Audiobooks for Ages 10+

Voice actor Susan Spain eloquently captures the story's unnamed narrator, a middle school girl whose life changes when D Foster walks onto her block in Queens, New York. Although our protagonist and her best friend, Neeka, must confine themselves to their neighborhood, to their surprise and envy, D has the freedom to roam the city. Complex relationships, growing independence, a... Read More

Karen Cushman again shows her gift for merging flawless research and a winning heroine. Katherine Kellgren matches her skill with an enthusiastic and engaging portrayal. Kellgren's perfect timing and wide range of accents take listeners directly into the heart of Elizabethan England. Heroine Meggy Swann is lame in leg but certainly not in intellect. Kellgren's high-spirited... Read More

Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-year-old djinni, possesses abilities far beyond those of an extraordinarily talented magician. Simon Jones excels at projecting the personality characteristics of someone who has seen and done it all: sarcasm, facetiousness, and dry wit. Jones’s narration easily balances this cynicism against his portrayal of Nathaniel, an 11-year-old apprentice... Read More

The naval guns sent to coastal Rhode Island in 1942 may have been enormous, but the issues about to face cousins Elliot and Robert are equally monumental. With WWII approaching and Robert’s father already fighting the Nazis in the Royal Canadian Air Force, his family has relocated closer to his grandparents in the U.S. Charles Carroll takes on the role of the adult Robert... Read More

[Editor’s Note: This is a combined review with THE ARCTIC INCIDENT and THE ETERNITY CODE.]--Colfer’s series features two complex societies: the wealthy, if felonious, above-ground world of the human Fowl family and the elaborate, technologically advanced underground world of the fairies. Artemis Fowl, the 12-year-old scion of a famous Irish crime family, sets out to restore the... Read More

This follow-up to THE OPAL DECEPTION features an island stuck in time, an army of creatures bent on destroying humans, and teenaged genius Artemis, who must solve these problems against daunting odds (including a rival child genius). Artemis discovers a time tunnel used by demons who've sworn revenge on humans and whose "materializations" call potentially disastrous attention... Read More

Opal Koboi is bent on destroying humankind to reclaim topside earth for the fairies, but one evil genius mudboy stands in her way: Artemis Fowl. This is the final showdown, and even listeners unfamiliar with the first seven titles will enjoy the face-off and Nathaniel Parker's magical talent. He juggles a wide cast of new and familiar characters, giving each a distinct voice... Read More

While a narration that is both elegant and playful might sound odd, that’s just what esteemed narrator Barbara Rosenblat brings to this work about 26 women who, on first look, carried out unlawful deeds, but might have had other motives. Considering such figures as Bloody Mary I of England; Bonnie Parker; Belle Starr, spy for the Confederacy; and ancient history’s Delilah and... Read More

Madlyn and Rollo must stay with eccentric relatives at Clawstone. Instead of resenting their stint at the remote castle, the two children throw themselves into helping their great-aunt and -uncle boost ticket sales for the tours that help support “the beasts,” Clawstone’s unique white cattle. They invite ghosts to perform on visiting days. Ibbotson excels at creating eccentric,... Read More

Guy Lockard delivers an outstanding performance of Woodson’s brief, eloquent story of 12-year-old ZJ Johnson, Jr., whose father, a former pro football player, is suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The story is set in the early 2000s, when little was known about the dangers of repeated head injuries. Lockard makes effective use of pitch and pacing as he gives... Read More

There are four men Archer Magill wants to be like when he grows up: his dad, his grandpa, his Uncle Paul, and his teacher, Mr. McLeod. Narrator Michael Crouch is a natural with kid voices, and Archer sounds exactly like the sixth-grader he is. Crouch differentiates clearly between the kid and adult characters as the plot veers from touching to zany and back again. Peck’s... Read More

What a listening pleasure! Author-read narrations are not always successful, but in this case, Tim Federle is a star. He’s the heart and soul of 13-year-old Nate, who is passionate about his acting and knowledge of musicals but disheartened by his family and the bullies at school. He’s also unclear about his sexuality. To the supporting characters, Federle brings vocal nuances... Read More

As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Princess Patricia Priscilla escapes her boring existence by taking her chambermaid’s place at the village school. While the castle is abuzz with preparations for the ball at which three “repulsive rulers” will present themselves as suitors, “Pat” experiences the delights of learning delivered by the new schoolmaster. Elissa Steele’s regal... Read More

This perfectly titled book deals with a little-known (in the U.S.) incident that occurred in Canada. On December 6, 1917, a munitions ship headed for Europe and a wartime relief ship collided and killed nearly 2,000 people. Narrator Paul Michael recounts the moving story in a manner that deftly captures life before and after the tragedy. Listeners are introduced to the citizens... Read More

It took several years of hard work and precise calculations for atomic energy to be developed. The genesis of what culminated in the dropping of bombs over Japan in WWII can be summed up in one word: recruitment. As American scientists were sought to design and build the bomb, Communist sympathizers were drawn, surreptitiously, to steal the secrets of one of the twentieth... Read More

Author Kwame Alexander (THE CROSSOVER) brings a natural energy to his reading, which, while not quite as polished as a professional narration might be, is still spirited and engaging. Written in verse, his novel is both smart and accessible. Middle-grade listeners are bound to recognize themselves in 12-year-old Nick, who loves soccer and hates words (his dad is a famous... Read More

Danny Burstein's narration is that of a born storyteller. His pacing changes between words and within them, suspending the story just enough to leave the listener hungry for the next morsel. His voice is both gravelly and soft, appropriate for the grit and tenderness in this story of a boy growing up in Poland during the Holocaust. Burstein is consistently spot-on with the... Read More

Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse has done it again with this deeply moving story of Russian immigrants in 1903 Brooklyn. The production is greatly enhanced by the expert narration of Fred Berman, whose strong Brooklyn accent and use of Yiddish inflection take listeners directly to the time and place. Berman beautifully captures 14-year-old Joseph's electric excitement to... Read More

Jacqueline Woodson’s linked poems weave scenes of political change while growing up amid the Civil Rights movement and scenes of personal upheaval upon moving from her grandparents’ peaceful South Carolina home to Brooklyn. Her voice is wistful and dreamy as she savors rich sensory memories like crickets, “who seem to know their song is our lullaby,” and sitting beside her... Read More

