Holly Linneman captures the inner voice of 12-year-old Alex, a San Francisco kid with serious soccer talent and a somewhat chaotic homelife. When Alex's mom takes her out of her beloved rec league and signs her up for the fancy Select team, her life is turned upside down. Alex loved her rec team coach, but the new coach is abusive and sexist. Linneman's enthusiastic delivery expresses Alex's pure joy in soccer in a way that is infectious. This is a story of female empowerment, and Linneman's strong voice embodies Alex's developing sense of self. Alex isn't just a strong player on the field; she also chafes at injustice and at her mother's disrespectful and belittling boyfriends.
(Fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: May 9, 2023
Duration: 4 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593679791
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Guevara hits a homer with her upbeat delivery of one girl’s quest to “play ball!”
Attention to detail marks this nonfiction production narrated by Daisy Guevara. Listeners will hear music and many baseball-related sound effects, including the flipping of pages in the Little League rule book—no girls allowed! In 1972, Maria Pepe was playing Little League baseball with the backing of her coach and teammates. Opposing teams protested. Despite her proficiency, Maria was banned. The National Organization of Women, however, helped Maria sue and win the right for future girls to play Little League. Guevara is superb in creating character voices for the young, earnest Maria and for the supportive adults. She employs darker voices for the comments of the men who resented and intimidated Maria.
Guevara hits a homer with her upbeat delivery of one girl’s quest to “play ball!” (Picture-book biography. 5-7)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 25 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668654705
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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