New Reviews: Children

Dion Graham is pure magic behind the microphone as he narrates this fun family-friendly story about Alice the rabbit and her furry companions. In an attempt to save their homes from "The Mauler"--a developer who wants to bulldoze their farm--Alice makes a deal with the other wild animals to grow a garden. Graham smoothly pivots as listeners follow the story's two diverse... Read More

An author's note in this audiobook shares that this story, inspired by her son, is intended as a conversation starter about racial injustice. The vibrant sound of author/narrator Tami Charles's voice is underscored by bouncy music. Long pauses between phrases help emphasize their meaning, and a chime alerts listeners to page turns. Charles affirms and reaffirms her son's... Read More

This audiobook makes the case that all 26 letters of the alphabet are related to one another--like family. Katie Schorr narrates the rhyming text in a gentle, happy tone. Listeners will hear the smile on her face. Her pacing is slow, allowing children time to create pictures in their minds, but preschoolers may find it difficult to visualize some images without benefit of the... Read More

This sweet story about middle school kids coming to terms with their cultural identity seeks empathy--if not relatability--from its listeners. Priya Ayyar does a good job inviting listeners to consider multiple points of view in her compelling narration. Ayyar is especially skilled at capturing the earnestness and fear that accompany feeling like an outsider in middle school.... Read More

Diane Chen gives a moving performance as Ana Jin, a tween figure skater whose discomfort with a new princess-themed skating program forces Ana to realize she's nonbinary. Beyond providing distinct vocal performances of each supporting character, making the story easy to follow, Chen's most remarkable skill is their ability to take listeners on an emotional journey. They will... Read More

In this graphic novel for audio, author/narrator Michael Chabon strikes just the right tone for a young superhero who is ricocheting between awesomeness and insecurity. Awesome Man fears he'll be forgotten when a new superhero arrives in Awesometown. Spoiler alert: The mystery intruder is a new baby brother. When a call for help comes from the zoo, Chabon sounds petulant as... Read More

Fifteen-year-old author and narrator Mikaila Ulmer tells her unique story of entrepreneurship with passion and confidence in this memoir. Starting a lemonade business at the age of 4 is an impressive feat--but building a business model that also focuses on making the world a better place by saving bees makes her company even more special. Ulmer chronicles her journey from a... Read More

Shaun Taylor-Corbett introduces 12-year-old Collin, who has a form of OCD--he calls out the number of letters in all the words in a conversation. Eventually, his exasperated, distant father sends him from California to his Ojibwe mother (whom he's never met) on a Minnesota reservation. Listeners will rejoice when he finds an easygoing mom, a feisty grandma, and Orenda, an... Read More

Jesse Vilinsky's narration perfectly fits the manic mood of this mild horror story in which children surrender memories or dreams in exchange for a ticket to an otherworldly circus. Vilinsky's tone is melancholy as we meet Andrea, who is still mourning the mysterious disappearance of her younger brother three years ago. Soon, the narration becomes exciting and friendly as a... Read More

Narrator Matt Godfrey embodies the lighthearted fun of this science and technology-based adventure. The audiobook's mystery surrounds the brilliant Preston Oglethorpe, an eccentric genius whose mathematical understanding of chaos theory allows him to predict and change events in the future. His mysterious disappearance means nothing to a trio of sixth-grade friends--Oliver,... Read More

Narrator Josh Hurley establishes a youthful voice for Dan, who will do anything to help his best friend, Nate, recover from a tragic accident that lands him in the hospital in a medically induced coma. Hurley navigates Dan's tumultuous emotions as he goes from feeling helpless to optimistic. To keep busy and do what he can, Dan and his friends work to create a fan-fiction story... Read More

In this charming story, narrator Alex Wingfield portrays Maxwell, a boy who accidentally erases himself from history. When tensions at home--mixed with a bit of magic--cause Maxwell to disappear, listeners will hear an audible change in his voice. Maxwell's once rambunctious nature is promptly overshadowed by the weight of what he has lost--his family, friends, and beloved dog,... Read More

