Narrator Dani Gonzalez's youthful voice brings out the innocence and hope in Aida Salazar's poignant novel in verse. Nine-year-old Betita's world is shattered when her father, a political refugee, is deported to Mexico while Betita and her pregnant mother are imprisoned in a family detention center. Gonzalez imbues Betita's memories of her once happy family life with tenderness and warmth, transitioning to sorrowful clarity as Betita takes in the brutal conditions in which the refugees are confined. The unsparing depiction of life within the detention center may trouble younger listeners, but Gonzalez's sensitive narration emphasizes Betita's resilience in the midst of her pain. This compelling audiobook is a testament to the strength of families like Betita's, who sacrifice so much in search of a better life.
(Verse fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
Duration: 3 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781338673180
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Powerful listening.
Four narrators personalize the tragedy of Houston’s 2017 Hurricane Harvey through the viewpoints of three struggling teens. Sunil Malhotra depicts Pakistani American Yasir’s many facets—his determination to succeed at soccer, his barely controlled rage about racism, his sadness about his father’s death, and his deep fear of drowning. Nikhaar Kashnani portrays South Asian American Mona. Weighed down by caring for her young brother, she loses herself in art and dreads her recurring nightmare about a flood. Josh Hurley renders Cody’s cruel, racist bullying as well as his fear of the dark, a result of being abused by his father. Christopher Salazar enthusiastically delivers interstitial news bulletins. When flooding from Harvey makes them face their worst fears, the resilient threesome’s separate stories come together and they support each other’s bravery.
Powerful listening.Pub Date: today
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063389557
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: today
Narrator Sunny Lu creates a passionate voice for seventh grader Luna in this coming-of-age realistic fiction. Luna leaves her introverted life behind when she becomes a bibliotherapist for her fellow classmates, recommending books to help them in times of need and eventually writing her own zines with the assistance of her best friend, Scott. Lu perfectly captures Luna's complex emotions as she abandons Scott and joins the popular group. Now rather than writing to help others, she starts to hurt others by writing about their faults and flaws in "fix-its." Listeners will relate to Luna's struggles as she loses her way and will cheer her on in hopes that she finds her way back.
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217081578
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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