Narrator Laraine Newman infuses magic into this story about children who discover a friendship that goes beyond time and place. Americans Tess and her brother, Max, are spending the summer in Hampshire, England, with their aunt. Newman captures the children’s initial reticence about their visit, separation from their father, and lack of access to the Internet, and reveals how the discovery of a key to a gate changes their attitudes. Newman conveys the sensitive nature and loneliness of 12-year-old William—the boy in the mysterious castle—in a soft, tender voice. She fluidly transitions between English and American accents for both child and adult characters. Best of all, her dramatic pacing and whispered warnings bring out the enchanting magic of the castle in the mist.
(Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2017
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781524750213
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Atherton perfectly captures this enchanting return to Wonderland.
James constructs a new version of Wonderland and sends the original Alice’s granddaughter, Alyce, into it to solve the war between night and day. Narrator Kristin Atherton is magical. She creates distinctive voices and enhances the whimsy as Alyce meets the March Hare and the Mad Hatter as well as new characters—a friendly fox in a paper sailor’s cap and a caterpillar who is eating a Joyce book that he declares indigestible. Alyce must stop the war between the Sun King and the Queen of the Moon; they keep turning the lights off and on without warning, making the stars disappear and confusing the cows. Atherton’s facility with the fanciful verse reminiscent of the original story is a particular delight.
Atherton perfectly captures this enchanting return to Wonderland.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217080830
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2026
Narrator Michael Boatman is once again a master of vocal sound effects in this third installment of the Skunk and Badger series: the ErrrrrRRRRR of a rock tumbler tumbling, the scutch-scutch of snowshoes moving over snow, the Beed-el-LOO-bing! of a banjo being plucked. Raising two precocious young rats in Aunt Lula's brownstone, Skunk and Badger find themselves in way, way over their heads. And how is Badger going to get his article for ROCK HOUND WEEKLY finished with all of the distractions?! Boatman captures the mayhem in a high-energy, fully committed performance, differentiating the animal characters, emphasizing the many all-caps words and phrases, and using his voice to paint a picture of a family life that's chaotic, cozy, and loving.
(Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781649041180
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 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.