Young People's Poet Laureate Naomi Shihab Nye is a warm and comforting guide though this collection of her poems. Just because these are poems for young listeners doesn't mean that they're not sophisticated. Nye reflects on everything from a lost, and found, Christmas present in "Yellow Glove" to travelers overcoming barriers of language and culture with kindness and sweets in... Read More

The author intrigues listeners from start to finish with his powerful memoir. Both Daniel Nayeri's narrative and his narration express the innocence, tenderness, humor, and losses of the 12-year-old refugee he once was. Nayeri captivates listeners with a patchwork of compelling memories and stories woven from Persian history and myth. He takes listeners from his childhood in... Read More

Midori Francis, Marisilda Garcia, Alicia Hall Moran, Mela Lee, and Tiana Carr combine to narrate this audiobook, which emphasizes the contributions of Asian, Black, Native American, Latinx, and other lesser-known women in the struggle for women's right to vote. Midori Francis exudes youth and earnestness in telling the story of Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, a 16-year-old Chinese... Read More

With a prolific catalog of audiobooks to her name, it is no surprise that narrator Fiona Hardingham's performance of this middle-grade fantasy is a delight to one's ears. After finding a ticket to the Carnival Beneath the Stars, recently orphaned Louisa, who harbors a magical secret, goes there in hopes of finding her father. A mystery ensues as the performers suspiciously... Read More

Sarah Franco portrays the ache, confusion, and fear of 11-year-old Sam as she processes the trauma of past abuse. After being relocated to her aunt's house, Sam finds a fascinating card game. She discovers that the fox and squirrels in the game are real, and if she wins, the fox, Ashander, will grant her a wish. But, as the timid squirrels remind her, the game has strict rules... Read More

Mirai Booth-Ong's narration beautifully sets the scene of a haunting Malaysian folktale rewritten as a modern-day ghost story. When her grandmother dies, young Suraya receives an unusual secret inheritance--a pelesit she names Pink. A frequently malevolent ghost, Pink becomes the lonely child's first friend. Though the story is written for a middle-grade audience, Booth-Ong's... Read More

Sound effects place listeners in a "deep, dark wood." A cheery whistling belongs to a mouse who meets one predator after another. Narrator Imelda Staunton excels at these cameos. Fox, Snake, and Owl approach Mouse with menace. Then, each turns fearful as Mouse describes a Gruffalo who hunts them, creating a terrifying picture to build their anxiety. Mouse's glee grows until the... Read More

Imelda Staunton narrates this companion to THE GRUFFALO with as much dramatic flair as she brought to the first volume. The story is framed by a cautionary tale told by the Gruffalo to his children. Fear infuses Staunton's portrayal as the creature remembers his own scary encounter with the "big bad mouse." Boldly, one of the Gruffalo's curious children tiptoes out of a cave... Read More

Gemma Watson returns to narrate this third book in the Nevermore series, immersing listeners again in its magical world. Morrigan and her friends continue their classes at the elite Wundrous Society. But panic is growing as a strange and frightening illness called Hollowpox is spreading through Nevermoor, turning infected Wunimals into mindless, vicious Unnimals on the hunt.... Read More

Narrator Joshua David Scarlett's confident tones match the many ebullient turns of phrase that are used to present a self-assured boy who is certain that he is capable and loved. Scarlett makes the most of Barnes's story, which includes numerous iterations of a child recognizing that although he will fall, he will be "right back on his feet again." He later acknowledges that he... Read More

Adam Lazarre-White narrates this audiobook with heart. Isaiah's family has struggled since his father died unexpectedly. Encouraged by a notebook filled with stories about "Isaiah Dunn, Superhero," he vows to find a way to help his mother and to carry on his dad's literary legacy. Lazarre-White's depiction of Isaiah is achingly tender and surprisingly funny. The listener can... Read More

Narrator Lyndsay Paulina convincingly re-creates Wisconsin family life in 1962. Listeners will happily join the Tibbe family as they travel to the countryside to visit Josiah's Apple Orchard. Young Vivvy and Matt like apples (as much as candy!) and love going in their dad's old Cadillac to pick their own treats. Paulina realistically describes their road trip as they play car... Read More

