BLOOD RED HORSE
GREEN JASPER
BLAZE OF SILVER K.M. Grant
Read by Maggie Mash (Recorded Books)
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Gr. 6+

BLOODY JACK L.A. Meyer
Read by Katherine Kellgren (Listen & Live)
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BUTTONS FOR GENERAL WASHINGTON Peter and Connie Roop
Read by Jason Harris (Live Oak)
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DAY OF TEARS Julius Lester
Read by an ensemble cast (Recorded Books)
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THE DEATH COLLECTOR Justin Richards
Read by Steven Pacey (Listening Library)
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GODDESS OF YESTERDAY Caroline Cooney
Read by Christina Moore (Recorded Books)
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HITLER YOUTH Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Read by Kathrin Kana (Listening Library)
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THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET Brian Selznick
Read by Jeff Woodman (Scholastic Audio)
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JAZZ Walter Dean Myers
Read by James "D-Train" Williams, Vaneese Thomas (Live Oak Media)
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THE JOURNEY OF THE ONE AND ONLY DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE Judith St. George
Read by Jeff Brooks (Weston Woods)
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Inside a Paris train station in 1932, a small boy named Hugo Cabret secretly keeps all the clocks running. Like the workings of a clock, the parts of this intriguing story interlock, and the audio program is a marvel in itself. Jeff Woodman narrates Hugo's story, which introduces listeners to an automaton, a mechanical figure that writes and draws, and the early science fiction films of Georges Méliès. Woodman clearly captures Hugo and his friends as they try to discover the secrets of an old man. Sound sequences are placed within the narrative where in the print edition of the book a series of illustrations occurs. A bonus DVD accompanies the set, and it's a dynamic "extra." The disc contains not just a filmed interview with Selznick, in which he talks about his writing and illustration process, but also images of the actual illustrations. This wholly original integration of audio narration, soundscapes, illustration, and author discussion is an experience listeners of all ages should not miss. Discovering how the intricate puzzle of elements fits together like clockwork will provide repeated listenings to figure out. R.F.W.

ACROSS FIVE APRILS Irene Hunt
Read by Terry Brégy (Audio Bookshelf)
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Gr. 6+

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS Jules Verne
Read by Jim Dale (Listening Library)
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Gr. 6+

CHARLOTTE'S WEB E.B. White
Read by E.B. White (Listening Library)
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Gr. 3+

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING,
THE TWO TOWERS,
THE RETURN OF THE KING J.R.R. Tolkien
Read by Rob Inglis (Recorded Books)
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Gr. 6+

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA Ernest Hemingway
Read by Donald Sutherland (Simon & Schuster Audio/Recorded Books)
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Gr. 9+

PETER PAN J.M. Barrie
Read by Jim Dale (Listening Library)
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Gr. 4+

Take a well-read classic filled with larger-than-life characters and pair it with a master narrator. Voilà--you've got a brand-new classic. Alfred Molina's narration is like pulling up a chair next to a fire on a chilly night and being chilled all over again by Stevenson's tale of piracy on the high seas. Molina's portrayals are perfection. He's a careful observer in his depiction of young Jim Hawkins and just as easily becomes mild-mannered Dr. Livesey, blustery Squire Trelawney, and unctuous, rebellious Long John Silver. Nonstop action and suspense make this a perfect listen for all family members, who may begin to chime in with the many "yo-ho-hos." S.W.

AIRBORN Kenneth Oppel
Read by David Kelly and the Full Cast Family (Full Cast Audio)
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THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND,
THE GOLEM'S EYE,
PTOLEMY'S GATE Jonathan Stroud
Read by Simon Jones (Listening Library)
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THE BEASTS OF CLAWSTONE CASTLE Eva Ibbotson
Read by Jenny Sterlin (Recorded Books)
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THE RUINS OF GORLAN,
THE BURNING BRIDGE,
THE ICEBOUND LAND John Flanagan
Read by John Keating (Recorded Books)
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CORALINE Neil Gaiman
Read by Neil Gaiman (Harper Audio)
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This production is exactly the reason young adult fantasy fare can work so well as audio entertainment. Narrator Rupert Degas will be known to fans of Philip Pullman as Pantalaimon in the audios of His Dark Materials, and he does a bang-up job here as well. This is dark comic fantasy, and Degas's timing and complete grasp of the main character's personality couldn't be better. Skulduggery is the ultimate undead; in fact, he's just a skeleton. This does not stop him from being a deadly fighter or a snappy dresser. In this first episode, Skulduggery steps in to help the niece of an old friend who unwittingly has something a group of evil magicians badly needs. What sets the story apart is Degas's deadpan delivery with a hint of rumbling laughter. Here is a hero we soon find ourselves immensely attached to. Bring us more Skulduggery! D.G.

BINDI BABES, BOLLYWOOD BABES Narinder Dhami
Read by Nina Wadia (Listening Library)
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BUDDHA BOY Kathe Koja
Read by a Full Cast (Full Cast Audio)
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CLEMENTINE Sarah Pennypacker
Read by Jessica Almasy (Recorded Books)
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COLIBRÍ Ann Cameron
Read by Jacqueline Kim (Listening Library)
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Move over, Ramona, Judy Moody, and Junie B.! Clementine, an imaginative third-grader and a great and loyal friend, has arrived. Clementine constantly hears reminders from teachers and the principal to "pay attention." Clementine knows she does pay attention . . . better than anyone else, including the adults. "Okay, fine," her attention is on the wrong things, but her motivations are simply creative attempts to be helpful. Jessica Almasy gives voice to this friendly, funny kid. Almasy sounds like a third-grader with a story to tell, bringing the precocious, ingenious Clementine to life. Her voice has the tone, pitch, and tempo of a third-grade girl struggling to do the right thing, truly S-O-R-R-Y when things go wrong, and in the end better than "Okay . . . Fine!" N.E.M.