Just as he has been for the previous two audiobooks in Riordan's Trials of Apollo series, narrator Robbie Daymond is wholly in sync with Apollo's voice. Trapped in the body of a mortal, powerless teenager, the god arrives in California, where drought and wildfires are a result of an underground maze burning with an unearthly flame. While there are flashes of Apollo's old godly... Read More

Enola Holmes’s birthday is marred by the disappearance of her mother, so she must figure out why and how it took place, since no one else cares. Enola combines the logical reasoning of her haughty older brother, Sherlock, with the creativity and spirit of her mother. Expertly characterized by Katherine Kellgren, Enola is hurt, frustrated, puzzled, and proudly triumphant as she... Read More

”Chomp” is what happens when an animal takes a hunk out of its "owner." Wahoo and his dad, Mickey, have had many such chomps because they’re animal wranglers—guys who loan their menagerie to TV and movie producers. Narrator James Van Der Beek delightfully captures the unique Cray family; Derek Badger, star of “Expedition Survivor”; and the people involved in so-called reality... Read More

Bronson Pinchot performs with the wise air of a storyteller, an appropriate style for a novel built on the tales that Micah's Grandpa Ephraim tells about the magical circus he visited as a boy. Pinchot's voice for Micah is equal parts wonder and grief as he confronts Ephraim's failing health and sets out to find Circus Mirandus and the mysterious Light Bender who once promised... Read More

Narrator Adam Lazarre-White’s musical rhythms enhance the author’s lyricism. His soft tones express the intergenerational tenderness between Clayton and his grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd. They share a passion for music and the routine of a nightly story as Clayton drifts off to sleep. All that changes when Clayton wakes to discover that his grandfather has died. Clayton’s... Read More

Narrator Suzy Jackson brings a deft middle school tone to this story of online gaming gone awry. When Allie creates a new game, called Click'd, at CodeGirls summer camp to help her schoolmates get acquainted by sharing common interests, she's talked into releasing the game before completing her testing. Excited when her app goes viral, Allie is soon horrified to learn that a... Read More

Coraline describes herself as an explorer. When she finds a mysterious corridor in her family’s new flat, she must fight sinister forces determined to keep her parents, three lost souls, and herself prisoner forever. Neil Gaiman’s performance seems effortless. His soft-spoken voice lends to the overall darkness of the story, and his British accent matches the setting. Reading... Read More

The audio format strengthens the setting of the first book in Wiles’s Sixties Trilogy. Emma Galvin narrates the convincing first-person story of 11-year-old “Army brat” Franny. Galvin expresses both Franny’s fierce exterior and her inner fears concerning her shell-shocked uncle, her secretive sister, and her fading friendship with her best friend, as well as the threat of the... Read More

Stone’s historical work describes what it meant to serve in WWII as an African-American soldier. JD Jackson’s performance melds with the text, further strengthening a solid piece of nonfiction. His pacing matches the moment, whether describing incidents of discrimination or the exhilaration of training to become the first black paratroopers. He highlights emotional peaks with... Read More

Natalie Ross narrates this story, set in 1900, with a light Texas accent appropriate to the setting and to the gentle, observant nature of the 13-year-old main character. Calpurnia studies science with her formidable grandfather, contends with her many brothers, and engages in life on her well-to-do family's ranch. Ross ratchets up the emotion in the tense scenes, as when... Read More

Narrator Robbie Daymond is perfectly tuned in as events take a darker turn in this sequel to THE HIDDEN ORACLE. Trapped in a mortal teenaged body and continuing on his quest set out by Zeus, Apollo is forced to remember and relive painful moments from his past. He experiences heartbreak and humility yet maintains his godly self-absorption, which, in Daymond’s capable... Read More

Looking for a great audiobook for boys? This is it. Further blurring the line between fact and fiction in this autobiographical novel, author Jack Gantos narrates himself, sharing the 1962 summer adventures of his eponymous hero as he navigates adolescence and a dying town caught between two eras. (His mom and his neighbor want to honor the vision of town founder Eleanor... Read More

Pepper Roux has always been told that he's destined to die at age 14. So when 14 arrives, Pepper runs—first to sea and then across France, changing his identity and dodging the saints and angels he's certain are after him. Geraldine McCaughrean's clever and intricate wordsmithing requires a narrator who can riff and play and bring out every bit of nuance and meaning. It's hard... Read More

In a world with severely reduced energy supplies, a drug that guarantees immortality means that procreation is forbidden. Children born to parents who have signed "The Declaration" are known as "surplus" and are trained from infancy as servants. Surplus Anna, the narrator of this disturbing story, is fully realized by Charlotte Parry. Anna journeys from guilt at being born to... Read More

Andrew Eiden's youthful voice suits this emotional novel featuring 11-year-old budding cartoonist Lowen Grover. After the shooting death of Lowen's neighbor, a friend, he and his family move to a former mill town where houses are being sold for a dollar to boost the population and economy. The loss of the graphic images in the print edition is lessened by the use of an offstage... Read More

Patricia Connolly and Eva Ibbotson are a match made in heaven. Tally is an 11-year old British girl sent to a progressive boarding school in the country on the eve of WWII to keep her out of harm's way. Connolly's spirited performance captures in crystal-clear fashion Tally's humor, fierce loyalty, and optimism. Tally organizes a ragtag folk-dancing group to attend a festival... Read More

Music infuses this production as four narrators perform interlocked stories about children who encounter a magical harmonica in different time periods. Narrator Mark Bramhall sets the tone with his powerful, accented portrayal of Otto, a boy who gets lost in an orchard and first finds the magical harmonica before WWI. From there, David de Vries, MacLeod Andrews, and Rebecca... Read More

Siblings Kate, Michael, and Emma have survived a string of increasingly miserable orphanages since being mysteriously whisked from their parents’ home 10 years ago. Now, alone in a strange home for unwanted children, they stumble upon a magical book and embark on a perplexing time-travel adventure. Jim Dale’s splendid narration provides extra vibrancy to this exhilarating new... Read More

Pablo Cartaya brings humor, poignancy, and a fresh voice to his reading of his audiobook. His prose is rich with imagery and honesty, and his cast of characters is bursting with warmth, personality, and passion. When Arturo's family is threatened by a land developer, they must band together to protect their neighborhood. Through lively prose and a lyrical narration, Cartaya... Read More

