New Reviews: Children

Narrator Jennifer Barnhart makes listeners care about a girl whose actual name is Bicycle. Bicycle was abandoned as a baby at the Mostly Silent Monastery in Washington, DC. Now 12, Bicycle is obsessed with meeting her hero, Tour de France winner Zbigniew Sienkiewicz. When she is sent to sleepaway camp, she runs away and sets out on a cross-country bike tour to San Francisco to... Read More

Two things are clear to Moose Flanagan: Living near criminals like Al Capone on Alcatraz with a prison strike looming and watching his special needs sister will leave little time to get a spot on his high school baseball team. Narrator Kirby Heyborne's intuitive vocal choices channel an unforgettable summer in 1936. He exposes the story's layers of conflict using changes in... Read More

Calming nature sounds invite listeners into a garden where a girl and her grandpa are working side by side. Background sounds include the melody of chirping birds, a wind chime, and the breeze playing through the plants as author Xelena González narrates from the perspective of the little girl. González's tone is smooth and rich as she voices the granddaughter, and deepens in... Read More

Narrator Priya Ayyar beautifully conveys this bittersweet story set in Pakistan, which was inspired by Malala Yousafzai and millions of girls like her. Amal accidently collides with the son of her village's ruling family. After she verbally challenges him, she's forced to live with his family as a servant. Vibrant descriptions of the village, school, and Amal's friends take the... Read More

Narrator Colleen Prendergast deftly transports listeners to St. Rita's School in rural England where eccentric teachers and librarians rule and girls battle each other physically and verbally. Troublemaker Daphne Blakeway is surprised to be invited to attend the school since she's been expelled from numerous other institutions. Even she is shocked at the vicious girls she... Read More

Narrator Stephanie Foxley does much to dramatize the setting and characters of this story. Alberto is the principal carpenter and coffin maker in the small Italian town of Allora The widower's family died three decades before he discovers a starving, distrusting 10-year-old boy, Tito Bonito, and the colorful bird that follows him. Alberto takes the boy into his home and heart... Read More

Will Ropp's restrained narration captures the personalities of small- town Polish boys caught between opposing Russian and German forces during WWI. Avi's bleak novel exposes the brutality of war, not only among nations but also among the village boys who succumb to the bullying dares of Jurek, who will do anything to obtain the best button and rule over them all. Patryk, the... Read More

In this coming-of-age story, narrator John Kroft introduces Conor McRae, an endearing 12-year-old whose world revolves around his Doberman, Sinbad, and ice hockey. Kroft is an impeccable storyteller who excels at creating Japanese, Russian, and Eastern European accents. His best creation is Conor's neighbor, Mr. Reynolds, who utters, "Don't insult me" when Conor washes his car... Read More

Vibrant L.A. will leap into the minds of listeners in this audio homage to Korean-American chef Roy Choi's path to street food stardom. The accompanying picture book's illustrations are eye-popping, and Los Angeles-based graffiti artist Man One's narration has a style all his own, especially his rap delivery of the book's short cooking poems. Co-author and co-narrator June Jo... Read More

Erin Stewart and Forrest Goodluck alternate narrating this WWII story featuring 11-year-old Billie Packer and Denny, a Marine Navajo code talker. Stewart captures Billie's spunkiness as well as the sadness she feels at her brother Leo's going off to war. Depictions of her friends, the home front, and wartime efforts add atmosphere to the story. In particular, Billie's guardian,... Read More

Ocean sounds, military marching music, and the booms of torpedoes place listeners right in the middle of WWI submarine warfare. Just in time for the 100th anniversary of the end of the war, this audiobook describes how Norman Wilkinson and a team of artists (including women) "dazzle-painted" British ships with brightly colored patterns to confuse the German U-boats. Narrator... Read More

Kirby Heyborne narrates this mystery/ghost story in the voice of Denis Egan, who was 7 when he disappeared and was found dead miles away. That was five years ago. Heyborne is a believable Denis as he decides to leave "Port Haven" to confront his twin brother so they can both move on. Heyborne also gives the other characters unique voices that bring them to life. The anger and... Read More

Amy Rubinate narrates this children's biography of Senator Elizabeth Warren with feeling, helping children understand Warren's story and persistence. Sound effects and heartfelt music help set the scenes for young listeners, with honking cars, hammering gavels, and classroom noises bringing the story to life. Rubinate's clear narration highlights the harder times faced by... Read More

