Clementine and the Family Meeting

Gr 2–4—The irrepressible third grader, Clementine, is back in this installment (Hyperion, 2011) of Sara Pennypacker's series. Clementine sees the ominous "Family Meeting" sign on the refrigerator, she thinks that she is going to be in big trouble. The actual reason for the meeting is far worse than anything she could have imagined: her parents are expecting a baby, and they didn't even ask her if it was okay! To make matters worse, a key element in Clementine's science project has gone missing, her best friend Margaret is turning into a makeup fiend, and she lost her favorite winter hat. Dismayed at first, Clementine realizes that her worries have a solution: mostly, the love and warmth of her family, but having her own tool belt doesn't hurt, either. Jessica Almasy brings Clementine to life with a performance that is chock-full of sparkle and verve. The girlish pitch of her voice is perfectly suited to the character, and her enthusiastic delivery is spot-on. The slightly different voices she gives the adult characters serviceable but not memorable. But this isn't really a drawback, as it allows Clementine to be the star. A sweet story with pitch-perfect narration makes this audiobook a must-have.—Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY