New Reviews: Children

Narrator Will Collyer brings realistic emotion to this creepy audiobook about a terrifying plague. Ben, 11, and his brother Pete, 12, witness the first of many mysterious, random storms that are turning people all over the world into obsidian glass statues. The two brothers then make very different attempts to try to avert impending doom. While Ben thinks that birds are... Read More

Narrator Samantha Desz's even pacing and tone reflect 11-year-old Red's tightly controlled exterior--but don't quite convey the turbulent storm of emotions thrumming inside her. After three unpleasant years in the foster system, Red is counting down the days until her mother's release from prison. At the same time, she tries to suppress her pain and anger over the incarceration... Read More

With Suzanne Toren as narrator, listeners to Taylor's beloved classic are in for a treat. Detailed episodes of the four sisters and their endearing young brother, Charlie, are set within the holidays of the Jewish year. Just a few of the WWI period episodes include discovering the joys of learning and the pleasures of reading, celebrating Sukkot, and collecting prune pits to... Read More

Lively music and narrator Adriana Sananes's rich voice bring Latin flair to this audiobook about a Hispanic-American girl with a too long name. Each one of Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela's six names has a story. Her father tells Alma about the people she's been named after, including a book lover, a traveler, an artist, a deeply spiritual woman, and an activist. Alma's... Read More

Sound effects and Elizabeth Cottle's enthusiastic narration bring Amelia Earhart's daring adventures to life--from her tomboyish childhood in Kansas to her worldwide fame as an aviatrix. Whether she is sledding down a snowy hill at top speed or flying above the clouds in a biplane, each episode vividly captures the thrilling excitement that Amelia thrived on. Cottle's voice... Read More

Music and sound effects immerse listeners in an audiobook that blends true history and outrageous adventure. In the fourth addition to Sheinkin's Time Twisters series, Abby's glasses get mixed up with Amelia Earhart's goggles, and she and her brother, Doc, travel back in time to 1932. After they meet Earhart, the three take an unexpected time-travel detour to the ancient... Read More

Narrator Kathleen McInerney strikes a balance between horror and humor in this campy adventure featuring first-time babysitter Kelly Ferguson. Kelly reluctantly babysits Jacob to earn some extra cash. McInerney gives Jacob a whining, demanding voice but infuses enough vulnerability to make the listener care for him. This is important as monstrous guttural Toadies, directed by a... Read More

Narrator Ali Andre Ali captures the voice of Matt Baker, a young baseball player who aspires to improve his game and to inspire his teammates to do the same. In order to be successful, he must find the right words to help his teammate Ben rework his swing. Even when Matt finds the words, he has a difficult time saying them aloud since he stutters at times, especially when he's... Read More

Narrator Amielynn Abellera establishes a spirited voice for fourth-grader Rebecca, a city girl whose family is about to move to Blackberry Farm. Rebecca cannot wait to be a country kid--however, once they arrive, she struggles to make friends. So she changes her name to Becket and makes a list of ways to adapt to country life. As Becket meets her new neighbors and tries to win... Read More

Dormice have all the fun. At least, the famous dormouse of ALICE IN WONDERLAND does, while also having some rip-roaring adventures. First, he is voiced by Gary Furlong--as are nasty weasels, a wisecracking cat, dancing cockroaches, an enterprising iguana, even more creatures, and some colorful humans characterized with an entertaining panoply of accents and personalities.... Read More

Narrator Ian Russell carries listeners along for a thrilling, fast-paced adventure about two kids, Tom and Sarah, who run away from a bleak Yorkshire orphanage. Pursued by a determined police detective, they face even more danger when Tom discovers a clue about his ancestry that may link him to the royal family and a plot to eliminate his bloodline--including him. With varied... Read More

Part historical fiction chapter book, part superhero graphic novel, this audio production handles transitions perfectly via its two narrators. In WWII Philadelphia, seventh grader Josie O'Malley wishes her favorite female superheroes would protect the world from evil. At a tryout for code crackers, she meets two fellow superhero fans, Mae and Akiko. The three girls suddenly... Read More

