THE CHILDREN

Bestselling author Halberstam is one of those pop historians who embrace the "New Journalism"--having no pretense at impartiality, purporting knowledge of the thoughts of his subjects as well as the events, freely borrowing techniques of fiction to grab readers, but somehow indifferent to or incapable of good writing. Exemplifying these qualities, The Children recounts the true adventures of several pioneering youths during the early days of the 1960's civil rights movement. Joe Morton, the film actor, has a fine voice but not the training to use it well. One can hear him struggle against his own diction flaws. His phrasing is awkward, his cadences limited. Yet his commitment to his story and the moral principles behind it make for an engrossing listen. Y.R. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 98]