JENNIFER CHAN IS NOT ALONE

Shannon Tyo narrates this middle-grade audiobook about friendship and the power of belief. Mallory never meant to exclude new girl Jennifer Chan, but Jennifer's belief in aliens and her open, sunny attitude mark her as just too weird. When Jennifer runs away, the story splits into "before" and "after" sections revealing the truth about how Mallory and others treated Jennifer and how they treat each other. Tyo voices Mallory's anxieties with powerful precision, emphasizing how differently she behaves around different friend groups. Tyo's specific tones for each classmate create a diverse soundscape of preteens. Carolyn Kang brings a contrasting brightness to her narration of Jennifer's journal entries, and author Tae Keller gives an affecting afterword about the emotional damage caused by bullying. N.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2022]