The Emancipation Proclamation is mainly associated with the American Civil War, but its story is also entwined with politics, religion, and the often-conflicting beliefs of President Abraham Lincoln. Under his guardianship, the Proclamation blossomed, grew, stagnated, resurfaced, and finally took root. Bolden writes in the collective "we" point of view, and with it, narrator... Read More

Brian Amador's narration, space-age music, and a multitude of sound effects come together fantastically in this audio and picture book pairing about the life of sound artist Juan García Esquivel, known as "Esquivel!" Listeners learn of Esquivel's childhood and love of music, and all the ways he discovered to imitate the world through sound. The audiobook is perfect for children... Read More

Narrator Tara Sands commits herself enthusiastically to this supernatural adventure, pitching her narration to perfectly match the excitement of chasing a banshee through a Louisiana swamp. Young Evangeline Clement wants nothing more than to become a renowned haunt huntress like her mama and gran. When she and Gran are called to the aid of a woman overtaken by a dark force,... Read More

When their small plane crashes and the pilot dies, four children are stranded alone in the Amazon jungle. Thus begins an exhilarating and sometimes harrowing old-fashioned adventure that comes beautifully, vibrantly alive on audio. Narrator Peter Noble is utterly convincing as Fred, Con, Lila, and, especially, 5-year-old Max. With subtle variations, Noble gives them all... Read More

In a light Southern drawl, narrator Dion Graham delivers the achingly mournful story of 11-year-old Langston. This first novel gracefully explores many themes of post-WWII African-American life through the first-person narrative of its young protagonist. Langston's beloved mother has died, and in an attempt to escape both memories and discrimination, his father joins the Great... Read More

Paintings are coming to life in Sargent's father's art gallery in New Brunswick, Canada. But something else is also not right, and Sargent must help his new friends solve a mystery. Narrator Bronson Pinchot's flair with accents perfectly matches this middle-grade caper chock-full of colorful characters. Listeners will be charmed throughout by ringleader Lord Beaverbrook's... Read More

Lively animal sounds and the soothing voice of narrator Adriana Sananes make this a joyful listen for kids. Episodes in the life of iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo show her happy times as a young girl and her difficult time after the bus accident that left her permanently injured. Through it all, Frida's many pets and creatures, such as Bonito the parrot and her spider... Read More

Little listeners who love to explore their world will have fun with narrator Christina Moore's lively portrayal of two friends looking for adventure. Neither can agree which is better, exploring the sea or roving in space, so they split up. Colette dives down in her submarine, and Garcia rockets off into space. Moore's narration lets listeners hear their initial amazement and... Read More

Paul Fox's lively narration sparkles in this funny retelling of the Snow White story. Dwarf Borlen (a.k.a. Grump) was part of the original story, but over the years humans changed it and forgot the dwarves' real names. This is Borlen's first-person account of the actual events. The seventh dwarf on an underground mining crew, he has an odd fascination with the human world that... Read More

N'Jameh Camara narrates the emotive narrative of biracial Haley, who describes increasingly honest conversations among six classmates along with her own undisclosed truths. In this unique audio, six narrators represent characters in shared dialogues. Toshi Widoff-Woodson, portraying an African-American girl, is defensive and a bit spoiled. Dean Flanagan is reticent Ashton, a... Read More

Australian narrator Wendy Bos whisks listeners into a tale of mystery and intrigue set in a world where the lines between fantasy and reality are blurred. Stranded on the roadside during a field trip gone awry, Mrs. Fiori and her four students take shelter from an approaching storm in an abandoned mansion. When the group discovers a handmade book in a secret compartment, a... Read More

Rudyard Kipling's short origin stories from JUST SO STORIES, as well as "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" from THE JUNGLE BOOK, are whimsical delights for children. Virginia McKenna is wonderfully expressive in her narration. Her warm, pleasant cadence enlivens Kipling's stories, and her earnest enthusiasm in the dialogue between characters is captivating. She especially captures the naïveté... Read More

The narrators' expressive and often ridiculous voices enliven these silly poems, reminiscent of Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. Kids will howl with laughter at this riotous compilation of nonsense verse, wordplay, and irreverence. The audiobook provides reminders to view the accompanying pdf when appropriate. Most of the poems are equally fun without the illustrations, and some... Read More

Dan Bittner's exciting narration will have listeners on the edge of their seats with this dramatic true story of 25-year-old John F. Kennedy's survival after the destruction of his patrol torpedo (PT) boat during WWII. For six days, Kennedy and his surviving crew lived off coconuts as they desperately sought rescue while stranded on a desert island in Pacific enemy waters near... Read More

