MOVIES IN MY MIND VOL. 1: The Voyage of the Endeavor/A Flight into History

Designed as "movies without pictures," this new series of audio dramas combines old-fashioned storytelling, historical fiction and a feature-film-quality score (performed by a full orchestra) and sound effects. When six-year-old Chris Brown moves with his parents from the city to the country, his new surroundings seem incredibly boring. But his new neighbor Amy, also six, tells Chris about the magical man who used to live in Chris's house and the red barn full of his "crazy old wizard stuff" out in the backyard. Inside the barn the two kids discover an antique radio that not only tunes in Mentor the Magnificent (the barn's former owner) but becomes the gateway to time travel and adventure (much like Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House books). This first installment whisks Chris and Amy to Captain Cook's ship Endeavor in 1770 and to 1932 Ireland, as Amelia Earhart makes her famous transatlantic flight. Versatile performer David Huddleston does a fine job as narrator, Mentor and several other characters. Actresses Tara Strong and Sandy Fox sometimes overdo it trying to sound youthful and animated, but young listeners will be won over by their general enthusiasm. Ages 3-up. (Dec. 2001)