Imagine the agony of watching your father collapse and die at the wheel of a rental car, while stranded in a remote area of a foreign country. When two men finally stop to give her a ride, 11-year-old Jackie is thinking only of getting help for her dad. Only when the men drive past all towns does she begin to realize... Julie Dretzin's narration is low-key and consistently paced, building the suspense to the unexpected twists at the end. Dretzin's vocal characterizations are there but subtle as most of the story is told inside Jackie's head; we hear softness and pain in Claudia's voice, a gruff quality for the old man. But Jackie lacks the emotion and terror one would expect of an 11-year-old girl in her situation--her calm, rational demeanor didn't click. A good choice for discussion of how people react to stressful situations.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2002
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Lemony Snicket, who became known for challenging listeners’ vocabularies in his Series of Unfortunate Events, chooses 13 seemingly random words and arranges them into the story of a “despondent” bird and a dog who tries to cheer his friend by visiting a “haberdashery” to buy a hat with “panache.” Michael Emerson’s intonations and phrasing allow listeners to picture characters and settings even without Maira Kalman's illustrations. He encourages listeners to savor the sounds of words as the author intended. Who wouldn’t buy a hat from a breathy sales-baby who describes “panache” as “a kind of verve or swagger”? In an amazing artistic interpretation, Snicket’s final word, “mezzo-soprano,” becomes an opera of the book, created by real-life composer Nico Muhly.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2010
Duration: 6 mins
DD ISBN: 9781443404433
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Author and narrator Enrique Flores-Galbis is a master of duality in this nuanced story of the Cuban revolution. His writing and narration are superb. In both, his humble style of storytelling is arresting. When revolution comes to Cuba, Julian is just a boy. He doesn’t even know what a revolution is. In leaving Cuba and losing his family, Julian finds new ways in which he’s both vulnerable and strong. Flores-Galbis’s voice embodies the contradictions of Julian’s experience. We hear that vulnerability in a soft, almost hesitant, voice; underneath is a quiet confidence. The pacing ebbs and flows as naturally as the tide between Havana and Miami as Julian figures out what is right and determines to do his part to help.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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