Hazel’s best and only friend, Jack, has disappeared, yet no one else seems to notice. Hazel fears the worst and embarks on a quest to save her friend from a wicked ice queen in an enchanted land. The world of fairy tales can be dangerous, but for Hazel the real world of fifth grade is worse, so she’s up to the task at hand. Kirby Heyborne is a bit too slow paced in his delivery of the narrative, but he excels with dialogue and characterization. The listener easily pictures awkward Hazel, cocky tween boys, cruel witches, and helpful woodsmen. Even magical animals, ice, and wind come alive, thanks to Heyborne’s tones. This is a gem, and Heyborne makes the audio experience one to treasure with family.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2011
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062128737
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The audiobook has the comforting, magical quality of an irresistible bedtime story.
Author/narrator Coelho’s bright, friendly first-person narration brings 12-year-old Relic Hamilton to life. When Relic encounters a dangerous genie in his grandfather’s antique shop, he leaves his ordinary London life behind for a supernatural adventure that transports him through history and around the globe. While the journey has thrills and scary moments, the characters always have hope—a central theme of the audiobook. Coelho brings variety to the voices of his other characters, like Relic’s grandfather’s “Jamaican-teacher voice” and the gravelly rumble of a pirate captain from the Age of Sail who sounds exactly like an archetypal pirate ought to.
The audiobook has the comforting, magical quality of an irresistible bedtime story. (Fantasy. 9-13)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798349162169
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
A magical blending of fantasy and reality.
Narrator Emily Eiden's expressive rendition of Auden "Denny" Greene and her best friend Runa is feminine and childlike, suitable for a tale of girls on the cusp of turning twelve. Denny and Runa manifest their active imaginations in a magical world they call Sorrowfeld, filled with dragons and princesses, but Denny is dismayed to find that Runa seems to be growing out of this world and into a new phase of her life. Denny, however, still needs the escapism of Sorrowfeld to cope with challenging circumstances in her real life—while in Sorrowfeld, Princess Auden struggles against actual dragons.
A magical blending of fantasy and reality.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: N/A
DD ISBN: 9780063348189
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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