Stand Tall - Brief Article - Young Adult Review - Audiobook Review

Kliatt, March, 2004 by Mary Purucker

Joan Bauer. 2002/2003. Read by Ron McLarty. 3 tapes. 4 hrs. Listening Library, Random House Audio Publishing Group. 0-8072-1673-9. $25.00. Vinyl; author, reader, plot notes. J*

From KLIATT's September 2002 review of the book: "Sam is known as "Tree" because he is already over 6' 3", even though he is only in seventh grade...[a friend urges him to take pride in himself, but it isn't until a flood strikes their town that Tree really finds his purpose in life and takes pride in his size. Bauer...has the knack of making her affection for her characters contagious...."

McLarty capably narrates 12-year-old Sam (Tree) coping with being the tallest boy ever in the seventh grade, his parents' divorce and his Vietnam veteran grandfather's loss of his leg. He renders the voices of adolescents and adults, male and female, solidly and naturally. There are no patronizing tones for the younger protagonists. Well done and worthy of Bauer's fine novel. Mary Purucker, Beverly Hills P.L., Beverly Hills, CA