New Reviews: Children

Pete Cross's youthful timbre renders the limited experience of a boy named Evan, who seems largely forgotten by his self-involved parents. Cross's portrayal of Evan contrasts with GM Hakim's bass voice, which periodically comes into the narrative as he depicts Samarkand, a border collie who is neglected by humans and must continually negotiate difficult situations. Clear in... Read More

Victoria Villarreal brings this story of community activism to life with her stirring narration. Smoothly shifting between English and Spanish, Villarreal tells the story of a girl joining her community to demand a park in their neighborhood. The community of Barrio Logan, San Diego's oldest Chicano neighborhood, has wanted a park for years, but they've been ignored. After... Read More

Maria Liatis delivers a heartwarming performance as a 13-year-old with a passion for fútbol and her family. Valeria is a star player on the boys’ soccer team, coached by her gruff abuelo. Through spirited yet subtle energy, Liatis adds credibility to Valeria’s perseverance through trying times, including her mortification at getting her first period and losing her standing on... Read More

A full cast performs this heartfelt audio set in Jim Crow Virginia. Charley Cuffey loves two things best of all: playing baseball and her Nana Kofi's stories of Africa. When Charley and her friends move a meaningful game to the whites-only field across town, the resulting backlash brings the widespread impacts of racism and violence to her door. All the narrators' voices mix... Read More

Louis Hill and Georgina Jane narrate chapters featuring two British siblings who are doing unique sleuthing during WWII. Hill portrays serious 19-year-old Jakob, who is consumed with finding solutions to Germany's Enigma codes at Bletchley Park. While Hill portrays Jakob's straightforward focus, he hints at how his work distracts him from his grief over the loss of his mother,... Read More

Singer and activist Mavis Staples brings her iconic, resonant voice to the narration of this audiobook, giving young listeners an unforgettable glimpse of her remarkable musical life. In a voice ringing with warmth, humor, and conviction, Staples describes her musical roots, which began with gospel and later branched out to soul, R&B, and more. The rich timbre of Staples’s... Read More

Elaine Wang deliberately presents this endearing story in which a Chinese American girl shares the details of her New Year celebration. Listeners meet Meimei as she and her family prepare for the Lunar New Year. Wang's Meimei dutifully describes her family's customs and rituals: sweeping the old year from the house, using firecrackers to scare away the previous year, and using... Read More

Ashley Callingbull gives a heartfelt narration of this story of Summer, a 12-year-old girl who starts having strange dreams while visiting family on the Cree reservation. Everyone is talking about researchers discovering unmarked children's graves at the nearby residential school. Summer is curious to learn more, but it's a painful history. Callingbull brings a youthful... Read More

EJ Lavery's heartfelt narration captures a landscape of emotions and family dynamics in this coming-of-age novel. Lavery's firm yet gentle tone captures the tension and love within Cruzita's family as they try to keep alive the legacy of her great-uncle's bakery and Cruzita's dreams of becoming a pop star. Most convincing are Lavery's portrayals of teenager Cruzita's... Read More

Narrator Kevin Thelwell approaches this middle-grade fantasy with a tender yet adventurous spirit. Charles has an active imagination. He lives in an apartment with his mother and his building's manager, Glory, who turns into a dragon. When he suddenly sees his bully classmates turn into ogres and finds trolls moving into his building, Charles leans on Glory to help him navigate... Read More

Sarah Tubert narrates this short novel in verse, reflecting the rhythms of 12-year-old Effie, who is deaf and has her own unique gift for language. Tubert stresses the emotions of the story, including Effie's alienation at home and comfort with her American Sign Language interpreter, Miss Kathy, who sees much more about Effie than her struggles with school. Tubert's portrayal... Read More

Narrator Pagnia Xiong offers up a lyrical exploration of growing up Hmong in the Midwest. The various characters who make up Malcolm's world, Hmong and Anglo, are narrated with cultural accuracy by Xiong, Colin Ryan, Kelli Garland, and Gregory Yang. The authoritative voices of Malcolm's teachers highlight the racism he faces in school. At home his discouragement with his... Read More

Warm music welcomes young listeners who are preparing to light their menorahs--and any children curious about the meaning of Hanukkah. Emily Lawrence narrates this sweet children's audiobook with a bright and engaging voice. One story features a family gathering to share food and celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with their loved ones. Informative text explains Yiddish and... Read More

The musicality of Helen Day's voice combined with her British accent provides an enticing entry into Buckthorn Forest, where a squirrel named Evergreen is afraid of pretty much everything, and her mama makes soup magical enough to be a cure for the sick. Mama tells Evergreen she must take soup to sick Granny Oak. Her firm and comforting voice is a marked contrast to the quavery... Read More