Voicing an earthworm is no easy task! Narrator Adam Grupper deserves applause for the majestic, mysterious, and wonder-filled voice he provides Carl as he seeks his purpose in life. It is the field mouse who inspires his quest by asking Carl what he does and causing him to leave his munching and casting and making the soil soft and fluffy. Grupper's Carl is ever purposeful,... Read More

Narrator Jonathan Todd Ross's pleasant, wry tone is the perfect counterpoint to the darkness in this twisting fairy tale. When goblin Kull botches an attempt to leave behind a changeling, Annie suddenly finds her infant son has become twins. She lovingly raises Tinn and Cole as brothers, with no one knowing which one is the goblin. When they're nearly 13, they are drawn into... Read More

Melissa Sweet, author of SOME WRITER, introduces this edition of CHARLOTTE'S WEB with insights into White's inspiration for the sweet story. Then, Meryl Streep and a stellar cast take us to the barnyard. She draws the listener in with a smooth, consistent delivery and unobtrusive interjections highlighting the emotions of the dialogue. Every portrayal of every character, major... Read More

In alternating chapters, narrators Priya Ayyar and Christopher Gebauer emotionally connect to Varsha Bajaj's story, which highlights some of today's hot topics: immigration and diversity, bullying, and the sharing of personal information on social media. Karina's grandfather, who grew up in India, comes to live with her family and begins tutoring Chris, the boy next door, who... Read More

Narrator Amy Enticknap portrays the innocence of a child in the 1920s. Mona and her aunt live in a small cottage on the Somerset estate. When Lady Somerset dies, questions arise as a new family member inherits the house. Enticknap uses her voice tone well to depict the curiosity, disappointment, and giddiness of a 10-year-old. Mona and the other characters are given... Read More

Renee Dorian returns to narrate this sequel to SMALL SPACES. A ski vacation turns into a terrifying supernatural adventure for middle schoolers Coco, Brian, and Ollie. Dorian's youthful voice belies the sinister mood as the guests are snowed in without power and discover that the ski lodge is haunted. When a guest named Mr. Voland claims to be a ghost hunter, the kids think he... Read More

Narrator Gary Furlong establishes a tender voice for Oz, a young pup whose owner restricts his food when he barks or misbehaves. When a little boy named Patrick adopts him, they both have new opportunities to grow through their friendship. Patrick helps Oz find his voice again, and Oz helps Patrick learn to cope with the separation of his father and mother. Furlong creates... Read More

Author/narrator Pablo Cartaya easily transitions between English and Spanish, authentically representing the bilingual world of Cuban-American Emilia Rosa Torres, who has ADHD. Cartaya's emotional presentation allows listeners to feel Emilia's struggles when her stable homelife changes. Her mother travels for business, her father returns home from deployment, her abuela becomes... Read More

Listeners will need to tune their ears to eighteenth-century speech as they hear the travails of Oliver Cromwell Pitts, a 12-year-old convict, as his journeys take him from England to America. In Avi's second Oliver tale, hardship greets the young hero at every turn--from the harrowing sea crossing to the specter of seven years of indentured servitude on a tobacco farm to life... Read More

Narrator Charlie Sanderson will delight listeners as she tells the story of now 12-year-old Bronte Mettlestone. Two years earlier, Bronte learned that her parents had been killed by pirates. In order to receive her inheritance, she was instructed to give a gift to each of her 10 aunts and to complete important tasks along the way. As she carries out her quest, she eventually... Read More

Cheerfully spooky music opens this second audiobook in the series about a lovable girl named Ghoulia. Sound effects of thunderstorms and creaking doors take listeners to the dark and stormy night at Crumbling Manor as Ghoulia's friends arrive one by one with a mysterious invitation sent by Auntie Departed. Confused, Ghoulia realizes that Auntie has gone missing. In a fun romp,... Read More

Listen to a narrator who transitions deftly between the different voices in a complex audiobook. Welcome to the seventeenth-century world of Maria Merian, born into an artistic family but a girl with the heart and conviction of a scientist. From an early age, Maria spent time in the field observing, first insects, then butterflies and moths, and also amphibians--all creatures... Read More

Music and sound effects heighten the atmosphere of each phase of a grouchy tree's life in this Halloween holiday audiobook. Narrator Nick Podehl's voice is friendly and comforting while delightfully playing up the grouch factor of the curmudgeonly tree on a tree farm who does not want to be a sappy Christmas tree. After the farm is incorporated into a housing development, the... Read More

