cover image Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things

Cynthia Voigt, read by Paul Boehmer. Listening Library, unabridged, nine CDs, 11 hrs., $55 ISBN 978-0-8041-2203-0

In this first book in a new trilogy set in the early 1900s from Newbery Medalist Voigt, 12-year-old Max is left behind when his parents head to India to establish a theatrical troupe. But Max is unsure of whether his parents intended to leave him behind and wonders whether they were actually kidnapped, so he sets out to solve the mystery. Narrator Boehmer’s performance in this audio edition is spirited and inspired. His prim, proper tone echoes the book’s setting, and his characterizations are layered, unique, and appropriate. As Max, Boehmer is wide-eyed and green, but also filled with gusto. A fun and memorable listen. Ages 8–12. A Knopf hardcover. (Sept.)