SWING

With a poet’s passion, Kwame Alexander narrates his novel-in-verse about high school friends Noah and Walt. Alexander’s strong connection to his characters shines in his enthusiastic delivery and clear distinctions between the boys’ personalities. Noah, cautious and reserved, pines for a girl who sees him only as a pal; Walt, vibrant with jazz running through his veins, wants only to make the varsity baseball team. Over ice cream cones and lattes, the boys support each other’s dreams and sometimes squabble like brothers. With measured emotion, Alexander drives home the full impact of this contemporary coming-of-age story as the realities of the broader world burst Noah and Walt’s sheltered upper-middle-class bubble. Be prepared to listen to Alexander’s heartfelt performance all in one go. C.B.L. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2018]