Jenna Lamia’s performance conveys the mystery and beauty in this tale about a girl who must balance her family secret with trying to discover the monster that lives in her small town. Lamia’s portrayal of Twig is spot-on, with high tones that capture the 12-year-old’s curiosity and a softened voice and deliberate pacing that convey her ability to temper her open-mindedness with logic. Other characters are also effectively represented as Lamia’s stirring range of voices highlights their personalities and relationships with one another—especially the heartfelt bonds between Twig, her brother, and her mother. Lamia’s narration brings out the haunting qualities of the story without becoming frightening, making this a suitable and engaging listening experience for older children.
(Magical realism. 9-12)Pub Date: March 10, 2015
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780553552249
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Simply marvelous.
Samuel West gives a riveting performance of this thrilling, action-packed adventure. When scholar Irian Guinne is kidnapped, Christopher and Anya, along with Jacques the dragon and Ratwin the ratatoska, embark on an odyssey across the Glimouria Archipelago to collect various magical objects and ransom Irian’s release. Christopher is also trying to master his new ability to connect directly to the minds of magical creatures. West doesn’t have a youthful voice, but he’s still completely convincing as the young characters, and he deftly captures every moment of humor, fear, peril, and wonder. In his telling, a dangerous race becomes breathless and impossible to pause, and the themes of love, bravery, and kindness ring true.
Simply marvelous. (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593830123
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
Sanderlin brings gravitas to the story’s most serious scenes while adding humor to its frequent moments of whimsy.
Mark Sanderlin tells this middle-grade story as the Royal Chronicler, an unnamed adult at an entertaining scholarly remove from the adventures of the main characters. Eleven-year-old Olly leaves his younger sister, Jenny, at home when he reluctantly goes out to find work, a necessity for kids in their struggling community. Their bleak reality becomes more colorful when Olly’s first job ends up being at a secret refuge for endangered dragons, and when Jenny develops magical powers. As they stumble into a quest to save the fantastical species, Olly and Jenny’s dialogue sounds convincingly kidlike, a nice contrast with the chronicler’s news anchor-style delivery of the rest of the prose.
Sanderlin brings gravitas to the story’s most serious scenes while adding humor to its frequent moments of whimsy. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798898850296
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
