Combining an approachable style with an unhurried pace and occasional character accents, narrator Michael Yurchak captures the voices of the American soldiers who landed at Omaha and Utah Beaches during WWII. Deborah Hopkinson provides a sweeping exploration of D-Day, the massive Allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. The text is broken into sections, such as the topical "Briefings" and the first-person accounts in "Dispatches." It works well in print but is not so successful on audio. Sections dependent on tables and symbols, and those quoting long URLs, jolt listeners out of the immersive experience of the history, the strategy, and the suffering of those on the battlefields. This would be best listened to with book in hand.
(Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2018
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781338310870
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Jeff Harding voices the many impactful moments of 1919 in this engaging nonfiction audiobook. From women activists fighting for the right to vote to the Red Scare and civil rights riots, Sandler draws parallels to today's social issues. Harding matches 1919's cadence with a forward-moving pace. He uses different accents for quotations, though the women and people of color might have been better served with a diverse cast. The asides and timelines that appear in the text also are in the audio. Full of fascinating stories put into a modern context, this audiobook offers much to learn about an eventful year and ponders the big questions of our current time.
(Nonfiction. 11-16)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2020
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Orchestral music filled with the chirping of birds fades into the background as narrator John Pruden begins the story of Central Park in New York City. The two winners of the 1858 design contest, Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted, set out their vision on a ten-foot-long schematic of the new park they called The Greensward. Bubbling fountains, a myriad of bridges, and a skating park were on display, followed by the ungroomed Ramble, and, finally, the children's section. Pruden sets a brisk clip and in unassuming voice lets the story speak for itself. The rumbles of construction, excited voices, and additional orchestration provide background for young listeners. The production concludes with further information about Central Park and its creators.
(Informational picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
Duration: 23 mins
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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