New Reviews: Children

Narrator Caroline Hewitt delivers a gripping performance of the young reader's edition of Purnell's bestseller about Virginia Hall, a socialite from Baltimore who worked as a spy for the Allies during WWII. Hewitt skillfully channels Hall's strong emotions at every stage of life: happiness at choosing the excitement of work over marriage, despite her mother's disdain; anger at... Read More

Sandy Rustin deftly introduces 12-year-old Emmie Ethrige, her school, and friends. Impressively independent, Emmie is saving to buy a sport wheelchair in order to participate in motocross events. Emmie and her best friend, Ale, sell Spanish moss, pine cones, and wheelchair bags to make money for their projects. Rustin movingly presents Emmie and her dad as they cope with the... Read More

Bahni Turpin's narration of this children's book on plants is informative and fun. This audiobook is part of the Questioneers series, a nonfiction early-reader series based on the "Ada Twist, Scientist" show on Netflix. Turpin's voice is upbeat and positive. She invites the listener into the world of the audiobook by explaining a few different plant types, as well as the parts... Read More

Tyla Collier's narration of this imaginative story set in West Africa is warm and folkloric. Thirteen-year-old Simi is sent to stay with her mystical grandmother whom she didn't even know existed. While there, she uncovers secrets about her family and the other children of her grandmother's Nigerian village. Collier authentically portrays the characters in this adventure. Her... Read More

A cast of talented British actors gives voice to this new audio edition of Neil Gaiman's classic middle-grade novel, just in time for its 20th anniversary. Coraline is bored and looking for an adventure when she opens a mysterious door in her new house that leads to another world--and an Other Mother. Julian Rhind-Tutt's narration underscores the beautiful writing and eerie... Read More

Mark Sanderlin narrates a novel loosely inspired by ANNE OF GREEN GABLES--if Anne had lived through a pandemic. As the unidentified pandemic ends, 14-year-old Gabe is living on an island in Maine with 17 other children. A timid teen, he experiences first love when he meets eccentric Relle Douglas, who lives on the mainland. Sanderlin captures Relle's similarities to Anne... Read More

Narrator Kevin R. Free delivers a spectacular performance of this middle-grade audiobook, which is perfect for Halloween listening. Free voices Mal and his squad-mates with a youthful tone and sense of curiosity as they explore earth for the first time on Halloween night in Salem, Massachusetts. But the pressure is on because they have to get themselves, along with an escaped... Read More

A talented group of narrators elevates these inspirational essays written by award-winning authors into a delightful listening experience. The works are sure to inspire young listeners and adults alike; they are varied and diverse, ensuring something for everyone. The essays touch on various topics: anxiety, bullies, divorce, reaching your dreams, death, and Covid, to name a... Read More

Fans of Natalie Lloyd who have loved the written voice of her magical novels for years have a treat in store with her debut as narrator. Her warm Southern voice perfectly fits 11-year-old Olive, a character with whom she shares the disability of brittle bones and many other growing-up experiences. Lloyd makes clear homeschooled Olive's deep wish to attend public middle school,... Read More

Narrator Sura Siu establishes a thoughtful voice for 10-year-old Anna, who moves from Taiwan to the U.S. with her mother and father in 1980 to pursue new opportunities. But when Anna and Ma arrive in Los Angeles and meet Ba, their dreams quickly fade. They realize that the business they purchased was not as successful as they were led to believe and struggle to make ends meet.... Read More

Indigenous Canadian narrator Darrell Dennis delivers this unvarnished account of Native American history for middle-grade students. The audiobook, part of the True History series, does not shy away from uncomfortable truths about the European colonization of the Americas. Dennis speaks without rancor or sensationalism, delivering facts about the American Indians' roles in... Read More

The fourth in Yang's Front Desk series is once again narrated by Sunny Lu. It's lovely to be welcomed back into Mia's life by Lu's familiar voice. Mia, however, is far from comfortable. Her PE class is focusing on soccer as the Women's World Cup is set to take place in Los Angeles. Lu fluidly expresses Mia's divided feelings of loyalty when the Chinese soccer team plays the... Read More

Suzanne Toren's engaging narration style is the perfect choice for this fascinating biography of the world's first female professional aeronaut and the early history of hot-air and hydrogen ballooning. A brief introduction immerses the listener in the social and political turmoil of late-eighteenth-century France, setting the scene for the birth of the phenomenon known as... Read More

