IN THE NICK OF TIME

A fast-paced tale of time travel tale finds 12-year-old Charlie stepping back to 1952. As she tries desperately to return to her home in the present, she must cope with her new surroundings. Swindells's imaginative story is equaled by Clare Corbett's voices. She varies pitch (high as well as low), accents (stuffy English, a twist of Irish), and other nuances (a slight lisp) as she crafts identities for young students and older teachers. Swindells and Corbett make a good team. The writer's grasp of time travel is clever, and the narrator's voices are versatile. With a new friend and old memories, Charlie looks for her home more than 50 years in the future. It's a fun journey to take with her, thanks to clear writing and wonderful narration. M.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]