This steampunk novel melds history and a mystery-packed adventure. Polly Lee energetically narrates the story of George, the third Lord of Devonshire, who believes he has bad luck because he is an orphan. It seems like anyone he gets close to dies. When his priceless family heirloom, a map to the hidden gemstone called the Star of Victory, is stolen, he is joined by a young... Read More

Monika Felice Smith gives a perfect voice to Cora, the 12-year-old at the heart of Sarno's achingly beautiful debut novel about finding home in a world turned upside down. Since the death of her father, Cora must move from shelter to shelter to survive. Smith's emotionally connected narration wrings the pathos from Cora's situation without succumbing to melodrama. With her... Read More

Narrator Brittany Pressley does her best to bring drama to this otherworldly steampunk story about a tenacious girl living on another planet in a house with its own angry spirit. After Cecelia's little brother, Celadon, dies tragically, his soul goes to the Land of Yesterday. Cecelia's mother is so distraught that she follows him there, so Cecelia, feeling responsible for his... Read More

Fiona Hardingham narrates the final Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place audiobook with exuberance, charm, and impeccable timing. Hardingham honors the atmosphere created by original series narrator Katherine Kellgren but adds her own unique style. She captures governess Penelope Lumley's despair while trapped in a dreary Russian village and watching over dreadful children,... Read More

Narrator Graham Halstead captures the insolent arrogance of 15-year-old Alex. This mystery is set in a fantasy world in which libraries are magical, dangerous places and books are alive, filled with malicious intent. When Alex lies his way into the job of librarian to the queen, he is warned that working there will probably kill him. But he's up to the challenge and works to... Read More

Author Pablo Cartaya's warm narration introduces us to 14-year-old Marcus, who is trying to figure out his place in the world. When his mother takes Marcus and his younger brother, Charlie, to Puerto Rico for a vacation, it's a chance to meet his extended family and, as Marcus sees it, an opportunity to reconnect with his absent father. As Marcus travels around the island... Read More

Narrator Frankie Corzo presents a realistic portrayal of a young, first-generation Cuban-American's life in Florida. Sixth grader Merci Suárez is a scholarship student at an exclusive private school where she deals confidently with the class queen bee, boys, challenging school assignments, and preparing to try out for the school soccer team. At home, Merci lives with her... Read More

Author and narrator David Walliams tells the tale of young Tom, who is sent to the children's ward of the local hospital after suffering an injury at his boarding school. When night falls, Tom and the other children secretly form the Midnight Gang, which meets to make one of the child's dreams come true each night, using only the limited resources of the hospital. Sound effects... Read More

Scientists believe that the Spanish flu pandemic, largely absent from history books, may have killed 100 million people in just two short years, making it more deadly than the Great War raging at the time. Ironically, it was troop movements around the globe that facilitated the virus's spread. The audiobook is narrated primarily by MacLeod Andrews; Adenrele Ojo has the... Read More

Narrator Kris Dyer is ideal to introduce delightful Mr. Bambuckle, a dream teacher for all ages. Kids know they're in for a treat when Mr. Bambuckle enters their classroom riding a unicycle and wearing a shimmering blue suit. His enthusiasm catches everyone's attention, and Dyer deftly captures various Australian accents, including that of nosy, grumpy Principal Sternblast.... Read More

Narrator Damany Jackson's voice pulses with energy and warmth as he channels the thrumming exuberance that fuels this picture-book biography of musician Muddy Waters. Jackson's exclamations and exhortations layer sound and movement onto Mahin's electric cadence, dovetailing seamlessly with illustrator Evan Turk's explosive mixed-media artwork. Music runs throughout the story,... Read More

Lisa Bonet delivers a whirlwind interpretation of this timeless horror story for children. Adapted for a BBC co-production with L.A. Theatre Works in 1992, the tale of suspicions about a substitute teacher is action-packed. Bonet's portrayal of sixth grader Susan is exactly as breathless and flip as any tween would be when worrying about the messy details of friends, the school... Read More

Almarie Guerra gives a compassionate narration of this historical fiction set in Alabama in 1970. Sixth-grader Lu befriends one of the few black girls in her newly integrated classroom. But while Lu would like to be friends with everyone, growing tensions force her to choose a side in the racial divide. Guerra delivers the Southern accents of the mean white kids and the... Read More

Hannah Jay narrates this skyborne adventure with a steampunk twist. The titular character has a fascination with creative writing; she employs poetic language to describe her life aboard the ORION, a cloudship populated by orphaned youth who round out the crew with their variety of magical powers. Jay's honeyed voice is well suited to Nadya's first-person storytelling,... Read More

