New Reviews: Children

Big Panda's soothing voice as delivered by Jason Isaacs would calm the most agitated child (or adult). Isaacs creates a sharp contrast when he performs Tiny Dragon's voice with a bit of nervousness. Listeners will appreciate the Zen-like tone of Big Panda, who soothes his little friend as they take a journey through the seasons. While traveling, they discuss the world and... Read More

Author/narrator Jin Wang introduces young listeners to the pleasures and challenges of life in the tiny village where she lived in the 1980s. Nan Ba Zi in Inner Mongolia, China, was so remote and dry that families took turns fetching water from the nearest town with a functioning well. Wang's warmly evocative narration highlights her memories of a childhood spent hunting... Read More

Narrator Kristine Hvam uses a lively yet laid-back tone for this Covid-era story. Listeners meet 13-year-old Coyote, who is furious that her dad hid her mother's ashes for six years. After finally settling down in one place, the feisty and determined Coyote still longs for her mom. She is further angered to learn that the poetry book containing her mother's notes about her... Read More

Narrators Dion Graham and Mychal-Bella Bowman's grand and lively performances will have young listeners eager to hear every story in this vibrant collection of African- and African-American-inspired tales. Graham creates imaginative and outsized voices for the stories he leads. He excels at portraying heroic and mischievous animals like a greedy baboon and a trickster spider.... Read More

Narrator Cailin Kelly establishes a youthful voice for 12-year-old Tully, who is determined to complete a marathon swim on Lake Tahoe. Kelly captures Tully's tumultuous emotions as she reflects on her past relationship with her mom, also a swimmer, who left her. Now she must learn to face the truth that her mom may not return and appreciate the support that she has from her... Read More

Narrators Anjali Kunapaneni and Vikas Adam create a vibrant and energetic atmosphere in this delightful collection of stories about Desi middle schoolers who gather at the Maple Grove Community Center. These preteens come from a wide variety of family structures, religions, and South Asian cultural backgrounds. Adam and Kunapaneni take care to give every character a distinct... Read More

English American actor Moira Quirk narrates the experiences of 10 young women who were all involved in some fashion in British code-breaking efforts during WWII. Each figure represents one facet of the mammoth project, which encompassed decrypting the Nazis' famed Enigma cipher, transcribing and indexing messages, monitoring radio transmissions, and more. Excerpts from journals... Read More

Abdul Salis brings vulnerability and determination to his portrayal of a boy who perseveres in the face of difficult circumstances. Sena lives an ordinary life of school and farm chores in contemporary Ghana. When tragedy threatens to drive his family into poverty, Sena offers himself up as a fisher boy on the very lake that figures heavily in his grandfather Togbe's tales of... Read More

In a steady passionate tone, narrator Kate Siegel chronicles the life of Rachel Carson, the writer and biologist who launched the global environmental movement. Even as a young child, Rachel appreciated nature and was drawn to writing. As she continued her studies, she found a passion for science. Siegel captures Rachel's determination and frustration as she attempts to join a... Read More

A full cast of narrators delivers the story of sixth-grade student Rex as he struggles to fit in with his peers and challenges keep cropping up along the way. Narrator Benjamin Valic expresses Rex's deep emotions when he discovers that he'll need glasses and then faces the problem of being able to afford them. Narrator Krizia Bajos establishes a passionate voice for Rex's mom... Read More

Fern lives on an island in the Salish Sea. Cassandra Morris's bubbly narration keeps Fern's summertime adventures light and fun. At the story's outset, Morris skillfully manages Fern's doldrums as she grieves her father's recent death and the hurt she feels as her friendship with her best friend unwinds. Morris's tone perks up when Fern decides to enter a local photo contest in... Read More

Former Young People's Poet Laureate Naomi Shihab Nye delivers her latest collection, subtitled "Poems About Families." They're mostly focused on her relationship with her mother. Nye has a comfortable, unaffected delivery. Her voice has an unstudied tone, but, make no mistake, every syllable lands with precise intent. The poems are short and, at times, breathtakingly revealing,... Read More

This vibrant short story collection featuring animals offers a scintillating safari of sound and narrative, expertly performed by Humphrey Bower. His animated voice and Australian accent, accompanied by sparkling sound effects and music, are sure to make listeners smile. Educational and entertaining, the stories include Little Bug Books and BumbleBunnies collections, which... Read More

