Pete Cross heads a team of skilled narrators in this exploration of how censorship impacts the lives of young people. Mac Delaney is disturbed when his friend Marci shows him the blacked-out sections of their new reading assignment, THE DEVIL'S ARITHMETIC, a real-life book about WWII and anti-Semitism in Poland by Jane Yolen. When the kids' concerns are dismissed, they will have to fight to make their voices heard. Cross takes center stage as Mac, imbuing his voice with Mac's longing for intellectual truth. Cross pitches the sixth grader's deeply felt emotions perfectly. Jane Yolen narrates a brief, effective chapter as herself, while the full cast of additional narrators take on the voices of townspeople arguing via letters to the editor about petty local ordinances.
(Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781338876277
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Arserio perfectly captures Hafsa’s boldness as she fights for herself and others.
Narrator Shiromi Arserio establishes a determined voice for Hafsa, a Pakistani village girl who longs to attend a summer science camp focused on medicine in the city to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. At first, her parents firmly reject the idea, but after her sister’s husband insists that Hafsa could stay with them, her father relents. Arserio beautifully portrays Hafsa’s disappointment when she learns that the camp’s topic is climate change instead of medicine, and her resilience when she makes the most of it anyway. When Hafsa takes up the cause of finding a new home with better conditions for an elephant at the local zoo, Arserio’s energetic narration brings the story to life.
Arserio perfectly captures Hafsa’s boldness as she fights for herself and others. (Fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280414
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: April 10, 2026
A heartfelt audiobook for the entire family to enjoy.
With a youthful voice, Jeff Ebner brings much emotion to this realistic middle-grade novel. Ten-year-old Nathan Savage is consumed with worry that the gigantic pile of trash across the street from his home is about to collapse. He’s even more worried that his father, who works at the top of said pile, is in extreme danger. It’s up to Nathan to devise a flawless plan to save the day. Ebner’s fast-paced, energetic narration moves the action along, engaging young listeners to the very last word.
A heartfelt audiobook for the entire family to enjoy. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 55 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280445
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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