New Reviews: Children

British Nigerian actor Wunmi Mosaku ushers listeners into a sinister "land of wonders" inspired by--and darker than--Lewis Carroll's Alice stories. Afia, 16, who longs for adventure, impulsively follows an itinerant market vendor into the forbidden forest that encircles her home of Dafra. There, she encounters wonders aplenty--along with terrors. Mosaku modulates between a... Read More

Ruffin Prentiss captures the angst of 13-year-old Malcolm Montgomery as the teen balances the uncertainty of foster care with the daily turmoil he experiences in middle school. Tops on Malcolm's list of things to do: Be adopted "before it's too late." When his new school begins to implement an AI-powered robot in the classroom and he is chosen to maintain it, the bullies pounce... Read More

Ramón de Ocampo's prosaic narration adds to the uneasy mood of this middle-grade horror story. After an embarrassing school incident, Casey becomes a social outcast. His family worries about him--until a local dad drops a new friend at Casey's home. Morel doesn't speak, has no eyes, and appears to be made of clay. Oddly, only Casey seems to notice these peculiarities. De Ocampo... Read More

Ferdelle Capistrano enlivens this biography about WWII Filipina resistance fighter and Hansen disease survivor Josefina "Joey" Guerrero. Capistrano deftly manages the action of Joey's story, along with the many explanatory passages scaffolding it. She adds a visceral tenderness when Joey describes her reverence for Joan of Arc and the deplorable conditions people with leprosy... Read More

Emotive piano music introduces this biography of Civil Rights activist Angela Davis. Zoleka Vundla's gentle voice describes Angela's carefree youth in the Alabama countryside. When the family moves to Dynamite Hill in Birmingham, things change: The KKK is terrorizing people, and signs proclaim "Whites Only," a phrase Angela hates and that Vundla delivers with outrage. Angela's... Read More

Nano Nagle chronicles the lives of three sun bears--Tan-Tan, Kitud, and Boboi--from the time they're saved as cubs to their release back into the Borneo rainforest. Nagle's caring tone perfectly complements the story. While describing the bears' stay at Dr. Wong's Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center, Nagle uses a dramatic voice to inform listeners about this special species... Read More

Matt Godfrey narrates the emotionally charged story of Connor Bradley, a secondary character in Bowling's other Cactus audiobooks. Connor has Tourette syndrome, and Godfrey uses a sarcastic tone as Connor describes his recent move and his anxiety over attending a new high school where no one knows him. As Connor's estranged father reenters his life, Godfrey recounts the painful... Read More

Mimi doesn't like Waipo's favorite tea. How long can she avoid drinking it without hurting her grandmother's feelings? Katharine Chin delivers the answer in a heartfelt performance. Waipo repeatedly offers liangcha to Mimi, who thinks it's gross and yucky. Chin captures the humor in Mimi's efforts to get rid of the tea, as well as the tension when Waipo and Mimi clash over the... Read More

Keylor Leigh's narration makes it immediately understandable why Kaylani McKinnon doesn't want to leave Brooklyn for a summer in Martha's Vineyard with family friends. Once there, she finds herself sharing a room with one of the mean-girl siblings and unable to communicate with her beloved dad, who's incarcerated. That's before Chadwick, a popular boy and one of the only people... Read More

Ciaran Saward's zany delivery is perfect for a young audience that thrives on silly nonstop action and striking sound effects. Selfish, bullying Monkey is sent into space but soon crash-lands in a forest, which he decides to colonize. When genial Bunny realizes this, he gathers Pig and Weenie Squirrel--all humorously rendered--to save their peaceful home from the intruder.... Read More

Caitlin Kinnunen narrates this middle-grade story, showcasing its verse form. Twelve-year-old Opal lives at the top of a fire tower in the Gila National Forest, New Mexico. Her mother and grandmother are responsible for spotting fires, determining their locations, and alerting the authorities. However, Opal longs to be in town, where she can attend school and not be constantly... Read More

This short performance by Mark Sanderlin will surely charm listeners. A crow, who only responds in caws, sits on a telephone pole and squawks up a storm, refusing to move whenever his animal neighbors ask him to come down. He ignores Squirrel, Hummingbird, Rat, and Bat as they ask him to play or spend time with them, and none of them can understand why he's so cranky. But... Read More

