Fourteen-year-old Joey Jordan has dreamed of winning gold since she started gymnastics in the second grade. Her older sister won the gold at Nationals before surprising everyone and retiring from the sport. Joey’s dream is to surpass that record and go all the way to the Olympics. Narrator Jaselyn Blanchard sounds like an enthusiastic 14-year-old girl, right down to the raised inflection that turns most of her sentences into questions. But Blanchard can’t overcome the weakness of one-dimensional characters and a story that lets the glow of first love outshine the glimmer of Olympic gold. Girls interested in gymnastics will be disappointed at how quickly a sports story with a driven female athlete devolves into a run-of-the-mill romance.
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: July 1, 2012
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781620641750
Publisher: AudioGo
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Much has been written on Jackie Robinson's groundbreaking career and legacy, but it's nice to see a well-done synopsis covering the highlights of his life for young people. Narrator JD Jackson carries the story as he conveys the importance of Robinson's life without overdramatization. It covers Robinson's growing up, time in the Army, and deliberate recruitment for the purpose of breaking Major League baseball's color barrier. Jackson gives various players, coaches, and individuals--including Robinson's wife, Rachel--slight accents. His steady, animated narration reflects the well-researched book and is sure to hold the attention of both young and older listeners.
(Biography. 10-13)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2017
Duration: 2 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrators John Lithgow and Kate Mulgrew alternately share poems and songs created by Fred Rogers for his long-standing television show. Rogers's messages affirm children and give voice to the myriad feelings, good and bad, that all people feel from time to time. Wonder, joy, questions, exploration, outsides and insides, a new baby, one-of-a-kindness, needs emotional and material are examples of the breadth of Rogers's words. Lithgow's voice has its own richness, reminiscent of Rogers's own. His tone is firm and straightforward. When his voice expresses the anger of a poem, for example, he soon becomes calm as the anger fades. Kate Mulgrew is equally genuine and sets a pace for children's consideration of each message.
(Poetry. 3-8)Pub Date: March 19, 2019
Duration: 1 hr, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781683691808
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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