by Donna Barba Higuera ; illustrated by David Álvarez ; Read by Cisco Fernandez & Frankie Corzo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 17, 2023
Cisco Fernandez narrates this futuristic dystopian audiobook with an appropriately childlike reverence for the story's gravity. Leandro is a member of the Cascabeles, a Spanish-speaking group that is oppressed by the Pocatelans, the ruling class. When Leandro's sister is caught stealing fruit, Leandro takes the fall and ends up having his essence placed inside an ancient bird drone known as an Alebrije. In his new form, Leandro teams up with other Alebrijes to uncover the truth about the Pocatelan ruler and the threatening wyrms that inhabit the space outside Pocatel. Fernandez shifts seamlessly among characters who speak both English and Spanish, though some characters' voices are stilted and overly formal. Frankie Corzo narrates the book's epilogue with emotional resonance.
(Dystopian. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798890595935
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Anna James ; Read by Kristin Atherton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 6, 2026
Atherton perfectly captures this enchanting return to Wonderland.
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James constructs a new version of Wonderland and sends the original Alice’s granddaughter, Alyce, into it to solve the war between night and day. Narrator Kristin Atherton is magical. She creates distinctive voices and enhances the whimsy as Alyce meets the March Hare and the Mad Hatter as well as new characters—a friendly fox in a paper sailor’s cap and a caterpillar who is eating a Joyce book that he declares indigestible. Alyce must stop the war between the Sun King and the Queen of the Moon; they keep turning the lights off and on without warning, making the stars disappear and confusing the cows. Atherton’s facility with the fanciful verse reminiscent of the original story is a particular delight.
Atherton perfectly captures this enchanting return to Wonderland.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217080830
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2026
by Amy Timberlake ; illustrated by Jon Klassen ; Read by Michael Boatman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 14, 2025
Narrator Michael Boatman is once again a master of vocal sound effects in this third installment of the Skunk and Badger series: the ErrrrrRRRRR of a rock tumbler tumbling, the scutch-scutch of snowshoes moving over snow, the Beed-el-LOO-bing! of a banjo being plucked. Raising two precocious young rats in Aunt Lula's brownstone, Skunk and Badger find themselves in way, way over their heads. And how is Badger going to get his article for ROCK HOUND WEEKLY finished with all of the distractions?! Boatman captures the mayhem in a high-energy, fully committed performance, differentiating the animal characters, emphasizing the many all-caps words and phrases, and using his voice to paint a picture of a family life that's chaotic, cozy, and loving.
(Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781649041180
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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