Nanako Vera Mizushima strikes just the right notes in her narration of this gentle tale of magic and healing in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Amid the chaos, Yui, who is fleeing an abusive husband, and Hiyori, an orphan uprooted from her home, are taken in by a kindly old woman named Ob chan, who is no ordinary granny. Translator Udagawa leaves intact... Read More

Vikas Adam uses a strong but easily understood East Indian accent to welcome listeners into Raj's happy Hindu family. Oblivious to what India's 1947 independence might mean, Raj seeks only to win his father's approval and help his Muslim friend, Iqbal, succeed in the annual kite festival. Adam's narration makes clear Raj's emotive nature, and his distinctive portrayals capture... Read More

Gary Tiedemann and Greta Jung deftly portray the 13 middle schoolers with unique superpowers featured in these stories written by some of today's most popular authors. The diverse characters express themes of self-discovery and empathy, and the narrators fully embrace each role. Tiedemann, as Maximiliano, candidly describes time-jumping randomly into the bodies of others. Then... Read More

Jeff Ebner deftly presents this autobiographical story of Jake, who suffers from multiple maladies, including anorexia. Listeners meet the once vibrant 13-year-old, who loves musicals and volunteers to read to nursing home residents--until he hears a vicious inner voice telling him he's worthless and must stop eating. Compellingly rendered chapters convey Jake's experience with... Read More

Author Natalia Sylvester narrates her story in a warm and joyful tone. Abuela travels from South America to the U.S. to visit her family. Her granddaughter, Dulce, is fascinated by everything Abuela has brought in her suitcase (maleta), including treats and presents. Dulce relishes her time with Abuela and when Abuela has to go home, Dulce makes sure Abuela has treasures for... Read More

Allison Aguilar's performance offers this engaging coming-of-age story plenty of heart, spunk, and power. Mani is devastated that her mother has planned a surprise trip to Guatemala that will tear her away from her friends for the entire summer. But when she learns about the disappearances of Guatemalan women, Mani is determined to fight for what's right in her community. Mani... Read More

Landon Woodson's high-speed narration creates immediacy as best friends Drew, Darius, and Isaiah attempt to set a new BMX bike record. Eighth-grader Isaiah admits he's not a daredevil like his buddies, but, as Woodson's fever-pitched delivery shows, he's consumed by the effort. Suddenly, Darius is killed in a terrible accident, and Woodson's voice becomes subdued and somber as... Read More

Josh Bloomberg and Sharon Freedman narrate this collection of stories exploring the celebration of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Each chapter describes a ritual of the traditional Passover meal, called the Seder. Each chapter ends with a set of questions about how young people can connect these rituals to their own lives. Bloomberg and Freedman are enthusiastic narrators of... Read More

Narrator Mark Bramhall creates a meek voice for Timble the owl and a disgruntled voice for Orris the rat. When Timble the owl gets stuck in a trap, he begs Orris the rat to help him and promises not to hurt him. Orris is unsure, at first, since owls typically eat rats, but eventually he relents and frees Timble from the trap. Bramhall grasps the drama of the moment while... Read More

Dion Graham's performance will delight young listeners. A boy named Lucas comes home from school with a perfect score on his robot test. At home, however, life is not perfect--his dad's truck breaks down, orange juice is spilled on the floor, his mom works long hours, and the lights get cut off. That night, he dreams about a perfect place where perfect people live. But the... Read More

There is a simplicity to 11-year-old Safiyyah's life within the Grand Mosque of Paris, where she lives in 1940. Shala Nyx's narration reflects Safiyyah's innocence, the love and warmth of her family and friends, and the way she cares so kindly for them. But soon curiosity and discomfort creep into her life, which are reflected in Nyx's reading. As German soldiers invade her... Read More

Nekia Renee Martin takes listeners back in time in this middle-grade fantasy. When Dally's grandfather died, their days of adventure ended--but he left behind a map to the mysterious Secret Library. There Dally travels back to the time of her family's first secrets, experiencing them alongside her forebears. Martin's characterizations are deft and nuanced. Dally's widowed... Read More

