Mitchell, David. Black Swan Green.

MITCHELL, David. Black Swan Green. Read by Kirby Heyborne. 11 cds. 13 hrs. Books on Tape. 2006. 1-4159-2850-9. $79.20. Vinyl; plot notes. SA*

Jason Taylor is a 13-year-old British schoolboy, sensitive and observant enough to write poetry of a quality that belies his age, smart enough to keep that (and much else) under his hat and maintain a low profile to fit in with his peers, and still naive enough not to fully comprehend a great deal of what goes on around him in the adult world. In the 13 chapters of this beautifully written novel, each one of which paints a significant moment in the last year of Taylor's childhood, Mitchell, with an equal measure of humor and poignancy, puts us into his protagonist's head and lets us see the world through a young adolescent's eyes.

Mitchell has a fine ear for dialogue. As Taylor acquaints us with the pecking order in his school, his parents' conversations and escalating arguments, his struggle with his stammer, his hero worship of his older cousin, the prejudice and ignorance of his adult acquaintances, his first crush and first serious ethical dilemma, every word rings true. This is complemented by Heyborne's extraordinary ability to transform Mitchell's realistic dialogue into characters whose voices perfectly fit the words they utter. Francine Levitov, Attorney, New York, NY

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.