With the talents of narrator Angela Dawe, the author's excellent research and strong writing propel listeners through this account of the 1924 murder committed by teenagers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. Dawe reveals the step-by-step plotting of two bright, privileged boys who kidnap, ransom, and murder a 14-year-old. Their purpose? To pull off a perfect crime. The details are not terribly graphic, but listeners may feel discomfort at the amoral attitude of the antiheroes, their troubled pasts, and their complex relationship. Dawe's narration of how the crime was solved is gripping and provides context of the era. Listeners will certainly feel stirred by Dawe's portrayal of the powerful defense mounted by renowned attorney Clarence Darrow, who condemned capital punishment.
(Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593506578
Publisher: Listening Library
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
Listeners will be inspired by this principled prime minister who tackled her country’s biggest challenges with...
Aspiring leaders, take note! In her Kiwi accent, Jacinda Ardern narrates this heartfelt and sincere adaptation of her memoir A Different Kind of Power, eliciting chuckles with amusing anecdotes and tears over tragedies. Ardern recounts her modest childhood, her unlikely path to politics, and her rise to New Zealand’s highest office as a young, pregnant, unmarried woman—armed with empathy, intelligence, faith, supportive loved ones, and a desire to serve. She shepherded her country through a volcanic eruption, Covid-19, and a mass shooting. Her heartrending narration of the shooting switches to steely resolve as she works to ban assault rifles.
Listeners will be inspired by this principled prime minister who tackled her country’s biggest challenges with kindness. (Memoir. 12-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 55 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217342044
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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