Narrator Andrea Emmes enthusiastically explains how humans survive in space and the effects that space travel has on the body. She also shares fun facts about daily living for astronauts, including their specially designed toilets and sleep stations, which differ greatly from what we use on Earth. Emmes smoothly shifts to a more serious tone as the audiobook takes on topics... Read More

Sandy Rustin earned an Earphones Award for her narration of Marissa Moss's WOMAN WHO SPLIT THE ATOM, about the physicist Lise Meitner. Now she returns to lend her vocal talents to Moss's follow-up, a biography of another brilliant woman whose contributions have been overlooked. Rustin's clear, musical voice introduces listeners to Elizebeth Smith Friedman, who, with her... Read More

Narrator Sara Matsui-Colby captures the bittersweet tenderness of this story about coping with grief. Ten-year-old Ayla longs for her best friend, Kiri, to return home, but the listener soon suspects that she will not. The timbre Matsui-Colby uses for Ayla's thoughts is more intense--louder, more annoyed, or sadder--than the small voice she presents to family and neighbors as... Read More

Javier Prusky is believable as Hank Hooperman, an 11-year-old with way too much responsibility on his shoulders. Hank's grandmother passed away recently, his mom has disappeared, and he's been taking care of his 3-year-old sister, Boo, all on his own. Prusky's Boo sounds like the enthusiastic toddler she is--she calls Hank "Pooperman" because they've been working on potty... Read More

Narrator Aaron Goodson captures the essence of a special park on a sunny day. Houston's Emancipation Park, built after the Civil War to commemorate the holiday now known as Juneteenth, has been through periods of prosperity, disrepair, and renewal. Goodson gives voice to the park as he describes how it has been central to the life of Houston's Black community for more than a... Read More

This humble and wonderful performance by Hope Newhouse will engage a wide audience. Two Sophies are best friends; one is an elementary school student, and the other is an aging woman who is beginning her struggle with memory loss. When home-care options are weighed, younger Sophie listens to the many memories of elder Sophie. Newhouse's ability to transform her narration to... Read More

Em Grosland takes center stage as Al in this full-cast sequel to PICTURE DAY. The titular tryouts refer to the Brinkley Martians baseball team, which has never had a girl in its lineup. Talented catcher Al is the first, but the outsized--and unwelcome--attention she attracts threatens the team's cohesion. Lessons of teamwork and persistence ground the story, while swiftly paced... Read More

This contemporary middle-grade fairy tale is given a lively performance by Jeanette Illidge. Chloe returns home during an intense storm to find her house suddenly filled with fairy-tale creatures. They enlist Chloe and her father's help to locate a magical portal back to their home. Chloe and her dad need to work out their differences as they embark on the quest. Illidge is... Read More

In this middle-grade novel set in 1985, Stevie is on summer tour with a lip-syncing group. Jorjeana Marie is immediately likable as the youthful narrator of Stevie's first-person account. Marie shows Stevie's many sides with ease--stumbling and nervous around her crush, decisive and assured when her brother's epilepsy becomes an issue, and, finally, happily confident after a... Read More

Mara Wilson offers a graceful performance of Hoffman's fictionalized account of Anne Frank's life before her family went into hiding. In a clear, warm tone, Wilson describes a young Anne, who is passionate about writing and infectiously high-spirited and curious. While conveying Anne's vexation at her sister and mother, Wilson also communicates her unshakable love for her... Read More

In a soothing voice, Jeffrey Hedquist narrates a story based on the Maine author's own life. Listeners meet amiable Woody, a skilled boat builder who works by the sea. Sound effects--for example, the cries of seagulls and the sizzle of frying pancakes--are irresistible. When Woody finds a hole in his flour sack, he becomes angry and sets a trap. His sadness and regret are... Read More

Listeners will find an honest coming-of-age story in this vivid performance by Krysta Gonzales. Twelve-year-old Winnie is staying at her grandmother's in New York City for the summer. She has always known she's a lesbian, but she still hides it from her family, and that makes her plans to attend Pride celebrations a lot harder. Gonzales's performance is focused heavily on... Read More

Caitlin Kinnunen's youthful voice increases sympathy for vulnerable 12-year-old Fern, who wants to return to The Ranch, a cult community that is the only home she can remember. Fern's mother woke her in the middle of the night and took her to a new home a coast away. Kinnunen's narration reflects Fern's confusion, anger, and determination to return to The Ranch. She also... Read More