Fourteen stellar narrators each read one short story in this anthology by a diverse group of authors. The fictional stories all feature ordinary young people performing extraordinary acts of kindness and friendship. Some are large and heroic, and some are seemingly small but still meaningful. Most memorable is "Reina Madrid" by R.J. Palacio, in which narrator Frankie Corzo... Read More

Narrator Karissa Vacker memorably introduces Aven Green, an inspiring 12-year-old who was born without arms. As her adoptive family moves from familiar Kansas to Stagecoach Pass Park in Arizona, Aven is worried about fitting in. When classmate Connor "barks" at her, she thinks he's mocking her, but she soon learns he has Tourette's syndrome. Each character is realistically... Read More

With seamless transitions from English to Spanish, narrator Almarie Guerra shares the tribulations of young Juana and her "most perfect" dog, Lucas. In fact, Juana finds much in her life perfect until she starts to realize that she is spending more time with her cousins and less time with her mami. What could be going on? Guerra voices Juana's confidence and pleasure as she... Read More

The narrator of several previous Judy Moody titles, Amy Rubinate lends her voice to the fifteenth episode of the elementary school student's life. As members of their school's book quiz team, Judy and her younger brother, Stink, try a variety of tactics to prep for an upcoming match. Their team is confident they will come out on top-- until they learn that the other team has an... Read More

The prologue of this folklore-inspired adventure urges listeners to "come close, nestle deep," which is precisely the response that many will have to Lulu Lam's spellbinding narration. Lam spins the tale of Lalani Sarita, a 12-year-old girl who's so determined to save her struggling home island of Sanlagita that she sets sail across the sea to retrieve good fortune from the... Read More

Narrator Ruffin Prentiss introduces spirited cousins Sheed and Otto Alston. When they bemoan the arrival of the last day of summer, something happens they never expected. They're given a Polaroid camera that freezes time for everyone except them. Prentiss engagingly introduces the boys, whose opposite personalities enhance their time-travel decisions, which are aimed at saving... Read More

Narrator Fred Berman creates realistic fifth-grade characters in this eerie ghost story about two boys who are coping with loss and social anxiety. Josh Duncan is extremely nervous on his first day of school after his family's move to the Pacific Northwest. It's a fresh start for Josh, whose parents want him to leave behind the imaginary friend he calls Big Brother. Meanwhile,... Read More

Caitlin Kelly gives a compassionate, heartrending performance in this audiobook about a 12-year-old girl who is grieving her twin brother's death. Kelly's clear voice draws listeners in as Addie is invited to join a group of scientists studying pollution in the beloved Vermont lake where her brother drowned four months earlier, while searching for a mysterious, possibly... Read More

Narrator Rosie Jones establishes a determined and dramatic voice with a lovely British accent for Lily, an aspiring actress who dreams of playing Beth in LITTLE WOMEN while a student at the Shine School for the Performing Arts. Lily struggles to stay focused on her passion for theater while facing mounting career pressure from her mother, a successful actress with a deep voice... 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

Justine Eyre's gentle, expressive voice is well suited to Holt's quiet story of what it's like to be the new kid in the neighborhood and the difficulty of dealing with life's changes. When 9-year-old Daniel's parents divorce, he and his mother must leave his well-loved home on a busy city street for a new house across the county on tranquil While-a-Way Lane. Eyre conveys... Read More

Priya Ayyar's straightforward narration provides a positive and loving portrayal of a contemporary Pakistani-American family in this story inspired by LITTLE WOMEN. Seventh grader Jameela, editor of her school newspaper, develops a friendship with Ali, the visiting British-Pakistani nephew of a family friend. At the same time, her younger sister is diagnosed with cancer, and... Read More

Author Jesselyn Silva narrates her own audiobook in which she describes her career as a young female boxer who is making her way in a predominantly male field. Listeners will hear Jess's experiences in her own voice as she outlines years of training and honors those who helped her along the way--from encouraging teammates and coaches to her supportive and hardworking father.... Read More