Narrator JD Jackson's enchanting gravelly voice is an inspired match for this roller-coaster ride of an audio. As a young medium in a family of magic workers, Theo Tatterly considers himself up to any ghostly challenge. But when a terrifying hag appears during a field trip and his aunt has a premonition of doom, Theo finds himself tested to his limits and fighting for his life.... Read More

Ramón de Ocampo's narration quickly reveals the close relationship between 8-year-old Felix Powell and his dog, Mary Puppins. Instead of barks, Felix hears clearly the British accents of his canine best friend. De Ocampo builds Felix's quirky, questioning manner so that listeners are not surprised when he buys an old thrift store blanket that he's sure has magic, hides beneath... Read More

Creators Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris return to narrate the third volume in their First Cat in Space graphic novel series. Its heroes face a villain who is likely to appeal to older listeners. That villain is Checkmate, a software program designed to correct grammar that decides to end all life on earth instead. Upon discovering the futility of its task, it turns everyone into... Read More

Narrator Keith Nobbs creates a passionate voice for sixth-grade student Josh, who tries to uncover his English teacher's past. Mr. N is a traditionalist who encourages his students to write with pen and paper, rather than their computers. However, when Josh discovers a pirated ebook version of one of his class texts, his entire class and Mr. N embrace technology and their... Read More

Joy Osmanski's uplifting narration conveys a teen's affection for her family and passion for ocean life in this heartwarming story about environmental awareness. Osmanski is delightful as Grace, a curious, enthusiastic girl with a love of snorkeling. Grace is thrilled when she convinces her parents to go to Honduras for their annual family trip, so she can sample a new reef.... Read More

The cavernous voice of narrator Allan Corduner is the listener's first clue that this enchanted story is more expansive than the tiny, spartan attic room where Marta and her mother live above The Hotel Balzaar. While Marta's mother toils as the hotel's maid, Marta's job is to be unseen and unheard. Corduner's booming voice initially seems incongruous with the contemplative... Read More

Singer-songwriter Randy Preston gives voice to and plays music for the third book in this "how to" series. Opening with guitar music, Preston then provides a nuanced, emotional performance of the text. Speaking with energy and varied volume, pacing, and pitch, he encourages kids to listen to sounds all around them, feel the music inside them, and let it take control as it goes... Read More

Listeners join Jasmine Garza as she begins eighth grade, hoping for a fresh start. During the four years and several moves since Papi died, she and Mami have been followed by a ghost. Jasmine is surprised and pleased to find out that Bea and Jorge, members of her school's Gay Straight Alliance, are willing to help her obtain proof that she sees a ghost. In a smooth, precise... Read More

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin has reconstructed her set of presidential biographies about four great American leaders to aim at a young audience. Briefly describing each president's early years before expanding on his leadership skills, Kearns encourages listeners with the idea that anyone can rise to an influential role. Lincoln is surprisingly voiced by Graham Sibley as a... Read More

Narrator Sunny Lu creates charming character voices in this action-packed retelling of a children's classic that is a perfect family listen. Amy is struggling with art assignments in school, missing the days she spent drawing her fantasy creature, Luna. When she's visiting her Lao Lao (grandmother), she discovers a jade paintbrush that literally brings her drawings to life,... Read More

Elizabeth Wiley narrates this short biography of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, an early champion of the Florida Everglades ecosystem and author of the groundbreaking book RIVER OF GRASS. Douglas was born in 1890 and lived for 108 years, working as a journalist, writer, and conservationist. Wiley's narration of her story, which includes numerous quotations, evokes a sense of the... Read More

This audio adaptation of a cross between a Lemony Snicket story and an Enid Blyton story makes for an engrossing middle-grade adventure. Comedian and author Kate McKinnon shines at voicing the three Porch sisters as they end up in mad scientist Millicent Squibb's etiquette school after having been expelled from all alternatives in Antiquarium, where attendance in etiquette... Read More

Elizabeth Knowelden's vibrant performance sparkles in a fantastically fun story that celebrates uniqueness. Young Millie Fleur La Fae's garden, with plants like sneezing stickyweed and fanged fairy moss, clashes with Garden Glen's theme of sameness and perfection. Millie considers planting more ordinary flora that would blend in and be considered less "weird" but devises an... Read More

Nic Davey-Greene delivers this environmental adventure. Listeners meet gamer and fast-food lover Finn and shy genius Milo, called "Prof," who are reluctantly participating in an Alpine class trip. They'd rather be home doing their own thing. Soon they find a 65-million-year-old egg that hatches. Vivid descriptions of Finn's connection to newly hatched, squawking Arty segues... Read More

Dan Bittner performs a middle-grade story about an anxious boy who is pulled into a horrifying situation after watching the scariest movie ever made. Ethan is terrified of everything, but his understanding friends try to help him through his fears by inviting him to a horror movie. However, the movie isn't a movie but an actual monster that Ethan is the only one to escape from.... Read More

