Narrator Anthony Perez does a fine job narrating this juvenile mystery with a lot of heart. Cuban American Rafa Alvarez thought it was funny when he and his friends stole the slushy machine at school. As punishment, Rafa's dad sent him to New Mexico to work at Ranch Espanto (Ghost Ranch) with his father's old friend for a month. In Rafa's defense, home has been tense--his mother has aggressive cancer. Rafa starts to make friends, but then a mysterious man begins to sabotage him. Perez switches seamlessly between English and Spanish. He successfully depicts heavy emotional moments involving grief and fear. Perez shines when he voices Rafa's mother; he narrates her parts with a warmth listeners will surely love.
(Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781666630411
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A not-too-scary horror audiobook.
Dan Bittner gives a polished performance of Stine’s middle-grade horror novel, narrating with melodramatic flair and dramatic pauses at the end of each cliffhanger chapter. When the Ferber family moves into a creepy old house on Nightmare Street, Joe’s parents are oblivious to the scary things happening in the house. In a parallel story, the Hannigan family moves into the same house, where Shawn has different creepy experiences. Both Joe and Shawn have nightmares in which they encounter horror tropes—headstones, a creepy rag doll, a looping camera, a ventriloquist’s dummy, and masked teachers—in their house and at school. Bittner’s pacing works well, and fans of the Goosebumps series will enjoy the familiar shivers and tongue-in-cheek humor.
A not-too-scary horror audiobook.Pub Date: April 18, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228588288
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2026
This story of a man and his dog working together and forming a bond is full of heart.
Joe Jameson narrates as both human and beast in this middle-grade novel about a service dog and his new owner. Goldendoodle Edmund and his adopted owner, Willy, explore the Grand Canyon to solve a mysterious decades-old disappearance. Edmund can talk to other dogs, and he can also see and talk to ghosts. Jameson is a one-man show. His Edmund is perfectly upper-class British, his Chihuahua is all Southern drawl, and his boxer is not the brightest bulb. Aside from delivering flawless accents, Jameson also peppers his narration with haughty scoffs, joyful barks, and the grumbles of monsters.
This story of a man and his dog working together and forming a bond is full of heart. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: March 17, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 54 mins
DD ISBN: 9798318566141
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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