Narrator Imani Parks creates a youthful voice for 13-year-old Leah, who will be spending summer at home rather than at camp due to a family tragedy that slowly reveals itself. When Leah finds a new friend, Jasper, who has set off on her own due to a rough family life, she starts to face the past and find a new way forward. Now she must find a way to help Jasper in return. Parks... Read More

Narrator Ibi Zoboi gives emotive power to the first-person viewpoint of quirky 12-year-old Ebony-Grace. Two 1980s settings are established: Ebony-Grace's hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, where NASA is a big part of the culture, and Harlem, where she discovers the blossoming hip-hop culture when she's sent to live with her father. Once she's there, big changes take place in... Read More

When a beloved book series must change narrators, it can sometimes be disconcerting, but Eric Pollins admirably takes the reigns from the late Del Roy, who narrated the first four books in this series. In Book 5, the members of the Mysterious Benedict Society are older; Reynie, Kate, and Sticky are on the verge of adulthood when they and Constance reunite for a new adventure. A... Read More

Marc Thompson returns to narrate the third installment in Sheinkin's inventive Time Twisters series. Doc and Abby join astronauts, cowboys, and Abe Lincoln as they attempt to unravel a time-travel catastrophe and preserve the history of the moon landing. Thompson's bright, humorous delivery heightens the excitement and absurdity of this rollicking adventure, transporting... Read More

In a believable and engaging tone, narrator Taylor Meskimen conveys the frustration of a fifth grader living with sensory processing disorder. Eleven-year-old Willa likes to maintain a sense of control over her environment without letting anyone outside her family know about her sensory issues. So when she finds out that her divorced father is engaged to her best friend Ruby's... Read More

Narrator Megan Tusing's openhearted tone makes 12-year-old Ellen's struggle with her mother's bipolar disorder suitable for middle-grade listeners. When Ellen's father volunteers to fight in WWII, her mother is plunged into a deep depression at his absence, prompting Ellen to appeal to her estranged aunt for help. Early on, a stiffness in Tusing's voice reflects Ellen's... Read More

Jim Dale and a full cast reimagine a classic story, giving it musical numbers, inventive storytelling, and lively characterizations. The authors return to spin another fractured folktale into a fun, creative romp for families. A farmer's son must seek his fortune with only a talking cat and a single farthing. Spirited performances add zest to the script and songs, featuring the... Read More

Narrator Heather Simms gives a captivating performance of Katherine Johnson's inspiring life story. At age 4, Katherine was helping her older brother with his schoolwork, and by age 18, she had graduated from college with degrees in mathematics and French. In describing her parents' struggles and sacrifices to educate all their children, Johnson describes the impact that... Read More

Narrator Damian Lynch provides a credible accent for Shif, a 14-year-old boy from a war-torn country, presumably Africa or the Middle East. Lynch sweeps listeners into this story of a young teen who is kidnapped from a happy home by soldiers. The grim, desperate tone Lynch uses as he describes Shif's determination to escape his imprisonment alternates with with lighter moments... Read More

Author and narrator Carmen Agra Deedy's vivaciousness is contagious. As she shares the tale of the rooster who speaks his mind, listeners know she is smiling the whole time. The village of La Paz is full of song, but when it gets too loud for thinking, the newly elected mayor calls for peace and quiet. All is well until a "saucy gallito" arrives in town and challenges the... Read More

Tara Sands and Wendelin Van Draanen share the narration of the eighteenth and final mystery featuring Sammy Keyes. As the audiobook begins, super-sleuth Sammy lies in a coma after having been pushed from a balcony by a mystery assailant. In a heartwarming tribute, Sammy's family and friends come together to find out who did this and why. With Van Draanen delivering the... Read More

Narrator Kathleen McInerney's bright, youthful tones are well matched to Greenland's exuberant group of middle school best friends--the Scouts. Annie and her best friends, Fynn, Beans, and Rocky, are heading out on their annual summer camping trip, but this year something feels different. As new kids join the excursion and a meteor shower takes an unusual turn, listeners follow... Read More

In this historical middle-grade audiobook, four disparate teens join a secret WWI mission, tunneling beneath no-man's-land toward the German front line. Narrator Raphael Corkhill is superb. He gives each boy a voice matching his nickname and personality. Shillings, named for his quick-fingered ability to steal one, speaks like the wily London urchin he is. Dover's lilting voice... Read More

