Narrator Kimberly Woods is the solemn voice of Dylan, a senior who is laser focused on her violin audition for Juilliard. With only a few weeks of preparation to go, her ex-best friend, Langston, crashes into her family, trying to recover from his high-publicity antics. Woods's dazzling characterization of Langston radiates the swagger and vulnerability of the boy who suddenly dropped out of Dylan's life several years earlier before becoming the singing sensation called Legendary. Now he expects them to pick up where they left off. Woods's tone swells with joy in the ensuing goofy adventures and heart-throbbing moments. Miscommunication and insecurity are sprinkled into this roller-coaster romance. Langston also encourages Dylan to question the racism in the beauty standards that permeate her life as a Black teen living in the Midwest.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781713663409
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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