Narrator Dion Graham embodies the awardwinning illustrator Ashley Bryan in this WWII memoir. Eighteen-year-old Bryan was in art school when he was drafted into an all-black battalion and sent to fight with Allied troops on D-Day. His passion for art helped him manage the horrors of war as well as the racism of white officers. The print version of this audiobook includes original photographs, handwritten letters, and sketches. Graham modulates his voice to differentiate between the narrative and the interspersed letters to re-create the intimate feeling of a scrapbook. Listeners will be especially moved by the emotion in Graham's voice as the author describes the psychological and physical toll of war in his letters to his cousin Eva, and one particularly moving letter to his pastor.
(Memoir. 10-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
Duration: 1 hr, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781508296492
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The plot, performances, and production are funny and engaging and make Pedro’s world feel vibrant and full.
This full cast audio rendition of a graphic memoir conveys the energy and brightness of that visual medium. The story recounts Pedro’s challenging but hopeful and humorous childhood as a migrant farmworker in the U.S., growing up with dreams of a life in the arts. Sound effects and musical interludes punctuate the narrative. Plates rattle as an earthquake shakes a restaurant, and birds sing in the bushes on a berry farm as Pedro’s family works. The animated performances by this large cast, especially the boyish voice of Oscar Emmanuel Fabela as Pedro, are perfect to hook preteen listeners—and adults, too.
The plot, performances, and production are funny and engaging and make Pedro’s world feel vibrant and full. (Graphic memoir. 10-16)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 38 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217349708
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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