After her father disappears, Early, her brother Jubilation, and their mother find themselves in Chicago's shelter system. Early begins to ask questions in hopes of discovering what happened to her father. The pace of the story is leisurely, and Bahni Turpin's narration makes it a pleasure to listen to. Early and her father enjoy collecting words and learning their meanings, and Turpin excels at expressing the intricacies of language and relishing the discovery of something new. Turpin gives Early a thoughtful mix of navïeté and gumption, making of her and her dreams a story that young listeners won't soon forget.
(Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: March 1, 2013
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A not-too-scary horror audiobook.
Dan Bittner gives a polished performance of Stine’s middle-grade horror novel, narrating with melodramatic flair and dramatic pauses at the end of each cliffhanger chapter. When the Ferber family moves into a creepy old house on Nightmare Street, Joe’s parents are oblivious to the scary things happening in the house. In a parallel story, the Hannigan family moves into the same house, where Shawn has different creepy experiences. Both Joe and Shawn have nightmares in which they encounter horror tropes—headstones, a creepy rag doll, a looping camera, a ventriloquist’s dummy, and masked teachers—in their house and at school. Bittner’s pacing works well, and fans of the Goosebumps series will enjoy the familiar shivers and tongue-in-cheek humor.
A not-too-scary horror audiobook.Pub Date: April 18, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228588288
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2026
This story of a man and his dog working together and forming a bond is full of heart.
Joe Jameson narrates as both human and beast in this middle-grade novel about a service dog and his new owner. Goldendoodle Edmund and his adopted owner, Willy, explore the Grand Canyon to solve a mysterious decades-old disappearance. Edmund can talk to other dogs, and he can also see and talk to ghosts. Jameson is a one-man show. His Edmund is perfectly upper-class British, his Chihuahua is all Southern drawl, and his boxer is not the brightest bulb. Aside from delivering flawless accents, Jameson also peppers his narration with haughty scoffs, joyful barks, and the grumbles of monsters.
This story of a man and his dog working together and forming a bond is full of heart. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: March 17, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 54 mins
DD ISBN: 9798318566141
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
