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The 10pm Question

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The 10pm Question

By: Kate de Goldi
Narrated by: Stig Wemyss
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About this listen

 Frankie Parsons is twelve going on old man, an apparently sensible, talented boy with a drumbeat of worrying questions steadily gaining volume in his head: Are the smoke alarm batteries flat? Does the cat, and therefore the rest of the family, have worms? Will bird flu strike and ruin life as we know it? Is the kidney-shaped spot on his chest actually a galloping cancer? Most of the significant people in Frankie's world – his father, his brother and sister, his great-aunts, his best friend Gigs – seem gloriously untroubled by worry. Only Ma takes seriously his catalogue of persistent anxieties; only Ma listens patiently to his 10pm queries. But of course, it is Ma who is the cause of the most worrying question of all, the one that Frankie can never bring himself to ask. Then the new girl arrives at school and has questions of her own: relentless, unavoidable questions. So begins the unravelling of Frankie Parson's carefully controlled world. So begins the painful business of fronting up to the unpalatable: the ultimate 10pm question. The 10pm Question is an award-winning novel which defies all age categories. It does so with a sparkling wit and an operatic cast of characters so delightful and maddening they become dear to us.©2008 Kate De Goldi. (P)2009 Bolinda Publishing Depression Emotions & Feelings Family & Relationships Fiction Friendship Growing Up Young Adult Mental Health

Editorial reviews

Frankie Parsons is an anxious kid. He worries about everything, and then some. At 10 pm, every night, he tells his mom his list of many worries. But, with the help of a new girl at school, Frankie realizes that his mom is his biggest worry of all. American audiences might be mystified by Stig Wemyss' heavy Australian accent, but his passion for the tale carries this family drama. He handles young voices with aplomb. Meanwhile, his tone is quirky and fun. Young teens or older tweens will enjoy this subtle tale about the confusing nature of our closest relationships.

Critic Reviews

"A most memorable and satisfying read enhanced by wonderful, witty writing. Highest recommendation." (Reading Time)
"In Kate de Goldi's sensitive, vital and hilarious novel, Frankie and the reader walk hand in hand through pages that gleam with hope and humour." (Ursula Dubosarsky)
"A truly special book. Kate de Goldi's dazzling writing will break your heart and make you wonder, marvel and laugh all at once." (Agnes Nieuwenhuizen)
"Frankie Parsons is not your average Kiwi kid. He's 12, but he frets – every disease is lurking, the cat could have worms, and the smoke alarm may be out of batteries. And his mother hasn't gone outside for years. Frankie's life begins to spin out of control when he meets Sydney, the new girl at school. Australian narrator Stig Wemyss gives a superb performance. His tone and enthusiasm maximize the humor and are pitch-perfect for voicing kids. Frankie and his cricket-mad best friend, Gigs, have their own invented language, which Wemyss makes believable and funny. Everyone inhabiting Frankie's world is a joy to hang out with, thanks to Wemyss, especially Frankie's crazy fat aunties who come to dinner twice a month." (AudioFile Magazine)
'The 10pm Question is a highly original, moving and entrancing book with an entertaining surface and a deep consideration of serious themes from the point of view of a 12-year-old. I don't know if you are really allowed, or able, to say this about many books, but I think this one is perfect.' (The Guardian)

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Awesome book, perfectly read

Sweet, funny, insightful, heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. Narrated perfectly. My favorite audiobook

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