With even pacing and an impassioned tone, narrator Kate Rudd tells the tale of young Mup as her life falls into disarray soon after her auntie passes away. Witches from her mam's childhood attempt to capture her mam, now that she is next in line for the throne. When they fail to capture Mam, her dad is taken instead. Now Mup, her mam, and her younger brother must cross into Mam's childhood world to rescue him. Rudd brings the magical forest creatures that Mup meets in the new land to life by creating unique voices that embrace the emotions of the suppressed subjects. Listeners will cheer as Mup tries to reunite her family and return home.
(Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2018
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781978644359
Publisher: Brilliance Audio/ Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Live Oak Media recently caught our attention with this new read-along book and cassette program. We listened first, and were so delighted we couldn't wait to get the book. The picture book made the experience even better, but the audio recordings was strong and vibrant by itself. THE GARDENER, Sarah Stewart's Depression-era story of a young girl sent to live with her Uncle Jim in the city has a sweet, wistful quality with narration alone, but coupled with David Small's soft-edged pencil illustration, it's a total delight. The reading is repeated on both sides of the tape, one with and without page-turning signals.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A sensitive performance.
Deepa is a precocious 12-year-old girl in remission from leukemia. Under the tutelage of her uncle, a house call doctor, she becomes involved in solving teen tennis player Taio's puzzling medical mystery. Deepa is unsure of herself, but she’s ready to get back to middle school after a year away for treatment. Narrator Soneela Nankani depicts Deepa's desire to be more than the "sick kid" while navigating her youthful insecurities and the social challenges of middle school. Nankani also ably portrays Deepa's growing confidence in herself as she uses her own experience with illness to help figure out what’s wrong with Taio.
A sensitive performance. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 32 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668182833
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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