Alan Cumming returns to narrate this sequel to Tony DiTerlizzi's KENNY AND THE DRAGON. This time, Kenny Rabbit and other small animals join forces to rescue Kenny's best friend, Grahame the dragon, from a witch who traps rare legendary creatures inside a magical book. Cumming is clearly having lots of fun while giving distinctive comical voices to Kenny's numerous baby sisters,... Read More

Narrator Caitlin Kelly lends youthful enthusiasm to this charming middle-grade fantasy. Exiled princess Noa Marchena has a lot on her mind. She is openly determined to regain her family's stolen throne, but she also has a secret mission--to protect her older brother, Julian, from embracing the dark side of his magical powers. With lively pacing, Kelly spurs the action forward... 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

Narrator Katherine Littrell lends a gentle feeling to innocent Little Bird, the smallest crow in her roost. Left to care for the half-grown fledglings as her siblings do the more important crow jobs, Little Bird tries to fend off the attack of a fisher who makes off with "Our Luck," a necklace woven into their nest. Littrell makes clear Little Bird's willingness and... Read More

Narrator Gill Mills artfully depicts Regency London's Rottenhall Orphanage and its pitiful residents, including Lydia and her younger sister, Sophie. Listeners will be appalled to meet sadistic Mr. Scrivit and his brutal staff. Each winter girls go missing, but only Lydia cares. Mills portrays Lydia as kind and brave as she uncovers inhumane conditions and cruelty. But all is... Read More

Kate Reading and Kyla Garcia combine their remarkable talents to narrate this delightful middle-grade fantasy. As the story begins, Garcia skillfully captures the real-world setting in which the story's two protagonists meet and bond, despite their respective challenges and differences. Celia is a dyslexic who recoils from books but is impressively adept at math and logic.... Read More

Narrator Kyla Garcia deftly creates a middle school, its ethnically diverse students, and their eclectic encounters. To start, listeners will join baseball player Lupe Wong, who's chagrined to learn that her PE class will require square dancing. Garcia's Lupe is a determined girl who strongly resists the gym assignment and persuades her classmates to join her in protest.... Read More

Narrator Soneela Nankani delivers an animated performance in this audiobook about a girl's search for her father, who is missing in the Dark world. Maya's father, an Orisha, is tasked with maintaining the veil between the human world and the Dark in order to stop the Lord of Shadows from destroying humankind. As a half-Orisha, Maya must figure out how to use her newfound powers... Read More

Christopher Gebauer narrates the alternating points of view of seventh-graders Felix and Benji, who are challenged to spend five million dollars in a month. Gebauer distinguishes each boy clearly and roots listeners in each viewpoint so that the pair's madcap adventures don't seem so hyperbolic. Felix is shy, and while his principles are high, his family's income is low. He... Read More

Listeners will find themselves on Mars in 2039 A.D. as 14-year-old Tyce Sanders, a disabled specialist in virtual reality, finds himself in a desperate situation as the air runs out of his colony. Narrator Adam Verner provides distinct voices for the main characters, including a robotic voice for Tyce when he is involved with his virtual reality program and is being seen as... Read More

Jesse Vilinsky delivers the first-person narrative of 11-year-old Gina Filomena. Most teachers say Gina doesn't pay attention, but "they mean I'm not paying attention to them." Vilinsky's youthful voice defines a perceptive girl whose poetic vision is reflected in her lyrical expressions. Her views are matched by those of Antonio, who moves in next door. Vilinsky captures the... Read More

The rumble of train tracks, warm twangs of a banjo, and soft humming set the scene for this children's audiobook tracing one family's journey north during the Great Migration. Narrator Shayna Small embodies Ruth Ellen, the young Black girl who is escaping life on a tenant farm for a new life in New York. Shayna's voice reflects Ruth Ellen's mingled anxiety and joy at making the... 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

This audiobook has just what a middle-grade adventure needs--engaging characters, an unpredictable plot, a bit of fun, superstition, magic, and Bianca Amato's captivating narration. Amato excels at evoking the dank, mist-shrouded marshes of Crowstone and their ominous past, which seeps into the story's present. She creates distinct personalities for the brave Widdershin... Read More

