IDA B... and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World

With her bright and youthful voice, Taylor sounds instantly at ease in the role of nine-year-old Ida B Applewood, debut novelist Hannigan's memorable firecracker of a character. By turns sensitive and bursting with energy and imagination, Ida B whiles away the hours communing withthe babbling brook and the apple trees in the orchard of her family's farm. She's been lucky enough to be homeschooled since kindergarten, as her parents understood the suffocation Ida B felt in a traditional school setting. But when Mama is diagnosed with breast cancer, Ida B's "righter than right" life is turned on its ear. She must attend school and sees part of the orchard sold. And toughest of all, she understands the hurt in her parents and steels her heart against all these bad things—and everyone she comes in contact with. Luckily, an understanding teacher provides the right sounding board that eventually gets Ida B to change her plans and her heart. Listeners will want to stay aboard this very realistic emotional roller coaster, made all the more vivid via Taylor's fine reading. Ages 9-up. (Sept.)