With quick pacing that never slows, polished narrator Joy Osmanski portrays 12-year-old Korean-American Lia Park in this action-packed adventure filled with magic and mystery. As Lia and her best friend, Joon, prepare for their IMA (International Magic Agency) exam, Lia's parents are kidnapped by an ancient and vengeful sorceress named Gaya. This development sends Lia and Joon... Read More

Kurt Kanazawa gives a keenly connected performance of this sweet and emotionally complex middle-grade audiobook. The setting is 1960s Japan, and dragons exist alongside humans; Japan's dragons are called ryu. Kanazawa sounds eminently believable as Kohei, whose little ryu, Yuharu, is always perched on his shoulder. Kohei's grandfather is angry and sick, and Kohei is convinced... Read More

Noah Wall's engaging narration enhances this delightful audio and picture book production. A young kingfisher named Mel bravely decides to take her first dive out of the nest. As the tree's other residents anxiously look on--or desperately try to save her--courage prevails, Mel's fall turns to flight, and her friends' fears turn to cheers. Wall captures the playful, spontaneous... Read More

Frankie Corzo, who has narrated all the Merci Suárez audiobooks, delivers the series finale in which the courageous heroine takes on eighth grade, her troublesome younger cousins, and her beloved grandfather Lolo's Alzheimer's. Corzo shifts easily between the English and Spanish words that are gracefully integrated into the text. She captures the many moods of Merci in her... Read More

André Santana's haunting performance makes perfect sense for this audiobook. Its main character, 12-year-old Moon, is Black, nonbinary, and suffering from depression. Santana gives a strong sense of Moon's feelings of isolation in the face of prejudice and misunderstanding. Intense first-person writing reveals their feelings--for Moon hasn't spoken aloud in months. As Moon... Read More

Reena Dutt empathetically narrates this unique mix of nonfiction about immigration, which includes historical facts and true stories from the author's own family. Dutt conveys the author's emotional distress over historical and modern-day injustices. The listener hears her voice quaver when explaining the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty and the experiences of Jewish... Read More

The talented and capable María José Zuniga narrates this story about kindness at the Mexican-American border. Young Noemi and her mother, who are seeking asylum, arrive at the border and put their names in a notebook. The notebook lists people waiting to plead their cases to the American authorities. A kind woman named Belinda, the notebook keeper, encourages everyone to remain... Read More

Narrator Nneka Okoye brings her British-Nigerian sensibilities to the mic in this exciting new middle-grade series about Onyeka, a teen who learns that her hair gives her a psychokinetic superpower, which is called Ike. Okoye nails Onyeka's mood swings as the girl and her mother leave London for Nigeria to search for her missing father. Onyeka also learns about others like her... Read More

Michael Crouch narrates this upbeat sequel to THE ISLANDERS. Jake is thrilled to be spending another summer on Dewees Island, off the coast of South Carolina, with his friends Macon and Lovie. They hatch ambitious plans to hunt for Blackbeard's missing treasure but find themselves facing potential trouble from older island residents and obnoxious new kids. Crouch's... Read More

Dylan J. Locke captures inner and outer views of Evan Pao's family and friends. When a scandal threatens and Evan's father vanishes, the family moves from California to a small Virginia town. The only Chinese-American boy in his new sixth grade, Evan circumvents his fears to match the cheer of a welcoming new friend, Max. Locke depicts Evan's liveliness. He also reveals Evan's... Read More

Carla Corvo dances nimbly between languages in this verse novel about a Cuban immigrant girl who finds her voice in inglés with help from a Nobel laureate and an elephant family. In 1947, Oriol, 11, lives in Santa Barbara, California, where her parents, veterinarians, tend to Hollywood stars' exotic animals--and where Chilean poet, diplomat, and human rights activist Gabriela... Read More

Narrator Amielynn Abellera creates a strong voice for young Marisol, who wants nothing more than to be successful at a sport despite her awkwardness. It seems like everyone else has athletic talent, including her soccer star brother, Oz. When the first couple days of the kickball unit in gym class don't go well, she and her best friend, Jada, become more determined than ever to... Read More