Author Drew Daywalt serves as primary narrator of this first book in a new Crayon series. Daywalt describes Duncan's surprise when he learns his errant crayons have left again. They all send back letters that recount their adventures and discoveries, and the new friends they've met. A large cast, including narration luminaries like Michael Crouch and Tara Sands, portray the 10... Read More

Narrator Alexandra Hunter establishes an apathetic voice for 13- year-old Kass, who has switched from public school to a fancy private school in order to join the diving team and have better opportunities for academic success. Kass struggles to fit in at her new school and even starts questioning economic disparity and its causes when she meets 17-year-old Miles, who dumpster... Read More

Timothy Andrés Pabon and E.J. Lavery narrate this tender exploration of grief. Two years after his older sister disappeared while surfing, Kai Sosa still struggles to find a sense of normalcy. He earns a place on the elite swim team his sister had once dominated but worries that he will let the team down the way he fears he let Cali down. Pabon voices Kai with increasing... Read More

Narrator Gail Shalan gives a spirited performance of this ghoulish mystery. Elvira, a half-siren who lives in a trailer park for monsters, is very skeptical of the human world outside it. When they learn that a human detective is on the case of the missing Marfa Monster Festival crown, Elvira and her friends decide to investigate on their own. But more monster residents... Read More

Narrator Kate Coventry creates an energetic and high-pitched voice for the witch Evelyn, who, much to her initial disappointment, has only enough money to get a mystery pet, rather than the pet of her choice. What's more, the pet is inside an egg--so she doesn't know what it is. Coventry captures Evelyn's frustration as she struggles to wait patiently for her egg to hatch. She... Read More

Mark Sanderlin is the perfect narrator for this story of a preteen boy who is keeping a huge secret. Sanderlin's tone is young and welcoming, his pace steady, and his enunciation precise. He voices the confusion and impatience of Nathan, who is living with a tremendous secret: He's the son of aliens--and now he's growing a tail! Nine other kids, spread across the country, share... Read More

Joey Florez juggles the many facets of this audiobook. Depicting seventh grader Alex Ramirez, a neurodivergent student, Florez honors both the character and the verse format of the story. He gives his narration a definitive rhythm. Periodically, Ramirez uses fluid Spanish that reflects Alex's heritage and adds another rhythm to the narration. Alex has been in an SC... Read More

Michelle Weisborn vividly portrays Evie Steinberg. Weisborn's youthful tone reflects Evie's delight when she moves to Southern California and discovers that Dara, her BFF from summer camp, goes to her new school. Weisborn also captures the anxious yet determined feelings of the seventh grader who demands perfection from herself after messing up her father's cryptozoology work.... Read More

Renika Williams-Blutcher's uncanny ability to project a wide range of emotions and attitudes brings this combination of historical fiction and fantasy to life. Rowan isn't happy to spend the summer with her Aunt Monica in New York City even though she's enjoyed these vacations in the past. This year she wants to stay home and grieve the death of her father. Williams-Blutcher... Read More

Swayam Bhatia helps listeners imagine the feisty spirit of North Indian Simi Singh, a 12-year-old who meets school and field hockey challenges handily. Bhatia reflects Simi's fear when threats come from a prejudiced classmate and the comfort she finds in her loving extended family. Bhatia depicts Simi's personality as her parents' interfaith Sikh-Muslim marriage puts the... Read More

Elena Rey builds sympathy for two characters with an unlikely alliance in this fantasy. She captures the feelings of Graciela Lima, a 12-year-old who is swept into the sea and awakens as a sea spirit a hundred years later. Rey's narration builds the details of this complex undersea realm--complete with creatures of all kinds and purposes. Rey also portrays the blacksmith's son,... Read More

In Pablo Cartaya's latest audiobook, 13-year-old Gonzalo goes on a cross-country road trip with his estranged grandfather, an author, and listeners are lucky enough to ride along. Cartaya takes the recurring role of "Your Most Humble Narrator" to provide background and context about the reluctant Gonzalo. He's mourning the death of his father and resenting his mother for making... Read More

