Hearing Ed Asner’s narration is a bit like hearing a great tall tale told by a favorite grandfather. His gruff tone and quirky interpretations of Hiaasen's usual over-the-top oddballs make for a ruckus. Sticking with the author’s recurring theme of the environmental exploitation of Florida's remaining wilderness, the story starts off with the disappearance of a much-feared and despised biology teacher who is on a field trip to Black Vine Swamp. Together, three students become unlikely sleuths trying to unravel a mystery that has at its heart one of Florida's most endangered species. Hiaasen knows better than any writer since Edward Abbey how to mix serious content with laugh-out-loud humor, and Asner delivers it all with rib-tickling hilarity.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2009
Duration: 9 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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