Fred Berman narrates this narrative nonfiction, which puts young listeners in the perspective of an Arctic narwhal with an ivory tusk that is as "thick as a lamppost, taller than a man." Berman delivers the sounds of clacking as the narwhal jousts with another male and the narwhal's sigh of relief when the ice opens up to allow it to breathe. Berman delivers sensory... Read More

Narrator Dominique Franceschi narrates this sweet story in a joyful, tender tone. La Señora Mimi has been babysitting for Ana daily while her mom works; together, they go to the park, have snacks, and feed squirrels. All will change when Ana's grandmother comes to live with them; Ana will no longer need to have a babysitter. Happy, at first, that her grandmother will be with... Read More

Carefully selected ambient sounds combine with Fred Berman's deliberate narration as this audiobook and accompanying picture book tell the story of the inaugural performance of composer John Cage's 4'33"--in which a pianist sat at his instrument for four minutes and 33 seconds without playing it. Biographical passages about Cage alternate with the "concert" itself. The papery... Read More

Shaun Taylor-Corbett's upbeat narration perfectly suits this heartwarming adventure full of drama, Indigenous folklore, and interspecies friendships. When injured Great Grandfather Bat must get from Chicago to Georgia for a legendary animal ball game, he asks Grandpa Halfmoon for assistance. Grandpa agrees, and soon Great Grandfather Bat and adolescent Grey Squirrel are off on... Read More

Trista Shaye zestfully looks at who may have invented one of the world's favorite foods--pizza. Listeners meet an array of memorable characters. In "Galileo's Neighbor," a baker crashes into his gravity experiment using dough, cheese, and tomato, resulting in mouthwatering results. Shaye's relatable voice and humor are winning, and outstanding sound effects--a falling tomato,... Read More

Narrator Sisi Aisha Johnson creates a determined voice for seventh-grader Melody, who has cerebral palsy and uses a device to communicate with others. When her neighbor, Miss Gertie, has a fall, Melody jumps in to save the day by calling 9-1-1 on her device. Following the incident, Melody is invited to speak at a symposium in England and travels there with her newfound friend,... Read More

Narrator Krupa Pattani delightfully introduces young Sonal and her Anglo Indian family. Sonal is thrilled about her school project, photographing her family, until she realizes none of them share her enthusiasm but her granddad. Pattani ensures that Nanna is a standout character as she delivers his wonderful banter. Patanni's appealing accent adds atmosphere as Nanna shares... Read More

With his voice occasionally cracking and squeaking, narrator Brandon McInnis leads a full cast as author Rex Ogle's protagonist, also named Rex, navigates seventh grade in this sequel to FOUR EYES. At school, Rex struggles with changing friendships, lagging physical development, and, as the title indicates, zits. At home he and his mother frequently clash. Fortunately, Rex has... Read More

Em Grosland narrates this story of a school-picture day gone wrong. Andrew is a worrier, and today he has more than enough to worry about. Besides his best friend's new friends, his mom's new job, and his grandmother's worsening Alzheimer's, he has to spend his day dodging bullies, basketballs, ketchup rockets, and getting his photograph taken. Grosland expertly blends Andrew's... Read More

Jennifer Bobiwash and Darrell Dennis deliver powerful performances as Ariel and Tomah, Native American teenagers who are living in an urban intertribal housing project. A musical introduction sets an inspiring and reflective tone for this moving dual narrative. Bobiwash captures Ariel's love of ballet, which diminished after the disappearance of her Auntie Bineshiinh. Bobiwash... Read More

Narrated by the author, this charming original story reveals that Santa himself never celebrated Christmas until one year when a gruff, growly polar bear pointed this out to his elves. They decide to treat Santa royally and help decorate his house for a holiday celebration--complete with gifts delivered by the bear, who is dressed in red and growls a deep-voiced "ho-ho-ho."... Read More

Narrator Ferdelle Capistrano sweetly narrates this story about thriving when you find something you love. Bird-loving Nina feels out of place in her large family and with the kids at school. Her Aunt Aubrey, a camp director, invites her to spend the summer with her. Feeling out of place at the campers' arrivals, Nina asks her parents to come get her. But she quickly changes her... Read More

Anire Kim Amoda brings youthful enthusiasm to her portrayal of a biracial girl named Hana and her culinary challenge. Grandma and Grandpa Williams are from South Carolina, and cherish gumbo, while Halmoni (Grandmother) and Harabeoji (Grandfather) are from South Korea, and savor kimchi. What can young Hana cook to please everyone's palate? Amoda's light, engaging voice brings... Read More

