The Malone family faces the tribulations of the Great Depression, but 12-year-old Deza never loses heart. Narrator Bahni Turpin captures Deza’s youthful exuberance and handles the despair of poverty with a hopeful undertone that matches Deza’s undaunted attitude. Turpin maintains focus and intensity in this detailed portrait of African-American community life during the 1930s. A versatile narrator, she develops many characters, including some standout male personalities. She even sings a few Depression-era songs in the role of Jimmie, Deza’s older brother. It’s surprising that Turpin does not utilize her signature smoothness to create transitions within Curtis’s sometimes choppy prose. But, overall, Turpin’s range is well suited to this character-driven story, rich in history, culture, and emotional power.
(Historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2012
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780307968234
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator P.J. Ochlan embraces this spirited novel, documenting 11-year-old Rocco Zaccaro's adventures with such gusto and spunk that you'd swear you'd traveled back in time to 1887. The story begins with Rocco's removal from his home in Italy and his subsequent arrival in New York City, where he is to work as a street musician for his new padrone, Signor Ancarola. Ochlan paints a vivid picture of immigrant life and the trials Rocco undergoes trying to escape the horrible living conditions under his padrone. Capturing the characters' voices perfectly, Ochlan delivers Rocco's animated storytelling, the slang of his newfound gang of pickpockets, and the accents of the city's many immigrants, whether Irish, Scottish, German, English, or Italian. Historical notes, including a pickpocket's glossary, complete this excellent production.
(Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780147521477
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John McDonough tells the oddball story of Prince Roger and his misbegotten quest for self-identity and true love. The story is amusing and at times inspiring as it follows Prince Roger on a three-year sojourn through the Forever Forest and across the Dastardly Divide as he seeks to transcend his clownish nature and find his destined love, Princess Petulia. Younger listeners will be enchanted by the whimsy and fantasy elements of this fairy tale and by McDonough's gentle style, while adults will enjoy Feiffer's tongue-in-cheek writing, metafictional asides, and profound insights about destiny, identity, and living happily ever after.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2001
Duration: 4 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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