You don’t need to be a young adult to be captivated by Charles Keating’s narration of this wonderful novel by a University of London anthropologist. In it we meet Stephen Lansbury, a teenaged orphan who mysteriously inherits a great estate in the Cornish countryside from a great-uncle he didn’t know he had. When he arrives, Lansbury Hall seems abandoned. But is it? As the mystery unfolds, Stephen learns all about his great-uncle’s long-ago adventures in the Amazon and how that fragile world is fast disappearing. It’s a bioethics lesson wrapped up in a grand adventure story. Keating narrates in a voice both warm and refined, which is a pleasure to hear. He has a fine-tuned sense of pacing, which enables us to experience the scary, joyful, funny, and sad moments of Stephen’s adventure without feeling pushed toward our response by his voice. His Stephen does sound like that of a young adult, and he also manages to give a believable voice to an Amazonian Indian raised in England. This is a book for everyone.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2005
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
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
The plot, performances, and production are funny and engaging and make Pedro’s world feel vibrant and full.
This full cast audio rendition of a graphic memoir conveys the energy and brightness of that visual medium. The story recounts Pedro’s challenging but hopeful and humorous childhood as a migrant farmworker in the U.S., growing up with dreams of a life in the arts. Sound effects and musical interludes punctuate the narrative. Plates rattle as an earthquake shakes a restaurant, and birds sing in the bushes on a berry farm as Pedro’s family works. The animated performances by this large cast, especially the boyish voice of Oscar Emmanuel Fabela as Pedro, are perfect to hook preteen listeners—and adults, too.
The plot, performances, and production are funny and engaging and make Pedro’s world feel vibrant and full. (Graphic memoir. 10-16)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 38 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217349708
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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