Twenty well-known children’s authors (including M.T. Anderson, Katherine Paterson, Jon Scieszka, and Kate DiCamillo) collaborate on a fantastical serial tale. Narrator Phil Gigante is equal to the task. As the authors pass the story on chapter by chapter, 11-year-old twins Joe and Nancy thwart evil aliens and put together a top-secret robot—the Exquisite Corpse—while searching... Read More

Once again, as author and narrator, Tim Federle captures all of the angst and exuberance of middle-schooler Nate Foster. Young Nate is on a quest for Broadway stardom—as listeners learned in BETTER NATE THAN EVER, a 2014 Odyssey Honor book. In this new audiobook, Federle manages both nuance and melodrama as Nate, having landed an understudy role in E.T.: THE MUSICAL, discovers... Read More

Carl Hiaasen’s second novel for young readers is filled with his usual quirky characters, environmental themes, and Florida landscapes. Hiaasen’s books translate well to audio with his short sentences and dialogue-driven plots. Noah’s dad is so mad that the Coral Queen casino boat is dumping raw sewage into the waters of the Florida Keys that he sinks it. When the boat is... Read More

Cary Hite and Sisi Aisha Johnson create an astonishing number of distinct characters in this historical fiction based on true stories of escaped enslaved people. Hite voices 12-year-old Homer, who escapes from the Southerland plantation with his younger sister, Ada. He conveys their childish naïveté and wonder when they are rescued and brought to Freewater, a secret community... Read More

Author Jack Gantos picks up right where his Newbery Medal-winning DEAD END IN NORVELT left off, delivering young Jack's and elderly Miss Volker's increasingly wacky adventures in his own perfectly droll and deadpan voice. It's hard to imagine another narrator relating the story with the same familiar fondness—Gantos's reading is spot-on and never over the top. It's also hard... Read More

Narrator Bronson Pinchot creates an enchanting world through his portrayal of 12-year-old Alice in this eerie and magical tale, reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland books, only darker. Alice is the only one in her world without color. Pinchot captures her loneliness and despair by softening his voice during her vulnerable moments. With her father’s disappearance and her... Read More

Narrator Guy Lockard captures the emotions in this story. Middle-schooler Castle (nicknamed “Ghost”) has been running for three years. It all began the night his father threatened him and his mother with a gun. But running takes on a different meaning when he’s recruited for a track team coached by a former Olympic recruiter. Lockard maintains a good balance between the story’s... Read More

In a stirring narration, Miles Harvey brings to life an American story that is chillingly familiar. When 12-year-old Jerome is killed by a police officer, he becomes a "ghost boy" alongside Emmett Till and other boys killed due to racial injustice. Jerome's perspective shifts between being dead and alive, though in both states he's a careful observer of life and the living.... Read More

Narrator Christina Moore brings warmth to this coming-of-age story about Luna, a girl left in the woods as a sacrifice but saved and raised by a kindly witch, a swamp monster, and a miniature dragon. Moore defines each character with her voices, giving a sharp edge to Xan, the witch; notes of wisdom to Glerk, the swamp monster; and solemnity and feeling to Antain, the man who... Read More

In 2012, Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code. Since then, the organization has reached 40,000 young women. The format of Saujani's book includes true stories of women's accomplishments in the field of informational technology as well as asides by a multicultural cast of presumably fictional American girls. Saujani’s portrayals of various female characters could be stronger.... Read More

Narrator Sisi Johnson masterfully distinguishes between the voices of sisters Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern and gives a unique voice to each member of their extended family in Alabama, where Pa has sent the girls for their summer vacation. It could be confusing for the listener to identify so many different voices, but Johnson switches seamlessly between four generations,... Read More

The first in a trilogy, this tale set in mythic Scotland features two engaging characters brought to life through Fiona Hardingham’s and Gary Furlong’s alternating narrations. Hardingham is masterful at sharing Agatha’s worldview with listeners; a brave, fierce Hawk, she is proud of her job patrolling the walls of her island home. However, some say she’s given the work to... Read More

Life in a medieval village comes alive in Schlitz’s monologues and dialogues. They were originally written for students at her school, who were studying England of 1255 and who all wanted to have parts in a school production about the period. Listeners will hear about hunting wild boar, blowing glass, suffering the ignominy of plain looks, crop and field rotation, the trickery... Read More

Neil Gaiman fans, rejoice! There are now TWO wonderful versions of THE GRAVEYARD BOOK to listen to. As narrator, Derek Jacobi does the heavy lifting in this full-cast recording, with other cast members voicing characters’ dialogue. It all fits together seamlessly as listeners are swept, entranced and intrigued, into the magical story. Robert Madge sounds perfectly wide-eyed,... Read More

Talk about vocal variety, stamina, and drama. Katherine Kellgren’s narration is full of them all, and in spades! As listeners meet Grayling, she is returning from collecting herbs for her mother, a healing woman. With the shock of discovering her mother rooted to the ground, Grayling embarks on a journey to find her mother’s grimoire (spell book) and to free her and others who... Read More

Fumiko Ishioka, director of the Tokyo Holocaust Center, wants Japanese children to understand the horrific effects of the Holocaust on ordinary children, children not unlike themselves. Ishioka came across a battered suitcase with the inscription "Hana Brady, May 16, 1931. WAISENKIND," the German word for orphan. Narrator Stephanie Wolfe relates two stories—Ishioka's dedicated... Read More

There are even more verbs than magic (and there's a lot of magic to be had) in the Harry Potter series. Or, perhaps the magic is in the verbs. Jim Dale delivers Harry's second adventure with verve, maintaining total command of the frenetic plot and the multitudinous characters. Harry returns to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry in spite of warnings to stay away from... Read More

There’s only one word that can describe Jim Dale’s work on HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS—“magical.” Few audiobook narrators can stretch the medium like Dale as he interprets more than 200 characters, giving each a distinctive voice. Giants, wizards, elves, witches, centaurs, and muggles have singular voices that are instantly recognizable. It’s hard to imagine anyone... Read More

What's wonderful about the Harry Potter stories is the believability of the world Harry and company inhabit, imagined by J.K. Rowling and fully realized through Jim Dale's portrayal. At first, we were as awed as Harry to learn about the wonders of the magical world; now we're as comfortable with what has become familiar. Dale fosters this expectation, bringing his symphony of... Read More

