ONE TIME

Jesse Vilinsky delivers the first-person narrative of 11-year-old Gina Filomena. Most teachers say Gina doesn't pay attention, but "they mean I'm not paying attention to them." Vilinsky's youthful voice defines a perceptive girl whose poetic vision is reflected in her lyrical expressions. Her views are matched by those of Antonio, who moves in next door. Vilinsky captures the spark of their creative young teacher, Miss Lightstone, who transforms her students by teaching them how to read, write, and see more deeply. Gina's sneering classmates' shift to a kinder way of being is also convincingly portrayed. The secondary characters in this story make it possible for Gina to begin trusting in herself and who she might become. S.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2020]