Narrator Michael Crouch's boyish voice brings life to the dead in this middle-grade ghost story. Tony Gilbert has always been nervous around his Uncle Charlie, a weird old man who is fascinated by death. But when Uncle Charlie moves in with Tony's family, he and Charlie become close. After Charlie's death, Tony enrolls at Charlie's alma mater, Penda School. Then, Uncle Charlie comes back--and he's not the only ghost that Tony sees at his new school. The novel's conclusion and Crouch's delivery lack the urgency to make this a truly gripping listen. Nonetheless, Crouch brings a perfect dose of early adolescent angst to Tony's story and creates some creepiness with a croaking voice for Uncle Charlie.
(Horror. 10-14)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062448583
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Past and present come together seamlessly.
Casey Holloway and Emily Eiden perform alternating chapters of this audiobook about two girls connected through time. In the present day, 13-year-old Penny Marks is angry and resentful about her parents’ decision to move their family to Paris for her mother’s museum job. In 1943, 13-year-old Marie Bonnet and her sister live alone in Nazi-occupied Paris. Holloway depicts the curious, determined, artistic Penny, who pursues the mystery of a painting hidden in a wall and a letter written 80 years earlier. With an accented narration, Eiden reveals Marie’s entry into the French Resistance and her commitment to hiding French art from the Germans.
Past and present come together seamlessly. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 42 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063321816
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2026
Contemporary Brooklyn is home to a diverse group of characters voiced by Nikki Massoud in this middle-grade mystery with a slight fantasy twist. In this second installment, amateur sleuths Roya and Amin are approached by their neighbor and fellow classmate, 12-year-old Thea, to find the treasure left in their building by her estranged grandfather. Showcasing her skills, Massoud interweaves vibrant characters and periodic Iranian words. Roya and Amin are given energetic and confident voices, while Thea's breathy voice portrays a more reserved and introverted personality. Massoud captures three generations of characters ranging from tired parents and grandparents to boisterous children.
(Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2025
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217157068
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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