Listeners will be entranced by the melodic and articulate voice of narrator Angel Pean as she recounts the miserable upbringing, rewarding career, and personal relationships of Lorena Hickok, who was known by many as "Hick." This audiobook reveals not only Hick's ambition for excellence in her writing and journalism career but also the love and admiration she shared with First... Read More

Narrator Cynthia Farrell's strong and steady voice engages listeners as she vocalizes iconic photographer Imogen Cunningham's passion for capturing the world with her art. A childhood love of picture books evolves into a talent for drawing and painting, and eventually Imogen discovers an affinity for photography. Taking pictures allows her to capture the world as she views it... Read More

Intended for children, this audiobook contains tough truths for listeners of all ages. Derrick Barnes introduces his story with an author's note imbued with empathy and resolve, telling listeners that he sees its fictional main character as the embodiment of his sons. At age 13, Henson Blayze is a football idol in his small town of Great Mountain, Mississippi. He loves his dad,... Read More

Listeners will enjoy the short, magical adventure of young Cala and her family during the night of Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead). While they all begin to gather in the cemetery to remember loved ones and friends who have passed on, it's clear that Cala is apprehensive and scared, especially now that her grandfather has died. At some point, she's separated from her family and... Read More

Narrator Sorcha Groundsell brings to life 11-year-old Gwen MacKinnon, who is sent to spend several weeks with her Great-Uncle Matthew, sparing her a stay with her inattentive dad. There, she's delighted to make friends with his dog, Pumpkin, who accompanies her to the town library. Groundsell's tone imbues this story with intrigue, also fostering listener interest with her... Read More

Author Varian Johnson delivers his story of a little boy who is shouldering big responsibilities. Elijah's looking forward to spending time with his father on the weekend, but with a new baby in the family, Daddy needs to work--and Elijah needs to be a "little big man" at home. Johnson leans into the onomatopoeia and repetition that underscore the challenges of helping Mama and... Read More

Author Drew Daywalt delivers his comedic picture book with the exasperation of its unseen narrator, who must deal with Freddie, a dog who has unusual habits of dressing. In a series of vignettes, Daywalt voices the growing frustration of a human who responds to Freddie Two Pants, a canine who more than lives up to his name. Because of Daywalt's expressive talents, listeners... Read More

Kate DiCamillo's third installment in the Norendy Tales soars with a controlled narration by a very proper-sounding Allan Corduner. A childless shoemaker and his wife are surprised when a tiny child appears one day in a boot in his shop. He names her Evangeline. Corduner gracefully captures the tension that grows between the husband and wife as they focus on the child's... Read More

For a fun, witchy listen, you can't go wrong with Aubrey Plaza, who hams it up in a quirky narration. Luna has always wanted to be a witch like her grandma in Puerto Rico. When she finds a real witch's house, she gets the curmudgeonly witch, Pheenie, to teach her all she knows. But first, Luna needs to help get the house ready for a Halloween party. Plaza doesn't disappoint.... Read More

Simply perfect! No detail is missing from an enchanting picture-book adaptation that needs no images. An orchestral score is seamlessly layered with the sounds of nocturnal creatures and the frightened murmured voices of Garden Glen residents who are scurrying to light lanterns to keep the darkness at bay. Narrator Elizabeth Knowelden's prim English accent perfectly suits... Read More

Narrator Eva Kaminsky creates a youthful voice for 12-year-old Maisie, whose mysterious text messages on her phone lead her to discover that she's a moonleaper. As one of these special kinds of time travelers, she's tasked with helping her dying Great-Aunt Hazel to change the future by changing the past. Maisie is uneasy at first as she tries to understand what is going on, all... Read More

Hazar Elbayya narrates her picture book, bringing alive the emotions of a powerful story that speaks of war, hope, community, and resilience. In the opening, Elbayya expresses the tenderness between young Salaam and her grandfather, who teaches her the specialness of olive trees: their deep roots in the land and their ability to connect everyone. Elbayya's neutral tone reflects... Read More

Narrator Sam West effortlessly sweeps listeners along in this magnificent sequel to IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES. When Anya's grandfather, the king of Dousha, is murdered and her beloved father is accused of the crime and imprisoned, Anya will do anything to help him. Help comes in the form of Christopher, a guardian of the magical Archipelago where Anya lives, along with a bevy of... Read More

