by Amanda Gorman ; illustrated by Loveis Wise ; read by Amanda Gorman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2025
The youngest ever inaugural poet, Amanda Gorman, brings to life her powerful poem and message to all girls. It's a love letter to girls using any pronoun, from any culture, and with any level of ambition, saying that they have the means to make change, inspire and support others, and achieve their goals. Gorman's narration is motivating and vigorous. Delivered at a steady pace, this short, 4-minute poem provides just enough inspiration to be thought provoking and start a conversation. This would make a great gift to any girl--whether she aspires to do great things or is still discovering her path.
(Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
Duration: 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217019212
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Lemony Snicket ; read by Liam Aiken ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 2013
While narrator Liam Aiken evokes the wistful, dolorous tone of Snicket’s second mystery in his All the Wrong Questions series, he fails to deliver Snicket’s signature snark with appropriate vigor. In this episode, the main character, 12-year-old Lemony Snicket, continues the investigations that began in STAIN’D BY THE SEA with the case of the missing chemist, Cleo Knight. As Aiken delivers Snicket’s declarative sentences in a deadpan voice, his remote reading keeps listeners distant from the story. Furthermore, Aiken does not always play up the quirks of the town’s eccentric characters. When he does use individualized voicings, the story shakes off its languidness to some degree. Aiken’s melancholy narration echoes Snicket’s loneliness but doesn’t enliven the recording for young listeners. An attached PDF file includes the character Seth’s illustrations.
(Mystery. 8-14)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2013
Duration: 4 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478924845
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Martin W. Sandler ; read by Jeff Harding ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 22, 2020
Jeff Harding voices the many impactful moments of 1919 in this engaging nonfiction audiobook. From women activists fighting for the right to vote to the Red Scare and civil rights riots, Sandler draws parallels to today's social issues. Harding matches 1919's cadence with a forward-moving pace. He uses different accents for quotations, though the women and people of color might have been better served with a diverse cast. The asides and timelines that appear in the text also are in the audio. Full of fascinating stories put into a modern context, this audiobook offers much to learn about an eventful year and ponders the big questions of our current time.
(Nonfiction. 11-16)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2020
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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