Library Journal
Gr 4-6-Lee is having a perfectly awful day. First his soccer ball is taken away from him, next he makes his favorite teacher cross and, to top it all off, he is forced to eat a disgusting school lunch. On the way home, his luck changes courtesy of a mysterious woman. His teachers suddenly become kids again, and very strange things start to happen. Reminiscent of Mary Rodgers' Freaky Friday, Gillian Cross' Crazy Shoe Shuffle is a tale of role reversal gone haywire. The protagonist, Lee, grows in the course of story (spanning a few days), from a student who dislikes most of his teachers, to gaining some insight into and understanding of them. Although the work has a British terms that will be unfamiliar to American youngsters (Lee has sausage and jacket potatoes for lunch; he tells another student to "shove off," and his football is actually used to play soccer), the subject matter and humor are universal. Actor Richard Mitchley ably interprets several voices, and his delivery keeps listeners entertained and eagerly anticipating the next chapter. Highly recommended for school and public library audio collections.-Tricia Finch, North Port Public Library, FL Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile
"You are only young twice" is the theme at the heart of this story. Thanks to a mysterious crone and a jumble of shoes in the cloakroom, three teachers at Lee Godwin's school have the remarkable opportunity to have a second chance at a day of childhood. Of all the classmates, it is Lee who shares in the novelty of that day. Richard Mitchley delights in the escapades of a school day notable for the absence of the headmistress and two teachers and the arrival of three obstreperous students. As the frantic day progresses, Mitchley commands with Mrs. Hemingway, the imposing substitute; bosses and bullies with the new girl, Valerie; and connives with Lee's friend, Peanuts. Mitchley's rich British voice adds authenticity to this British school fantasy. A.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine