Ali Ahn thoughtfully narrates this introspective coming-of-age story about the value and cost of chasing your dreams. Harley, the daughter of circus owners, wants nothing more than to become a trapeze artist. When her parents push her to attend college instead, she runs away to train with the star aerialist of a rival circus. Ahn sensitively portrays Harley's struggles with both manic phases and depression, letting the listener know through subtle changes in tone and expression how Harley is coping from day to day. Disreputable circus owner Simon Tarbottle is appropriately creepy, while mysterious love interest Vas has the perfect Russian-by-way-of-London accent. Listeners will be swept up into the detailed descriptions of circus life and have no trouble understanding Harley's bone-deep need to be there.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2020
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781980091622
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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