Narrator Todd Haberkorn paints a memorable picture of the quirky DuPont family, who live on a Louisiana estate that time seems to have forgotten. August, who is homeschooled by his high-strung Aunt Hydrangea, longs for friends. Just as he starts to make some, he unintentionally reanimates a friendly zombie who then won't leave him alone. Hilarious situations ensue as August... Read More

Narrator Johnny Heller's youthful voice is a good match for young Sonny Rabbit, the featured character in a story that teaches kids how to handle money. When Sonny is faced with the decision of choosing how to spend his allowance of three carrots, not every one of his wants can be fulfilled. Heller matter-of-factly narrates the story's short sentences at a fast clip. As Sonny,... Read More

Narrator Peter Capaldi's Scottish accent is so strong that American listeners may have trouble understanding him at first, but those who stick with it are in for a supersonic treat. Prez Mellows has been removed from the care of his senile grandad and is living in a temporary foster home when a space-traveling alien--in the form of a dog named Sputnik--shows up at his door.... Read More

Rebecca Soler's narration is engaging and expressive in this audiobook about four girls who form an unlikely team. After finding a mysterious invitation to a lavish mansion, Ofelia, Aster, and Cat meet the kid behind the invite, Lane DiSanti. They don't become instant friends but eventually bond over a shared mission to get their local Scouts to replace an outdated tradition.... 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

Narrator Sandy Rustin portrays the innocence of 11-year-old Lyndie B. Hawkins and her puzzlement over the adults in her life. Rustin vividly depicts Lyndie's memories of the idyllic life she once had with her father, a Vietnam vet, and her mother, a pacifist. Then the family moves in with her domineering grandmother, who is strongly portrayed by Rustin. Rustin emphasizes the... Read More

Though his delivery is low-key, narrator John Kroft effectively voices the enthusiasm of a boy who is thrilled with his brand-new Schwinn bicycle. At the end of WWII, in a South Carolina town, 12-year-old Gabriel Haberlin pedals through a red light and is pushed from the path of an oncoming car by Meriwether Hunter, an African-American veteran. After the near accident, Kroft... Read More

An ad from Redwood Poultry Farms offers "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer." Immediately, narrator Kyla Garcia establishes the audiobook's unusual structure and the personality of 12-year-old Sophie Brown, who has just moved to farm country from Los Angeles. In addition to narrative, the story is told through letters ("Dear People Who Send Catalogs to People... Read More

Narrators Everest de Montebello and Marc Thompson provide a young knight with a youthful voice and a large ogre with a deep and gravelly voice in this examination of children's perception. At the beginning of the audiobook, the characters confidently inhabit their own sides of a brick wall. As the story unfolds, things are not exactly what the knight thinks they should be.... Read More

The sounds of crickets, a crackling campfire, and music greet listeners as five narrators share the meaning of the term "otsaliheliga," a Cherokee word meaning "We are grateful." Each narrator lends a unique voice to the story, complementing the diverse contemporary Cherokee families who are depicted celebrating every season. Cherokee pronunciations are beautifully delivered to... Read More

An ensemble cast speaking French and English brings this graphic novel to life on audio. Fans of WONDER will recognize Julian as his grandmère Sara tells the story of his namesake, a boy from her childhood in France. In 1940, when Nazi soldiers arrive at her school to take the Jewish children, Sara hides and is rescued by a bullied, crippled classmate named Julien. Music and... Read More

Narrator Jessica Almasy expresses the annoyance and frustration of middle schooler Elle, whose Grandpa Joe runs drills all too often to prepare for the end of the world. Then Elle discovers a credible scientist who predicts an asteroid will hit earth in a few months. Almasy emphasizes the tension in the story's timeline, increasing the intensity with Elle's growing fears.... Read More

Lauren Ezzo enthusiastically narrates Krull's biographical sketches of famous authors. The short pieces are related thematically by commentary on the writers' relationships to their pets, after a longer discussion of their lives and works. Given the variety of authors discussed--Beatrix Potter, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens, and more--the title will have wide appeal,... Read More