THE BEST MAN

There are four men Archer Magill wants to be like when he grows up: his dad, his grandpa, his Uncle Paul, and his teacher, Mr. McLeod. Narrator Michael Crouch is a natural with kid voices, and Archer sounds exactly like the sixth-grader he is. Crouch differentiates clearly between the kid and adult characters as the plot veers from touching to zany and back again. Peck’s middle-grade novel feels old-fashioned and contemporary at the same time, and nostalgic in the best way. The road trip Archer takes with his dad is just one of the scenes that perfectly capture the heart-squeezy magic of finding a real moment of connection with someone you love. Listeners will relate, whether they're all grown up or still growing. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2016]