Author and narrator Neil Gaiman uses his best pirate voice to deliver this high-spirited romp. Two siblings are left in the care of unlikely babysitter Long John McRon, ship's cook. Soon after their parents depart for the evening, more guests arrive: "The door was opened. In they came: A pirate crew. They were not tame." But what to have for dinner? As the pirates create a... Read More

The authors have collaborated on a timely story about first-generation immigrants finding their place as they navigate the challenges of middle school. Nikhaar Kishani is the voice of Sara, daughter of Pakistani immigrants and recent transfer from a small Islamic academy to a huge public middle school. Kishani gives Sara a believable voice as she struggles with feelings of... Read More

Waleed Akhtar reads the sequel to ACCIDENTAL TROUBLE MAGNET with the same cheer he brought to the first audiobook. His characterization of the quirky, creative Omar begins with a quick catch-up description of his friends and then introduces a new situation. Akhtar captures Omar's wild flights of imagination and his enthusiastic planning for an epic Nerf gun battle with his... Read More

Narrator Dan Bittner creates youthful and energetic voices for siblings Joel and Nina Popper, who move into the foreclosed Penguin Pavillion, where they discover two penguin eggs in the basement. After the eggs hatch and Joel and Nina meet the two baby chicks, Ernest and May, they realize that their home may not be the best place to raise penguins. So they decide to journey to... Read More

Narrator Ciaran Saward introduces a sassy, three-foot-tall green beaver named Oswald, who is unhappily assigned to be an imaginary friend to a nerdy, book-loving boy named Reggie. Reggie is equally unimpressed with Oswald. Soon Reggie realizes that his classmate Jemima, who always seems to be talking to herself, is actually chatting with her own make-believe buddy. The action... Read More

Robin Miles offers an exceptional rendition of Margaret Wise Brown's iconic tale of a little bunny and his reassuring mother. By plucking every emotional chord ever so deftly, Miles's narration reflects the loving bond expressed in the story's call-and-response structure. Her melodic cadence reflects Brown's poetic writing. Miles's little bunny is inquisitive, playful, and... Read More

Narrator Imani Parks vibrantly portrays the challenges and triumphs of the preteen years in this gentle middle-grade audiobook. Serena St. John longs to be a student reporter and a successful vlogger but often finds herself in the shadow of her exuberant best friend, JC. When JC suddenly becomes closer to new girl Leilani, Serena must find her own path forward. Parks skillfully... Read More

Actress Olivia Colman is a new voice to the His Dark Materials series, and she slips easily into Lyra's boots. Set after the events of THE AMBER SPYGLASS, this short story, originally written 16 years ago for a charity auction, serves as an effective bridge between that book and the second in Pullman's new Book of Dust trilogy, THE SECRET COMMONWEALTH. Lyra and her daemon,... Read More

Michael Boatman's narration brings to life the titular odd couple as they meet and slowly become friends. Boatman makes the most of the characterizations provided in the book as the highly introverted Badger is forced to welcome the more effusive and worldly Skunk. He then finds himself torn between liking the new experiences his new roommate affords him and being horrified by... Read More

Narrator Marisa Blake's sweet voice will charm listeners as this next installment of the Questioneers series arrives right on time for the 2020 presidential election. Second-grader Sofia Valdez is named election commissioner when her classmates decide to conduct an election to choose their class pet. Blake's thoughtful tones express Sofia's determination to continually do what... Read More

Narrator Andrew Wincott exuberantly re-creates Edwardian England's everyday life, including its class system, residents, and steam trains. When train guard Ginger Leghorn finds a puppy, he decides he can't keep it--until his five children see the dog, who is named Jim. Listeners will revel in the innocent pleasures of the family, including Leghorn's putting Jim "to work" on a... Read More

Taylor Meskimen voices dual narrators Izzy and Wren in this slice-of-life audiobook. Both 12-year-old girls are at inflection points: Artsy, earnest Izzy is suddenly friendless now that her bestie hangs out with the cool mean girls, while driven figure skater Wren is scared for her chronically ill sister and frustrated that her sister's treatment has upended her family's life.... Read More

