How do you tell the story of the horrific suffering of an innocent child who grows up to become a hopeful woman? Two narrators use three distinct styles in telling this true story of Sachiko, a child survivor of the Nagasaki atomic bombing. In this third-person account, Katherine Fenton makes a vocal distinction between Sachiko's childhood memories of the bombing and her later life. With youthful innocence, Fenton describes Sachiko’s burning feet, dirt-choked lungs, and other agonies. She utilizes a more matter-of-fact tone for Sachiko’s later reflections. John Chancer is unsentimentally informative as he delivers historical and political background information needed to understand Sachiko's story in the context of world history. An author’s note begins and ends the book.
(Biography. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2016
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781520063034
Publisher: Dreamscape
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
Lipica Shah's stirring narration of this YA biography showcases Emma Goldman's unshakable commitment to improving the lives of the oppressed. In 1885, Goldman immigrated to the U.S. from czarist Russia and became an ardent anarchist. A prolific writer and inspirational speaker, she gave hundreds of well-attended speeches each year. When quoting Goldman, Shah exudes the intensity of her quest to elevate America's working class. When quoting from any of the thousands of period newspaper articles about Goldman, Shah mimics their predominantly disapproving tone. Goldman was even imprisoned because of her progressive positions on government, workers' rights, sex, and birth control. Never deterred, Goldman was once considered the most dangerous woman in America.
(Biography. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250415134
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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