An intriguing mixture of a fairy tale world and gritty modern New Jersey finds 11-year-old Augie fighting off bullies and trying to forge a bond with a Big Brother mentor he fears will make his life worse instead of better. The one respite in Augie’s troubled life is a strange book he discovers in a dusty corner of a Philadelphia bookstore, a book whose pages seem to come to life. The folktale "Donkey Skin" becomes the story-within-the-story, and narrator John H. Mayer has the perfect storyteller's voice to pull off the transitions. With pitch-perfect inflection and warmly inviting characterizations, Mayer invites listeners into both stories as they gradually knit together into one tale of standing up for oneself—and others.
Ages 10+Pub Date: 2009
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Henry's parents are kidnapped while they travel the world. Henry is confused and lost when he's sent to his aunt, uncle, and cousins in Kansas. His bewilderment increases when the plaster of his bedroom walls cracks to disclose 100 strange cupboards that are portals to odd places. Vivid descriptions of fascinating lands hold listeners' attention through the story's many unexplained facts as does the steady, solid narration by Russell Horton. Horton accurately modulates the characters' up-and-down emotions, adapting his pace quickly to the changes. Listeners are able to keep up with the rapidly introduced characters because of Horton's stand-out portrayals.
Ages 8+Pub Date: 2007
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780739362778
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A cast of narrators shares these stories, each told from the point of view of a supporting character from Riordan's Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. We hear from Halfborn Gunderson, Samirah al-Abbas, Alex Fierro, and more. In "So's Your Face!" narrator Sile Bermingham gives fiery einherji Mallory Keen an Irish lilt, and in "I Play with Fire," Bahni Turpin gets to pull out the stops creating voices for a meeting of immortals in Muspellheim. Riordan's signature humor is here--Thor makes a guest appearance in each story, running through the nine worlds in his leather short shorts. The characterizations might not quite match what listeners heard in earlier installments, but diehard Magnus Chase fans can still enjoy this collection.
(Fantasy. 8-14)Pub Date: 2018
Duration: 3 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525641834
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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