Angry Cole, a former bully, and Peter, the boy he once beat into mental illness, are back from their experience of healing on an Alaskan island. How do they translate the spiritual lessons they learned to the world of their violent, drug-ridden Minneapolis high school? Not easily! The boys, who once cleared their minds of anger by immersion in frozen ponds, now sit in a freezer. Instead of carrying ancestor rocks up mountains, they carry bowling balls up deserted staircases as they struggle against apathy and bullying. Jason Harris’s narration portrays the boys' determination to change as well as the bumps in their relationship and the challenges in their adjustment to school. Harris’s strong vocal characterizations downplay the story's preachiness and lend believability to Cole and Peter’s transformations.
Young AdultPub Date: Dec. 9, 2008
Duration: 3 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
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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