Art imitates life in the newest, darkest Harry Potter adventure as England--Muggles and Magickers alike--comes under attack from the forces of evil. Once again, Jim Dale’s performance casts its spell, bewitching listeners with every nuance. His voice aches with appropriate adolescent longing as Harry, in his sixth year at Hogwarts, deals with Quidditch, love potions, and... Read More

Harry is 15, angry and alienated. Gone is the eager, wet-behind-the-ears boy wizard. He’s morphed into a surly teenager. The story is slow to start, but a peerless performance by Jim Dale spins even long passages of exposition into gold. Once Harry reaches Hogwarts, the pace accelerates and the fun begins. Voldemort is secretly marshalling the dark wizards for war, the new Dark... Read More

Reading about Harry Potter at Hogwarts School must be a treat, or why would all J.K. Rowling's books continue to top the NEW YORK TIMES bestseller lists? It's pretty obvious that her storytelling is magical, but it's also obvious that Jim Dale's reading of it gives its "magic" an entirely new dimension. His captivating voice "summons" boggarts and werewolves, giant spiders and... Read More

Ignatius, called Brother, promises to take care of his family’s Oregon ranch with his aged grandparents while his father is deployed to Iraq for 14 months. Kirby Heyborne strongly relays Brother’s growing awareness that he’s a boy trying to do a man’s job. Throughout the long year, no matter what he is doing, from raising orphaned lambs to surviving a prairie fire, Brother... Read More

As WWII rages around a family in Florence, Paolo, a young teen, finds himself helping the Allies with his trusty bike. The story, which blends a coming-of-age theme with wartime suspense, is perfect for listening because of narrator Simon Vance. There are almost as many accents as there are characters, and Vance nails them all. He does a fine job with Italian civilians like the... Read More

Six years after a harrowing experience changes the lives of two young girls, their paths cross at a summer camp. This gripping story, told from both their perspectives, carries listeners along their journeys of understanding and forgiveness. Performed by two narrators, vocal characterizations are good for both Wren (Sisi Aisha Johnson) and Darra (Maria Cabezas), but smaller... Read More

Robbie Daymond is completely charming as the god Apollo, who has been transformed into a mortal teenaged boy as a punishment from Zeus. Apollo is conceited and self-important, but Riordan’s funny writing and Daymond’s narration make sure the listener is always on his side as he learns how to manage without his godly gifts. Apollo makes his way to Camp Half-Blood, the home away... Read More

Narrator Ron Butler conveys the naïve playfulness of 12-year-old Hoodoo, who was born into a magical family--seemingly, without any magic himself. Butler amplifies the humor of Hoodoo's oft-repeated refrain--"if you didn't know"--with just the right throw-away quality. Butler is also frighteningly believable as the deep-voiced Stranger, a demon who must be vanquished by Hoodoo... Read More

The loneliness of being the new kid in town, a mysterious boy, bullies of all ages, and protected miniature owls make for some familiar high jinks in Hiaasen's first novel for young readers. Someone has been sabotaging the site of Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House. Survey stakes get uprooted, alligators swim in Porta Potties, and water moccasins terrorize four... Read More

Thomas Small’s world changes radically when he has to go north with his family to Ohio, where his father, a history professor, has rented a house that was formerly an important station on the Underground Railroad. Lynne Thigpen’s deep, resonant voice recreates this journey and the faces along the way--from the young and hopeful Thomas, to the deeply troubled Mr. Pluto--until... Read More

Joey has come a long way to find himself, but now his dad is back and wants him to become someone totally different. Does he want to? Has Dad really changed? Can Joey forgive him? Gantos knows his character and his problems well enough to read with a jerky rhythm and choppy inflection, reminding us that Joey has to work hard to keep his world, and his brain, under control.... Read More

Sally Gardner's novel (winner of the 2005 British Nestlé Children's Book Prize) is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Cromwellian England and a mirror-world of fairies, magic, and evil queens. Young Coriander must cope with her splintered family, the revelation that her mother was a fairy, and the sinister machinations of her Puritan stepmother and the preacher... Read More

With his remarkably deep and resonant voice, narrator Ben Onwukwe adds even more intrigue to this nuanced superhero story, set in contemporary Nigeria. While mourning the murder of his father, young Nnamdi receives a supernatural gift. With it, he can transform into a powerful shadowman, the ideal alter ego for exacting revenge on the superpowered criminals he blames for his... Read More

A talented cast enhances a story that combines history, mystery, action, and miracles. In a structure reminiscent of THE CANTERBURY TALES, 10 travelers meet at an inn in medieval France. The 10 narrators evocatively portray the characters while adding drama to the cumulative tale of three gifted young heroes. Jeanne, a peasant girl, envisions the future; Jacob, a Jewish boy,... Read More

What if Joey Pigza were forced to spend the summer with his dad and his grandma? What if his dad took him off his meds? And what if Jack Gantos hadn't written this sequel? What if Listening Library hadn't decided to record it? What if Jack Gantos hadn't been asked to read it? What if? What if? What if? It's the question that fills Joey's head and spews from his mouth as he zips... Read More

Jack Gantos’s brilliant middle-grade novel about one child’s attention deficit affliction is read by the author with perfect emotional pitch. Joey Pigza is wise beyond his years, completely aware of his disability and its ill effects on others. The frantic pace of his breathless narration is juxtaposed with the controlled voices of the generally kind and long-suffering... Read More

Narrator Robin Miles is at home voicing characters from diverse cultural backgrounds in this spine-tingling mix of Caribbean and European folktales. Making full use of her wide vocal range and lilting intonation, Miles delivers the French dialect of the island's human characters, and twists it to fit the varied voices of the jumbies-- malevolent creatures who live in the... Read More

Jack Gantos concludes his Joey Pigza series with one last peek into Joey’s wild, wonderful brain. With Gantos narrating, the ride is breakneck, funny, and heart wrenching, with listeners holding on through every one of Joey’s zigs and zags. Joey struggles with attention deficit disorder and a chaotic family life, and he’s so full of love and good intentions that listeners can’t... Read More

Narrator Rosalyn Landor's purposefully pretentious English accent fits this campy horror story, which is heavy on narrative and listener asides. Anastasia learns of her parents' tragic vacuum cleaner accident from her aunties, Prim and Prude. They whisk her away to their fortress-like home, the former St. Agony's Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Landor creates a matter-of-fact... Read More