It isn't hard to imagine sitting with narrator Chris Potts as she tells this story. Her presentation is welcoming and intimate as she shares an old Russian tale of a girl who is living with her great-aunt, Olga. Potts's elderly aunt sounds demanding and gruff as she admonishes young Nanushka about the chores she expects to be completed during her absence. Portraying Nanushka,... Read More

As both author and narrator, Tim Federle delivers a wholly satisfying conclusion to his funny, smart, heartwarming Nate series. When Nate returns to Jankburg, Pennsylvania, after appearing on Broadway, he's sure that his freshman year of high school is going to be awful. After all, he's a boy who likes musicals (and, secretly, other boys)--and no one back home except his best... Read More

Narrator Kirby Heyborne brings a modern fairy tale filled with dark magic to life with a fantastic performance. With wary tones, Heyborne introduces Alex, a shy kid with a love of creepy things. When shrill-voiced Natacha lures Alex into her spell-ridden apartment, he is forced to write and deliver a scary story each night to appease the witch. While captive, Alex meets Yasmin,... Read More

Narrator Julie Dretzin fully expresses Katy Gordon's passion for all things baseball. It's 1957, and though she pitches a curveball no boy can hit, fifth-grader Katy has no chance of playing on her local Little League team. Girls aren't allowed. Dretzin makes Katy's determination to play palpable. This believability gives the story credibility when Katy sets out to disguise... Read More

Narrator Hugh Bonneville's rich and melodious voice makes for easy listening. His even-keel narration takes Paddington bear's adventures in stride--whether he's tailoring trousers with his vintage sewing machine, taking dancing lessons, repairing a car, doing detective work, or carrying out equestrian exploits. He may exasperate his family and Mrs. Bird, the housekeeper, but he... Read More

This heartwarming tale about Paddington, the bear from "darkest Peru," is reminiscent of all of his adventures over the years. This audiobook follows Paddington through many different stories, including those that focus on a cooking show, gardening, and helping Mr. Gruber celebrate his birthday. Each of the seven stories holds just as much whimsy and wonder as Michael Bond's... Read More

In assured, inquisitive tones, Cherise Booth unfurls a clever middle-grade mystery featuring intriguing characters and a town with a challenging history. When Candace moves to Lambert, South Carolina, for the summer with her mother, she uncovers a letter containing a puzzle and a request for the reader to right a decades-old wrong against a young woman and her family. Booth's... Read More

With dazzling versatility, narrator Nancy Wu immerses listeners in this complex East Asian-inspired fantasy about a martial arts legend in the making. As a goodwill gesture from their home country of Shin, Peasprout Chen and her brother have been sent to study wu liu (a hybrid of figure skating and martial arts) at Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword. Though eager to prove... Read More

Narrator Cassandra Morris's youthful voice contributes to the lighthearted tone of the first book in a new series. The seven quirky, capable Problim siblings are left alone while their parents are off on an archaeological expedition. Morris handles their individual identities and capabilities as easily as the children deal with the explosion of one home and the move to another,... Read More

In a matter-of-fact tone that somehow also conveys concern, narrator Lori Gardner shares young Taylor's frustration when his amazing block creation comes tumbling down. Taylor is NOT ready to hear the helping suggestions of assorted animals--a chicken who in a bawking voice wants to talk and talk about it; a grating hyena who wants to laugh about it; and a growly voiced bear... Read More

Narrator John McDonough's rich and warm voice is reassuring in this true story of a young service dog and a young woman who is a new amputee. Both are in training--one to learn the ways of a service dog and the other to learn new ways of getting around and to use a prosthetic leg. With steady pacing, McDonough details the progress of both, all the while voicing the anxiety of... Read More

Narrator Eilidh Beaton's gift with accents will sweep listeners into Victorian times. Rose Rivers is somewhat lost in a bustling household that includes her five siblings, melodramatic mother, and famous father. While she is provided the things due to the daughter of a well-to-do family, she would much rather go to school with her twin, Rupert, or befriend Clover, their new... Read More

Kirby Heyborne narrates the short, poignant chapters of this audiobook, imbuing them with the inflections and emotions they deserve. Ten-year-old Louie is saddened when his father brings home a "pitiful donkey." Its mother is dying, and it probably won't live, but Louie--in an act of whim, love, and optimism--decides to save it. In the next moment, he names the spindly-legged... Read More

