, which he recounts with a mixture of abject apology and fiendish delight, as well as unfortunate run-ins with "the birch rod" at various educational institutions. In addition to the tales themselves, Dahl's reminisces are punctuated with explanations of esoteric references related to pre-World War II England and Norway which may be unfamiliar to the listener. This notwithstanding, modern children will still derive delight from the author's stories of his family, including his "Ancient Half Sister"; his summer vacations among the frigid fjords of Norway and eating fresh-caught fish from the sea; and his exploits in schools both greatly, and not-so-, dissimilar from their own. Adding another layer of charm is the excellent narration of Dan Stevens, best known as Downton Abbey's Matthew Crawley. Parents will enjoy listening to Dahl's tales as much as their children do, and all listeners will be eager to devour more tales from the author's companion volumes, More About Boy and Going Solo.-Michaela Schied, Indian River Middle School, Philadelphia, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.