Narrator Rebecca Soler effectively voices the diverse characters in Behar's story of Jewish immigrants in Cuba on the cusp of WWII. Soler deftly manages Yiddish and Spanish words and phrases as 11-year-old Esther joins her father in a village outside Havana, where they work to earn money to send for the rest of their family in Poland. As Esther recounts in letters to her... Read More

A look at culture and family is expertly narrated by Lulu Lam. When Mai is sent to Vietnam for the summer with her grandmother, the California girl is upset to be missing out on beaches, bikinis, and boys. But as the summer progresses, she learns to accept others and learns more about herself as well. Lam convincingly portrays Mai's selfishness and spoiled personality and... Read More

A stirring performance by David Baker and Cynthia Bishop conveys the dramatic stories of two 11-year-old children who lived 10 years apart in war-torn South Sudan. Baker portrays the boy, Salva, with heartrending effectiveness. Skillful pacing and vocal modulation convey Salva’s terror and sorrow as he attempts to survive ruthless gunmen as well as dehydration, crocodiles, and... Read More

Ten African-American narrators read these ten interconnected stories, and their performances are uniformly excellent, bringing the cast of characters to vivid life. Listeners follow the varied adventures of students as they walk home from school. In "Call of Duty," read by Kevin R. Free, Bryson stands up for a boy who gets kissed by another boy at school; in "Satchmo's Master... Read More

Narrator Cassandra Morris embraces the dreamy quality of Louisiana Elefante, one of three friends who first appeared in RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE. Here her grandmother, formerly a minor character, becomes a brutally strong force. She wakes Louisiana in the middle of the night and whisks her away from the stability she's found, pulling her into a mad plan for a "date with destiny."... Read More

Exuding attitude with every syllable, narrator Guy Lockard brings the Track series across the finish line with this concluding volume. Lu is the fast, flashy "fine-o albino" co-captain of the Defenders track team. But lately he's been stumbling over hurdles both on and off the track. As Lu's understanding of family and integrity deepen, Lockard's energetic narration conveys the... Read More

This sequel to the Newbery Award-winning HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY (and the second of a trilogy) is utterly delightful. The endearingly eccentric residents of Hard Pan (population, 43) join to celebrate Lucky's eleventh birthday. Narrator Cassandra Campbell puts life and charm into Lucky's mom, Brigitte, a French woman who wants to become entirely American. Campbell also perfectly... Read More

This award-winning, captivating history makes a wonderful transition to audio because of Alan Bomar Jones’s performance. Jones delivers the historical background and the quotes of well-known leaders in factual tones and adds poignancy to the stories of interviewees who were young activists during Alabama’s Civil Rights struggles in 1965. Jones’s varied tones portray the immense... Read More

Author Pablo Cartaya's warm narration introduces us to 14-year-old Marcus, who is trying to figure out his place in the world. When his mother takes Marcus and his younger brother, Charlie, to Puerto Rico for a vacation, it's a chance to meet his extended family and, as Marcus sees it, an opportunity to reconnect with his absent father. As Marcus travels around the island... Read More

Author Gary Paulsen personally introduces narrator Nick Podehl as a “trained professional who won’t ruin the recording by laughing.” His introduction is right on target: Podehl maximizes the story’s humor without cracking himself up as he portrays three 12-year-olds who are embarking on "dangerous missions." Podehl shows the confidence of mastermind Henry, the nerdiness of... Read More

Prentice Onayemi’s subtle character creations intensify the complex life of biracial middle schooler Nick Reeves, whose mother has moved to a memory care facility due to early-onset Alzheimer’s. Denying the reality of his mother’s illness, Nick takes refuge in a video game, playing the role of Severkin, a gray elf adventurer. Differentiating characters through accent and vocal... Read More

The Malone family faces the tribulations of the Great Depression, but 12-year-old Deza never loses heart. Narrator Bahni Turpin captures Deza’s youthful exuberance and handles the despair of poverty with a hopeful undertone that matches Deza’s undaunted attitude. Turpin maintains focus and intensity in this detailed portrait of African-American community life during the 1930s.... Read More

It’s a challenge to produce a successful audio experience of Newbery winner MOON OVER MANIFEST. It alternates between the years 1918 and 1936 in Manifest, Kansas, where 12-year-old Abilene Tucker has gone to live while her father works on the railroad in Iowa. Newspaper articles and letters from both decades contribute to this lyric story, which plays hopscotch with memory. The... Read More

Scientists believe that the Spanish flu pandemic, largely absent from history books, may have killed 100 million people in just two short years, making it more deadly than the Great War raging at the time. Ironically, it was troop movements around the globe that facilitated the virus’s spread. The audiobook is narrated primarily by MacLeod Andrews; Adenrele Ojo has the... Read More

So completely does David Tennant slip into the authentic voice and point of view of 10-year-old Jamie that the listener is immediately immersed in the story. Tennant doesn’t perform vocal acrobatics, and we don’t need him to: His nuanced delivery and pleasing Scottish brogue perfectly convey all of Jamie's bewilderment, frustration, grief, and fears as he navigates the choppy... Read More

As both author and narrator, Tim Federle delivers a wholly satisfying conclusion to his funny, smart, heartwarming Nate series. When Nate returns to Jankburg, Pennsylvania, after appearing on Broadway, he's sure that his freshman year of high school is going to be awful. After all, he's a boy who likes musicals (and, secretly, other boys)--and no one back home except his best... Read More

The triple narration of this novel by Newbery Medalist Vanderpool is stunning. When Kansas native Jack Baker finds himself at a Maine boarding school after his mother’s death, everything is new yet full of connections to his former life. A new friendship with student Early Auden sweeps Jack into a mathematical journey and a quest in the Maine wilderness. Robbie Daymond’s voice... Read More

In 1947, political and religious upheaval divided India. Millions of Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs crossed the border into what is now Pakistan, fleeing sectarian violence. Narrator Priya Ayyar's Indian accent adds authenticity to this historical story in which Nisha and her Hindu family must leave their home in Pakistan due to the unrest. Ayyar's modulation changes little but... Read More

THE NOTORIOUS BENEDICT ARNOLD follows Arnold from birth through his heroic military exploits to his eventual treason, the first in U.S. history. When voicing the story’s narrator, Mark Bramhall evokes a rugged American archetype. In dialogue he shifts subtly through an array of accents: British, German, French, high class and low. His portrayal of the revolutionaries is as... Read More