Married authors Zadie Smith and Nick Laird deliver a delightful, hilarious, and heartfelt narration of their debut children's book. Kit opens a birthday surprise, a guinea pig dressed in a judo outfit. Kit has many pets, and they find the oddly dressed surprise off-putting. After several misadventures, the surprise receives a name; thus, she finally feels loved and accepted in... Read More

Narrator Elaine Wang beautifully illuminates the dreamy quiet of a mid-autumn Moon Festival celebration. A Chinese American girl tells how she travels out into the darkness with her family to string up lanterns, eat traditional sweets and fruits, and give thanks to the moon for happiness and togetherness. Lin's spare lines don't lend themselves to exaggerated voices or... Read More

Marcus Montgomery narrates this sprawling epic fantasy. Named for the storm raging when he was born, preteen Hurricane has always felt an affinity with the air. Shortly after all wind mysteriously stops blowing, Hurricane embarks on a headlong quest across worlds to recover a stolen magical artifact that will bring back the breeze. Montgomery voices Hurricane with the excited... Read More

Victoria Villarreal introduces Adela Ramírez at a dramatic time in her life. First, Villarreal shows the contentment of 12-year-old Adela, who loves Alex, her mother's new husband. She's even happy about welcoming an impending sibling. But then Alex decides he wants to adopt her, and without quite understanding why, Adela is driven to discover who her biological father is.... Read More

Peter Ganim adds further zest to this appealing sequel to THE TURTLE OF OMAN. Eight-year-old Aref and his family move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, from Oman. Listeners observe his parents devoting much attention to their university classes while bored Aref misses his grandfather, former home, and precious wild turtles. Things improve after he attends a summer art camp, meets fellow... Read More

Sunny Lu's youthful voice enlivens this poignant story inspired by the author's childhood memories. The narrator is a first-generation Chinese-American girl who is frustrated by her immigrant parents' embarrassing behavior, and, on this particular day, annoyed that she must collect watercress from a muddy roadside ditch. But her attitude changes once she understands the history... Read More

Author Diana Farid delivers the verse of her novel with a slow, steady rhythm that mimics the waves that teen Ava surfs. The rhythm also heightens the strain Ava feels from repetitive fights with her mother about not wanting to become a doctor, interactions with a racist at the beach, sadness surrounding her absent father, and the expectations of the Persian community. As... Read More

Young listeners will be drawn to the audible smile in narrator Greer Morrison's voice as she shares the wonders of humankind and the importance of working together. As the audiobook opens, the short, reflective messages delivered in Morrison's warm voice are paired with calming outdoor sounds that seamlessly transition from one to the next. The exciting roar of an ascending... Read More

Philbrick's latest historical fiction, set in 1920s Maine, is brought to life by the amazing Kirby Heyborne. Davy and his sister, Jo, orphaned by their mother's death, are rescued for the summer by cousin Ruthie Reynard, a famous aviatrix who gives them jobs and a home in her flying circus. As delivered by Heyborne, 12-year-old Davy's voice is nervous as he worries about his... Read More

Venice Van Someren narrates this children's thriller set in England during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. The story unfolds in six parts that coincide with the six days of nuclear standoff between the U.S. and the USSR. As the world holds its collective breath, two English kids face heightened drama when they find a mysterious girl on the run hiding in Stevie's coal shed. Van... Read More

Children of all ages love the classic and iconic character Winnie-the-Pooh in many forms, and here is a fully engaging audiobook. Framed as a father telling Christopher Robin and his friend Winnie-the-Pooh stories about their adventures, the stories introduce listeners to Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo. Young children will giggle at Winnie-the-Pooh's love of honey,... Read More

This latest audio installment in the Scientists in the Field series highlights the revolutionary wildlife science being conducted in a startlingly untouched ecosystem--Isle Royale, an isolated island hidden in Lake Ontario. Narrator Mikhaila Aaseng vocally italicizes the last beat of most sentences as if performing for toddlers--not the intended audience (8-to-12-year-olds).... Read More

Sura Siu narrates this picture book highlighting the accomplishments of 18 famous Asian Americans. The musicians, politicians, athletes, and others range from designer Vera Wang to architect I.M. Pei. Asian-Americans have made their mark on the U.S. in many fields. The audiobook consists of a simple sentence about each person--their name, an action verb, and the reason for... Read More