Daniel Nayeri narrates his novel, which transports listeners to Iran in 1941. He balances passages describing a neutral country overrun by the Anglo-Soviet invasion with the experiences of the main characters, recently orphaned Babak, age 13, and his sister, Sana, age 8. To prevent their separation, Babak steps into the role of their father, a teacher of nomads. Nayeri captures Babak's projection of confidence he doesn't feel as he leads the cheerful Sana into the treacherous Zagros Mountains, where they seek work and a home with nomads. Amid the confusion of war, Nayeri portrays Babak's growth through his conflicts with Vulf, a ruthless Nazi spy, and Ben, a Jewish boy who is Vulf's prey. Nayeri's pacing smoothly varies from dramatic tension to quieter emotional and philosophical moments.
(Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217171330
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Lawrence enthusiastically portrays Cora and her friends in this fast-paced historical-fiction adventure.
Narrator Emily Lawrence creates a determined voice for Cora, who is desperately trying to survive the tragic 1906 earthquake in San Francisco with her two friends Chi and Oliver. Lawrence captures Cora’s tumultuous emotions as she and Chi are buried in rubble following the disaster and saved by her forbidden friend Oliver. Despite the bitter feud between their parents, Cora and Oliver work together to try to find her family as fire keeps spreading throughout their beloved city, all while running from bullies who are after Cora. Lawrence makes each character unique and adds a slight Irish accent for Oliver.
Lawrence enthusiastically portrays Cora and her friends in this fast-paced historical-fiction adventure. (Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798225033521
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
Past and present come together seamlessly.
Casey Holloway and Emily Eiden perform alternating chapters of this audiobook about two girls connected through time. In the present day, 13-year-old Penny Marks is angry and resentful about her parents’ decision to move their family to Paris for her mother’s museum job. In 1943, 13-year-old Marie Bonnet and her sister live alone in Nazi-occupied Paris. Holloway depicts the curious, determined, artistic Penny, who pursues the mystery of a painting hidden in a wall and a letter written 80 years earlier. With an accented narration, Eiden reveals Marie’s entry into the French Resistance and her commitment to hiding French art from the Germans.
Past and present come together seamlessly. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 42 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063321816
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2026
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