by Ann Hood ; read by Holly Linneman ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 26, 2018
The genuine emotion in narrator Holly Linneman's voice helps contemporary kids relate to Trudy, a 12-year-old in 1966. When all the popular girls at her school leave Trudy's Beatles Fan Club to join Future Cheerleaders, Trudy is left with a misfit group of Beatles superfans in what is now the least popular club in school. She is disappointed but undeterred in her life's goal to see the Beatles in concert and meet Paul McCartney. Linneman's voicing of the snooty future cheerleaders is spot-on. Her attempt at the Beatles' Liverpool accent is less accurate but still endearing. Each chapter has the title of a different Beatles song, and kids will want to hear the actual songs to more fully experience 1960s Beatlemania.
(Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 26, 2018
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780525625407
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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by Jacqueline Woodson ; read by Denée Benton , Marley Dias , Dominique Fishback , Big Freedia , Montego Glover , Nicole Ari Parker , Tika Sumpter , Lena Waithe & Jacqueline Woodson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2026
A fresh, dynamic interpretation of Woodson's poetry.
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Woodson originally narrated her memoir in 2014, and this updated production features a lively chorus of voices, a new bonus chapter, and testimonies about the legacy of Brown Girl Dreaming. The audiobook opens with spare guitar music, and Woodson narrates her new, emotion-filled introduction. The chorus—Denée Benton, Marley Dias, Dominique Fishback, Big Freedia, Montego Glover, Nicole Ari Parker, Tika Sumpter, and Lena Waithe—then jumps in, each contributor delivering one poem and passing the mic to another voice for the next. The variety of voices adds a little spice, as their narration styles are very different from one another. Snappy musical interludes by Toshi Reagon feature before each section.
A fresh, dynamic interpretation of Woodson's poetry. (Memoir/poetry. 8-12)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 11 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217175611
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
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by Lisa Greenwald ; read by Cassandra Lee Morris ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2026
Morris delivers a charmingly relatable performance.
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Cassandra Lee Morris captures the joys—and horrors—of seventh grade with her enthusiastic narration. Sadie is starting middle school along with her lifelong best friend, Olive. But when Sadie is accidentally added to the group chat for her grade's elite clique, she starts to feel that maybe one friend isn't enough. Morris perfectly captures the judgmental flippancy of a self-conscious seventh grade girl as Sadie attempts to hold onto her friendship with Olive. With careful intonation, Morris delivers every permutation of "LOL" in the text exchanges and conveys all the awkward feelings and nerve-wracking moments that Sadie experiences.
Morris delivers a charmingly relatable performance. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 5, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 37 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063456037
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
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