Narrator Mark Sanderlin creates an energetic and determined voice for 12-year-old Alex Sherlock, who establishes "The Sherlock Society Detective Agency" with his sister, Zoe, two best friends, and his retired grandfather. When his mom finds out and puts an end to it, the group decides to try to find Al Capone's hidden treasure instead. While trying to solve this mystery, they... Read More

Rachanee Lumayno performs a whimsical tale that features Spella, a young orphan who is being raised by her Aunt Cauldroneyes. Spella spends her days discovering how to make magical hats and learning about the magical creatures that live around her cottage. But when a mysterious man arrives and abducts her aunt, Spella must go to Dragon's Knob, a magical school, to get help to... Read More

Native voices resonate in this account of the infamous American Indian boarding schools. Ojibwe poet and activist Denise K. Lajimodiere delivers her foreword, and Ponca author and filmmaker Dan SasuWeh Jones narrates his introduction. Then, Blackfoot actor Shaun Taylor-Corbett takes the mic to narrate Jones's combination of memoir and history. Four generations of Jones's family... Read More

Narrator Marissa Czyz establishes youthful, high-pitched voices for 7-year-old Stella and her 4-year-old sister, Marigold. From the moment Stella met her new baby sister, she promised to tell her all about the world. Stella and Marigold have all kinds of adventures in their home and community as they learn and grow, sometimes even getting into squabbles with their parents.... Read More

Julienne Irons returns to narrate this entry in Kevin Henkes's Miller family stories. New first-grader Sal finds herself with a major case of teacher envy when her best friend is assigned to a different classroom with a charismatic, young teacher, while she's condemned to spend the year with a grandmotherly woman who calls her Sally. Henkes writes in short, declarative... Read More

Narrator Fareeda Pasha captures this atmospheric story with her gravelly voice and crisp tone. Daisy's favorite time of year is October because of the changing of the season and all that it brings, including the fair. At the fair, Daisy wins a fish. Her fish is a bit odd, though. It looks like a pile of leaves with all its colors, and it has large blue eyes. Pasha skillfully... Read More

Narrator Jennifer Jill Araya helps listeners differentiate the characters in this story. When 12-year-old Cleo enters an apartment down the hall while looking for her cat, Muffin, she doesn't expect to discover that cats can talk or that they're running a secret society called PURR. Things only get stranger when she's persuaded to help the group fight against the evil plans of... Read More

Catherine Ho's thoughtful delivery is ideal for this enchanting story contrasting Eastern and Western dragon mythologies. Listeners meet an Asian American boy whose mother's storytelling introduces his dual heritage. The boy's grandmothers become involved, too, and Ho never missteps in portraying each woman's gentle and loving voice. The Western grandma describes a dense forest... Read More

Narrator Alejandro Antonio Ruiz dazzles listeners with their vocal range and agility. Ruiz convincingly portrays characters of different ages and genders, displaying an impressive command over their versatile voice. Eighth-grader Elio Solis has become more aware of his body, emotions, and female classmates. He feels his world has become radiantly ultraviolet when his classmate... Read More

Kurt Kanazawa offers a heartfelt presentation of Kim's biography of Japanese American basketball player Wataru Misaka (19232019). Wat's talent and determination earned him a spot on the University of Utah's basketball team, where, during WWII, he competed successfully despite harrowing opposition from spectators. Kanazawa nimbly delivers the story of Wat's life, describing how... Read More

As he narrates this production's opening, a brief glossary, Navajo educator, artist, and actor Roger Willie's tone and accent establish its setting. He then begins the story with a gripping portrayal of Cody, a Navajo boy who wakes up feeling thirsty. Whether Willie is delivering English or Dineh, listeners hear Cody's increasing anxiety as he finds all the community water... Read More

Karissa Vacker's gentle voice ripples with mirth as she recites Bee Johnson's descriptions of the many things a mess can make: meals and snacks, props for imaginative play, art, a squabble, a reconciliation, and more. Lists of messes conveyed in bouncy rhyme unfurl alongside a jaunty soundtrack augmented by occasional sound effects. These last are often necessary to fully... Read More

André Santana's endearing voice delivers this relatable coming-of-age story. Listeners meet 11-year-old Coop, whose mother left him at a safe-haven hospital when he was a day old. Coop's happy with his adoptive family, especially wise and understanding G-Pop, who is terrifically rendered. Coop's summer plans change after he falls from a tree, breaking his arm, while watching a... Read More

Jesse Bernstein brings Percy Jackson to life in this seventh installment in the series. Percy is tasked with house-sitting for the goddess Hecate and her two pets, a polecat and a hellhound. When the house is destroyed and the pets escape, Percy and his friends Annabeth and Grover must fix things before Hecate returns. Bernstein's vocal characterizations match each personality... Read More