Carrington MacDuffie’s perfect once-upon-a-time voice fits this fairy-tale love story and adventure. Her narration acknowledges that this is a story escaping its genre boundaries as she captures its humor and satire. Both book and performance succeed because of the story’s unique characterizations. Christian lives in the forest with Ed, his stepfather, a troll who can’t get... Read More

Texas aeronaut Lee Scoresby becomes embroiled in local politics when he lands his balloon in the Arctic town of Novy Odense in this prequel to THE GOLDEN COMPASS. The audiobook will, of course, be more resonant for listeners who have heard the His Dark Materials series--and who will recognize returning characters--but it's an entertaining, well-produced adventure regardless.... Read More

Minerva and Keira King are one-in-a-million twins, not because they were born in a Cessna, but because Minni is white like their dad and Keira is black like their mom. Minni often wishes she looked more like the other women in her family, but she doesn't learn what it truly means to be different until the twins visit their Southern grandmother to compete in a black preteen... Read More

In a bright, clear voice, narrator Jen Taylor transports listeners to post-WWI Czechoslovakia for an insightful look at a resilient Jewish family's life. It's been five years since Papa left to find work in New York City, leaving Mama and his two young daughters, Szerena and Gisella, to wait until they can join him. The story traces a year in their impoverished village, which... Read More

Lincoln Hoppe’s narration is pure perfection in this story about “Little Man,” an 11-year-old boy with a stutter so severe that he can’t even say his own name. The story, set in 1959 Memphis, is a typewritten memoir of the summer he became a substitute paper carrier—which changed his life. Hoppe brings out Little Man’s endearing vulnerability and portrays the stutter with a... Read More

Narrator Heather Alicia Simms animates the complex character of Patina (Patty), the heroine of Jason Reynolds's second Track book. Simms depicts the overwhelmed feelings of a girl who has suffered much in her young life. Now that her beloved father has died, she must live with her aunt and uncle, helping to care for her younger sister while her diabetic mother recovers from an... Read More

David Hyde Pierce delivers an imaginative narration of this unforgettable family listen. Milo is unenthusiastic about life until he receives a mysterious gift—a tollbooth that becomes his portal to strange lands. The fantasy journey kicks off as Pierce presents the Whether Man, who speaks so quickly that listeners, like Milo, won't know whether they’re coming or going.... Read More

An alternative London is divided between ruling magicians and oppressed commoners. Nathaniel is an apprentice magician who calls upon the 5000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus for assistance. Bartimaeus suffers Nathaniel's ineptitude with sardonic wit and wisecracks. Simon Jones is outstanding in this final book of the trilogy, expertly handling the sophisticated sarcasm of Jonathan... Read More

Narrator Laura Hamilton gives listeners insight into the bond between a girl with autism and her dog. Rose loves homonyms, prime numbers, routines, rules, and her dog, Rain. Her father found Rain and gave her to Rose in an unexpected act of kindness. Rose's father doesn't have much patience for her unique interests. When a hurricane hits and Rain gets lost in the storm, Rose... Read More

Tessa Netting and Cassandra Morris offer up youthful voices and emotionally connected performances to deliver Holt's novel in verse about two middle school athletes. Netting portrays Kate, the "perfect" ponytailed cheerleader, and Morris portrays Tam, the tall, stellar volleyball player, who meet and fall in "like." Alternating between introspective and breathless pacing,... Read More

Khristine Hvam’s narration is as heartfelt as the story of 12-year-old Coyote Sunrise. As Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, crisscross the country in a refitted school bus in search of the next delicious meal or some other particular delight, they avoid the heartbreak that befell them five years earlier. All this changes with one phone conversation, and a cross-country trek against... Read More

Jacqueline Woodson renders her story's rhythms skillfully, emphasizing refrains that allow listeners to luxuriate in her words and linger in powerful details. Sage's father, a firefighter, died in a fire back in the "once was," but she thinks of him often. At the same time, her neighborhood has been experiencing so many mysterious fires that it's been renamed "The Matchbox."... Read More

Julia Alvarez’s story of illegal immigration comes alive for young listeners and adults alike through the agreeable voices of two capable narrators. Ozzie Rodriguez matches the tone of the author’s beautiful language as he portrays the young, questioning Tyler, the son of an injured dairy farmer who hires undocumented workers to keep his family on the farm. Olivia Preciado... Read More

Employing an audio documentary approach, the second of Wiles’s Sixties Trilogy focuses on Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964. Narrator Stacey Aswad—sounding by turns youthfully petulant, excited, and fearful—captures the spirit of 12-year-old Sunny, who is struggling to come to terms with her newly blended family, yearning for her own mother, and learning to rise... Read More

Listeners were first introduced to Bartimaeus, the wisecracking djinni, in THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND. In this prequel, set in ancient Israel, the cynical and outspoken Bartimaeus is forced into servitude to King Solomon. The king has risen to greatness due to the power of a magical ring. After the Queen of Sheba rejects Solomon’s proposal of marriage, Bartimaeus teams up with... Read More

Full of the best kind of punk-rock energy, narrator Almarie Guerra and a full cast take listeners on a rollicking ride around the roller derby track. This much loved graphic novel comes to life with bright voices and sound effects, including tumbles, bottles of hair dye, and lots of roller skates. Guerra’s slightly nasal voice suits tough yet insecure Astrid, the... Read More

In tones crafted to delight the whole family, Roger Mueller presents the tale of Zasha, a beautiful German shepherd found by two boys in post-WWII Russia. The target of thieves and potential euthanasia because of her perceived German heritage, Zasha must be hidden from all except her family. Throughout the performance, Mueller employs a light accent meant to convey a Russian... Read More

Hearing Ed Asner’s narration is a bit like hearing a great tall tale told by a favorite grandfather. His gruff tone and quirky interpretations of Hiaasen's usual over-the-top oddballs make for a ruckus. Sticking with the author’s recurring theme of the environmental exploitation of Florida's remaining wilderness, the story starts off with the disappearance of a much-feared and... Read More

Narrator Kate Rudd handles heartache, tenderness, and tragedy in equal measure. Her portrayal of Fern moves fluidly between thoughts, observation, and dialogue. Twelve-year-old Fern is the third of four children, and she’s used to feeling invisible. But that’s nothing compared to what she feels when tragedy strikes her family, and she’s certain of only one thing: It’s her... Read More