History repeats itself in this middle-grade audiobook about the political lives of five infamous dictators, including Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein. Kenneth Davis offers a serious message about the fragility of democracy and the rise of ruthless leaders. Narrator Cindy Kay describes the calculated cruelty of these men and their governments with appropriate... Read More

A group of experienced narrators vividly presents this series of conversations with young people about race. Fans of audiobooks will recognize many names in the impressive lineup, including those of Michael Crouch, Janina Edwards, and Guy Lockard. The diversity of the cast reflects the male and female writers who tackle serious topics such as discrimination among elementary... Read More

Narrator Kirby Heyborne offers gentle portrayals of five teddies who find themselves abandoned in a garbage dump. Blue teddy Buddy's courageous tenacity makes him well suited to be the leader of the group, and he takes it upon himself to guide the others out of the trash and back home to the toy store. Heyborne creates distinct characters ranging from Sugar, who has a... Read More

Listeners are introduced to 12-year-old Dagmar, who is stuck in a tiny house in California's redwood forest with her father, stepmother, and 5-year-old half-brother, Santi. Narrator Kristen DiMercurio does a fantastic job of bringing several unique personalities to life. Young Dagmar expresses exasperation with pesky Santi, boredom with her summer of isolation, curiosity about... Read More

Rick Riordan's epic Trials of Apollo series comes to an end with this fifth and final installment. Narrator Robbie Daymond has been the smug, funny, and entirely convincing voice of Greek god Apollo from the very beginning. As Apollo, Meg, and their friends return to New York after a cross-country road trip and prepare to wage their final battles against baddies Nero and... Read More

Listeners who loved the first Tristan Strong audiobook are in for a treat--Amir Abdullah has returned to narrate the next chapter. Tristan, a Black seventh grader, has spent the past month working on his grandparents' farm. When creatures from Alke break through into his world, Tristan and his grandmother fight them off, but then the sinister Shambleman steals her away.... Read More

In a sweet and youthful tone, Channie Waites portrays Neva Beane--a spirited 12-year-old in the throes of puberty. When her parents go on tour in Europe, Neva and her brother, Clayton, are left to spend the summer with their grandparents. As Neva struggles to find herself and adjust to her role in a changing world, Waites brings depth to Neva's growth, especially when she... Read More

Narrator Cindy Kay takes listeners inside the world of 12-year-old Louise, who lives with her mother in a truck. Although she has a beautiful singing voice, Lou has undiagnosed sensory processing disorder (SPD), which makes it difficult for her to endure the live performances her mother signs her up for. Unexpected sounds and physical contact are painful for Lou. Kay gives Lou... Read More

Wolkenstein's debut audiobook found its inspiration in his own experience with a facial abnormality. He narrates this unique coming-of-age story from the point of view of Will, a seventh grader who is dealing with a looming operation, bullying by his classmates, and several other challenges. As narrator, Wolkenstein's voice works, especially as Will shares his thoughts,... Read More

Narrator Gary Tiedemann brims with delight as he zips young listeners around a bustling Tex-Mex border town, inhaling a feast of local food in Raúl the Third's second Little Lobo adventure. The audio smartly does not attempt to re-create the print version's busy book atmosphere. Rather, like an animated Saturday-morning cartoon, Tiedemann's energetic and precise narration... Read More

Narrator Jorjeana Marie presents this modernized mystery from the classic Nancy Drew series. Listeners will be as excited as Nancy when she receives a splendid surprise--an invitation to a party from local artist/benefactor and recluse Duchess Strickland. The buildup to the festivities includes Nancy's trusted friends, flirty Bess and gender-neutral George, who shines... Read More

Narrator Caitlin Kelly tells the story of 12-year-old Claire, who hopes to keep her two horses, Sunny and Sam, despite her family's financial difficulties. At the same time, Claire is struggling to come to terms with her older brother Andy's addiction issues, which have contributed to her family's hard times. Kelly creates a youthful and passionate voice for Claire that... Read More