A tale full of magic, demons, and inter-dimensional travels, this middle-grade audiobook is narrated by the author, Sayantani DasGupta. Kiranmala has always been told she's an Indian princess, but she believes she's just a regular New Jersey middle-school student. On her twelfth birthday, the truth is revealed, and Kiran is forced into a quest to save her parents. DasGupta's... Read More

The genuine emotion in narrator Holly Linneman's voice helps contemporary kids relate to Trudy, a 12-year-old in 1966. When all the popular girls at her school leave Trudy's Beatles Fan Club to join Future Cheerleaders, Trudy is left with a misfit group of Beatles superfans in what is now the least popular club in school. She is disappointed but undeterred in her life's goal to... Read More

Music, sound effects, and a hilarious, spirited narration by Michael Maloney elevate this collection of silly adventures to first-rate entertainment for young children. Sir Charlie will teach kids about courage as he faces beasties, ghoulies, ghosties, a dragon, a cackling witch, and scariest of all--a princess. This production includes three laugh-out-loud stories full of... Read More

As the story begins, narrator Nancy Wu catches listeners' attention with her emphatic, "No spinach!" Clearly, young Sylvia does not care for spinach dishes. And wouldn't you know it--when her class gets a classroom garden project underway, Sylvia is the one in charge of the spinach. She grudgingly follows directions but grows despondent as everyone else's seeds sprout. Will she... Read More

Dion Graham's narration elevates this fascinating true story with a message for kids to be bold, courageous, and unique. The audiobook describes the history of the Golden Gate Bridge, including the process of developing and approving its design, transporting its steel across the country, building it, and debating what color to paint it. Eggers's writing is informative but also... Read More

Narrator Ariadne Meyers rises to the challenge of portraying squirrels, both gray and red, and other creatures as she gives voice to Newbery Medalist Cynthia Voigt's chronicle of a squirrel year. When a winter storm topples the tree, newborn Toaff finds himself launched upon a quest to find a new home. Meyers's Toaff sounds curious and thoughtful as he hesitantly wonders about... Read More

Narrator Kirby Heyborne creates a youthful tone for Aran, a young selkie, a mythical Celtic creature who takes human form on land and seal form in the sea. Aran wants only to "turn" so he can join the rest of his family in the ocean. When he doesn't turn as expected, Mam sends him to live with a woman named Maggie, while she tries to find a way to help him. As Aran struggles to... Read More

Flossie is the turnkey of Highgate Cemetery--she is in charge of the souls buried within. One day she stumbles upon a man's soul that doesn't belong, a man from the Nazi regime who is carrying a crystal skull. She makes it her mission to dig deeper to discover what he is doing in London and how to stop him from communicating with the living. Narrator Charlotte Cole's lovely... Read More

Narrators Abigail Revasch and Tara Sands reprise their roles in this silly sequel to SQUIRREL MEETS THE WORLD. Doreen Green is trying to navigate friendships, homework, mean teachers, and the complicated social norms of middle school life. Meanwhile, her alter ego, Squirrel Girl, must uncover a sinister plot involving the new mall in town. Revasch's Squirrel Girl is perky, and... Read More

Narrator Yetide Badaki's light and gentle voice is just what one might expect from a serene princess--a water princess, no less. Badaki gently but urgently shares the story of Princess GieGie and her journey to the well for her family's water. The princess rises at six in the morning and then begins her walk through a dust-filled world. Shea nuts, music, and the company of... Read More

Gordon Korman never fails to create likable characters whom kids can relate to, and narrator Jonathan Todd Ross brings them to life with sympathy and humor. In a town called Stratford, new kid Cooper Vega and his seventh-grade class are preparing to perform ROMEO AND JULIET. As Cooper struggles to fit in, he discovers that his phone is haunted by the ghost of an Elizabethan... Read More

Little listeners are welcomed back to the wonderfully chaotic world of Winnie and Wilbur by returning narrator Amy Enticknap. Children are sure to enjoy this collection of stories about a well-intentioned yet clumsy witch and her extremely opinionated cat. Enticknap voices each of her characters with clarity and wit, marking Winnie with innocently high-pitched excitement and... Read More

Listeners hear Elizabeth Somers's unhappiness when she realizes her aunt and uncle are sending her to the Winterhouse Hotel, after leaving on their own vacation. Luckily, she has a practical disposition, which, along with a love of books and a facility for anagrams, will help her when she finds a magic book that holds a mystery. Narrator Sophie Amoss makes Elizabeth an... Read More