Kivlighan de Montebello’s engaging young voice embodies 11-year-old Alex Petroski. Alex is obsessed with space travel and recording Earth sounds on his iPod, modeling his hero, astronomer Carl Sagan’s golden records on the Voyager spacecraft. Alex’s recordings become the account of his rather bizarre solo trip from Rockview, Colorado, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to launch his... Read More

Seventh grade is no picnic for Joseph Friedman, whose myriad anxieties and difficulties are warmly delivered by narrator John Kroft, mirroring the humor and poignancy of Asher's debut novel. Loosely based on the experiences of Asher's oldest son, the audiobook focuses on Joseph's participation on the cross-country team. Rescued from the school bully by Heather, a girl who... Read More

Andrea Davis Pinkney’s book offers a snapshot of life in Civil War Virginia on the plantation of Gideon Parnell. Through chapters that alternate between Rosco and his younger sister, Summer, the listener becomes aware of the social hierarchy of Parnell’s plantation, the impact of the written word on a human being’s life, and the growing discontent of the slaves at this time.... Read More

Prepare to be charmed! Bahni Turpin is back to narrate this sequel to THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY. A couple of years after two alien species invaded Earth, Gratuity (Tip) Tucci is now 13, and J.Lo, her Boovish friend, longs to visit New Boovworld and reconcile with his fellow Boov. What follows is a madcap outer-space adventure, a political farce, and an endearing story of... Read More

From the opening music to the first note of narrator John Keating’s beautifully accented voice, the listener is transported to the Welsh countryside. The recording opens on Gwyn’s tenth birthday as his grandmother, Nain, declares, “It’s time to find out if you’re a magician.” She leaves him with five unusual gifts, which Gwyn finds to be “improbable effects” for a magician.... Read More

The accomplished Ian McKellen returns to the Stone Age, narrating the third installment in Paver’s Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. McKellen gives an inspired performance as 13-year-olds Torak and Renn, who venture into the frozen North to rescue Wolf from the Soul Eaters. Paver’s latest is full of suspense and hardship, and McKellen paces the story perfectly. He foreshadows the... Read More

Narrator Greta Jung's exuberant voice captures the honesty, humor, and conflict in Kim's poignant narrative. Yumi's hardworking immigrant parents want her to attend Hogwan on a prestigious scholarship, but when she stumbles into a comedy camp led by her favorite YouTuber, she can't stop herself from joining. Jung's pacing captures Yumi's stress and exhilaration as she struggles... Read More

The action never stops in this hair-raising adventure. This time Matt and Kate are on a trip to outer space. Even those who haven’t listened to the first two books, AIRBORN and SKYBREAKER, will become entranced by the likable and quirky characters. David Kelly creates a sympathetic portrayal as student pilot Matt struggles to prove his mettle and hold on to his girlfriend... Read More

Narrator Euan Morton faces, and conquers, a tough challenge in Boyne’s WWI story for young listeners. From the perspective of 5-year-old Archie Summerfield, Morton voices the confusion and dread of those on the London home front. Morton’s clearly adult voice is disconcerting at first but soon suits the character as Archie rapidly matures and contrives a secret mission to rescue... Read More

Peering through brush in the starlight, Stella and her brother see hooded Klan figures burning a cross. They race home to bring the unwelcome news to their tightly knit North Carolina community, circa 1930. With an active KKK in town, the African-American residents are in danger. Narrator Heather Alicia Simms creates convincing character voices for Bumblebee's many residents... Read More

Sunny is the third winning character in Jason Reynolds's Track series. Sunny has always seemed to have a bright disposition, that is, until the day he inexplicably gives up on winning a track race. The move isn't inexplicable to listeners, for narrator Guy Lockard reveals Sunny's true thoughts and feelings as written in his journal. Lockard's voice clouds as Sunny recounts how... Read More

Wizards, boys, quests, and mixed-up magic. Sound familiar? In the lull after Harry Potter, listeners can immerse themselves in the early years of King Arthur, known as a boy as the "Wart." Neville Jason's brilliant readings of Proust and Tolstoy may seem an unlikely preface to the wizard Merlin, but he's truly perfect. Jason easily takes the challenge of White's 1930s’ language... Read More

Donna Postel narrates in a quiet, carefully enunciated style. Her steady pace is perfect for the drama that unfolds around the infamous “Typhoid Mary,” the Irish immigrant who, in her role as a cook, passed typhoid fever to approximately 50 unsuspecting people. Postel uses an even voice as the facts of Mary’s involvement in cases of typhoid fever become clear and the book... Read More

Narrators Imani Parks and Cassandra Morris capture the attitudes of two 12-year-olds who begin an email friendship as their fathers form a relationship. Parks voices the personality of Bett, a self-confident, risk-taking California surfer girl. Morris’s portrayal of Avery is tentative, fearful, and bookish. Both narrators reflect the girls’ awareness that their fathers have... Read More

Author and narrator Jeffrey Kluger is passionate about NASA's 1968 Apollo 8 mission to circle the moon and about sharing this feat with listeners. The result is a captivating audiobook featuring lead astronaut Frank Borman and his fellow astronauts, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders. Listeners will hear about the tension of preceding the Russian cosmonauts on this route, the myriad... Read More

Narrator Jax Jackson quickly convinces listeners of Bug's determination to acquire a sense of self before middle school. There are several reasons for this: his beloved Uncle Roddy's death, a ghostly presence that haunts his dreams, and viewpoints he holds that don't jibe with friends' interests. Jackson's delivery also conveys the deeper uncertainty this 11-year-old is facing.... Read More

Avi’s admiration for Charles Dickens inspired this story of 14-year-old John Huffam. The listening adventure begins when John’s father is sent to debtors’ prison. Narrator John Keating’s performance is extraordinary. Every character (and there are lots) has a powerful, unique voice. Keating’s voice reflects John’s growth from trusting schoolboy to disillusioned young adult... Read More

Narrator Amir Abdullah's rich baritone brings a thrilling mythological world to life. Tristan Strong's best friend, Eddie, died a few weeks ago, and Tristan has just lost his first boxing match. He's sent to his grandparents' Alabama farm to work off his grief, and there a tiny sap-covered character out of Anansi tales, called Gum Baby, steals his last connection to Eddie, a... Read More

Aliens called Boov have invaded the earth and forced all Americans to move to Florida. Instead of going by rocketpod like the others, 11-year-old Gratuity Tucci drives from Pennsylvania in her mother’s car with her cat, Pig. Along the way, she picks up a renegade Boov (with the earth name J.Lo because humans can’t pronounce Boov names), who adapts her car so it can float. A... Read More

