Frankie, Peaches and Me.

FRANKIE, PEACHES AND ME. Karen McCombie. 2005. Read by Jenny Bryce. 4 tapes. 5 hrs. BBC Audiobooks America. 1-4056-5091-5. $24.95. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. J

Stella is a stammering teenager who is rudely evacuated from her familiar surroundings, her best friend and the stimulating city of London. She is plunked down in a seaport town that promises boredom with exceptional scenery. Stella is the older sister of adorable yet rambunctious twin boys who are in the delightful stage of pure trouble. Immediately Stella tries to text message her friends and remain connected with her London buddies. She is stunned by the lack of response. When her best friend Frankie comes to visit, she reveals why the buddies have been avoiding contact with Stella. The news is shocking but in a bizarre way allows the relocated teen to adapt more readily to her new surroundings. She also connects with a stray cat. Bryce has extensive experience in the theatre and delightfully supports the characters' personalities with the right amount of teenage surliness and excitement over absolutely mundane, inane events. She portrays the parents as empathetic to their daughter's plight, and captures the toddlers' exuberance in her voice. This superb story, by an author who has written many excellent books, will resonate with teenage girls. Sherri Forgash Ginsberg, Libn., Chapel Hill, NC