In this gentle YA novel, Austin Ku voices the perspective of a high school junior, who lives in New York City. Felix Ma's college admissions coach (hired by his parents) is pushing him to create an Ivy League-worthy project to describe in his applications. So he works on his own film with his new friends, Gaspard and Cassie. While Felix is platonically drawn to Cassie, his vision for her in the film causes tension between them. Ku uses a flat tone for Felix's mild personality. While the adults are respectfully represented with Chinese-American accents, many of the child characters sound inauthentic. Worst of all is Gaspard, who sounds like Bert from "Sesame Street." Ku's smooth transitions between English and Mandarin are a highlight of the production.
(Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063340442
Publisher: Harper Audio
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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