For four audiobooks now, narrator Robbie Daymond has been lending his voice to the god Apollo, who is temporarily stuck in an all-too-human teenage body. And he has mastered walking the line between communicating the genuine trauma and tragedy of war and conveying Apollo's witty narrative voice--his gallows humor, funny haikus, and sense of godly superiority. As Apollo and his... Read More

Narrator James Langton smoothly transitions from young to old and male to female characters, and his delivery of dialogue ranges believably from refined to coarse. These traits amplify the historical authenticity of this Dickensian adventure by the award-winning author Avi. From the moment 12-year-old Oliver Cromwell Pitts is awakened by a raging storm, his life careens from... Read More

Narrator Simon Jones expertly takes on the world of Quill, in which teenagers are classified as “Wanted” or “Unwanted” and expected to refrain from showing any emotion or creativity. Jones’s deliberate pacing builds tension as twin brothers Alex (Unwanted) and Aaron (Wanted) await the yearly “elimination” of the Unwanteds. Jones’s characterizations—from the scared, conflicted... Read More

Jacky Faber is a spy, romantic, adventurer, and tomboy who’s also tough and tenderhearted. Narrator Katherine Kellgren captures each of Jacky’s personas to perfection. As a spy, Jacky spends time in Spain, where she's a model in Goya's home and studio. Her education with the artist and angry encounters with the jealous Carmelita are priceless—and very funny. Kellgren deftly... Read More

Jayne Entwistle narrated Bradley’s earlier book, THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE. Her narration of the sequel cements the books’ connection. Entwistle recognizes the characters’ complexities, particularly Ada’s. Ada, the heroine, has survived living with a clubfoot and her Mam’s cruelty—now comes her healing. Entwistle gives a layered portrayal of Ada’s strength and distrust,... Read More

Jayne Entwistle's narration enhances this bittersweet story of two poor children from London during WWII. Ten-year-old Ada has an untreated clubfoot and has never left home because her mother is ashamed of her disability. Nonetheless, when Ada realizes her precious younger brother, Jamie, is leaving London to escape the bombing, she decides to follow him. Entwistle movingly... Read More

Narrator Dani Martineck hilariously voices a multitude of extraterrestrial characters in this Odyssey Honor-winning sci-fi romp. After the destruction of Earth, the surviving humans seek refuge on the planet Choom. Choom's government fears that humans are too violent to live among them, but they allow one family to visit as a test. Humanity's survival depends on them, so the... Read More

Narrator Jessica Almasy provides a haunting delivery of a story that weaves historical fiction, Scandinavian fairy tales, and a coming-of-age theme. Thirteen-year-old Astri’s life has taken a bad turn: After her father goes to America and her mother dies, her aunt sells her to a cruel, hunchbacked goatherd for two gold coins and a goat’s haunch. Almasy voices the dark... Read More

In the two previous Joey Pigza books, Jack Gantos’s frenetic writing style brilliantly mirrored Joey’s “wired” behavior. But in this last in the trilogy, Joey’s the one who has himself under control while wacky things happen all around him, and he desperately tries to help everyone from his ailing Grandma to his missing dog, his belligerent homeschooling partner, and his... Read More

A strong reading by Cynthia Holloway makes listeners curious about this story's nonlinear structure, rather than being put off. Holloway portrays the confusion of sixth-grader Miranda, who is befuddled by several letters that appear in her apartment, foretelling a future that, at first, makes no sense to her—or to listeners. Holloway manages both the real and fantasy elements... Read More

Employing a beautifully rhythmic tone and exquisite pacing, Bronson Pinchot reprises his role as narrator in Mafi's dark companion to FURTHERMORE. Pinchot charts the macabre tale of Laylee, a 13-year-old mordeshoor, the last of her kind, who washes and prepares the dead for their journey to the next realm. Worked to the point of collapse, suspicious Laylee spurns assistance... Read More

The God of Winter has fallen in love with 13-year-old apprentice witch Tiffany Aching. She enlists the support of the Wee Free Men—her toughest, craziest, and smallest friends—to bend the rules of the rites of spring and protect her world from being eternally frozen. In this energetic mix of boisterous fantasy, wonderful humor, and uncommon common sense, longtime Discworld... Read More

Narrator Emily Rankin brings us into the world of 11-year-old Annabelle. Her voice is soft and gentle, reflecting Annabelle’s tranquil life on a quiet Pennsylvania farm during WWII—that is, until Rankin contrasts Annabelle’s thoughtful tone with the menace in the voice of Betty Glengarry, a bully. Rankin registers Annabelle’s fear of Betty’s increasing mockery, lies, and... Read More

Hope Davis is wonderful narrating Madeleine L'Engle’s children’s classic. The 1963 Newbery Award winner is the first in L'Engle’s Time Quintet, featuring Murry siblings Meg and Charles Wallace, and their friend, Calvin. Through Davis’s appealing performance, listeners share the youngsters’ extraordinary adventures through space and time. Davis creates fully realized, completely... Read More

Narrator Stephanie Willing's bright, youthful voice establishes the conflicts and complex characterizations in King's poignant story. Aspiring astronomer Liberty feels that nobody understands her. When a meteorite crashes into her backyard, it becomes her best friend. King balances parental pain and childhood confusion as the Johansen family weathers depression, divorce, and... Read More

Something is dreadfully wrong when Annie B.’s presumed dead father shows up at the back door following a local prison break. Gerwitz’s novel poses hard questions for a family trying to cope. Long after its final chapter, listeners will ponder the choices made and their repercussions. Did Andrew Stone’s return help or harm his children? Was Gran wise in isolating her... Read More

Channie Waites is up to the challenge of narrating T.R. Simon’s fictionalized account of the childhood of Zora Neale Hurston and her friend, Carrie. The story alternates between two timeframes: Events in 1903 are narrated by Carrie as racial violence seems ready to overtake Eatonville, Florida. Events in 1855 are narrated by Lucia, a free black girl from Hispaniola, who... Read More

When a young Zora Neale Hurston stands in the schoolyard to spin a tale about the "gator man" she saw, the listener, too, is riveted. To create an audio production about a girl whose tales are so tall that to call her a fibber is a compliment and a town so filled with intriguing characters that one must eavesdrop at every opportunity, one needs a narrator ready to delight in... Read More