Narrator Marwan Salama captures the nautical adventures of Mabel, a mouse who lives a quiet life in a house belonging to a man and his young son. Mabel and the boy watch as the man carefully builds a model ship piece by piece, day after day, in the window of the house. Mabel dreams of being its captain and going on seafaring adventures. Finally, the man takes his prized model... Read More

Daniel Nayeri narrates his novel, which transports listeners to Iran in 1941. He balances passages describing a neutral country overrun by the Anglo-Soviet invasion with the experiences of the main characters, recently orphaned Babak, age 13, and his sister, Sana, age 8. To prevent their separation, Babak steps into the role of their father, a teacher of nomads. Nayeri... Read More

Golden Voice Soneela Nankani expertly channels her inner middle school child with her narration of this story about five children and their summer after sixth grade. Each is isolated in their own way. They meet at their local library and, soon after, decide to start a cookie-baking business. Nankani captures the inner lives of kids at that age: hiding uncomfortable truths,... Read More

Felisha Wong embraces the curious spirit of Janie, who longs to see an owl. A quiet respect, almost a reverence, for "the magic" of seeing and hearing an owl characterizes her owl-loving teacher, Mr. Koji. Janie channels her owl passion into drawings and a journal. Wong delivers her classifications of owl pellets and owl whitewash (poop) with a care that reflects Janie's... Read More

Frankie Corzo narrates the story of 13-year-old Dorani Gutierrez, a champion of justice whose mother dies suddenly and tragically. Practically overnight, Dori must leave her Florida friends for a Wyoming horse ranch. There she's unfamiliar with both the weather and the aunt she's to live with. At the ranch, Dori encounters a damaged horse, Sunshine, whom she recognizes as a... Read More

Narrator Alexis Bledel superbly imparts the magical realism in this classic, which contains an insightful new introduction. One morning in a long-ago village, Winnie discovers a magical spring and the secret of the extraordinarily long-lived Tuck family. To protect their secret, Mae Tuck and her sons spirit Winnie away to their home. Winnie is smitten with Jesse Tuck and his... Read More

Sarah Agha's narration is a marvelous match for this parable, which takes place in an alternate 21st-century London ruled by tyrants. Agha deftly expresses the questioning nature of a young ghetto dweller named Adam Alhambra, who is used to being mocked for his Muslim faith. When he escapes a robber through a hidden doorway, Adam meets a Tyger, who sends him on a mission to... Read More

Hamilton Clancy masterfully presents this magical Hurricane Katrina story and historical travelogue. Listeners meet 12-year-old Vernon, who is grieving his mother's death and feeling shocked that his dad wants to leave New Orleans despite their home having survived the storm. Then he meets feisty Alisa, whose mom is intending to move to Houston for work. Soon, the youths... Read More

Narrator Sarah Skaer takes listeners on a magical summer sojourn in this new English translation of Kashiwaba's 1975 fantasy. Sent alone to Misty Valley instead of Nagano, where her grandparents live, Lina is taken aback to learn she's expected to work for her keep. Skaer's pleasant lilt conveys the narrative as Lina works in various establishments along what the residents call... Read More

Narrator Krysta Gonzales adds emotional depth to this moving story about finding the courage to speak up. Fifth grader Daisy Jackson, dubbed "weird, sad, and silent" by two classmates, spends her time alone. After lashing out at her mother's abusive boyfriend, Daisy becomes withdrawn; she "invisiblizes" herself, befriends a stray cat, eats lunch with the school librarian, and... Read More

Kathleen McInerney's narration is gentle and sweet in this adaptation of the novel THE WILD ROBOT into a picture book. Music ranges from bright to apprehensive in this story of Roz, a robot who washes up on an island, learns to live like the animals, and raises a gosling named Brightbill. Tension occurs when Brightbill must migrate and Roz cannot, but McInerney never conveys a... Read More

Who knew? The great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens is also a gifted storyteller! Clare Corbett's thoughtful narration of this charming series set in the 1970s has the feel of a classic. Corbett presents each unique Fielding child: serious Tom, the oldest; Carrie, the horse lover; Em, who's helpful to everyone; and Michael, gentle, dyslexic, and often misunderstood. When... Read More