Laura Knight Keating captures the youthful timbre and optimistic tone of 12-year-old Avalyn, whose asthma doesn't preclude her passion for language and spelling. A boy named Adam incites Avalyn's curiosity because of his withdrawn personality and the dust storms that arrive whenever he does. Keating's astute delivery of dialogue gives a strong sense of Avalyn's first romantic attraction, her conversations with friends, and her unpleasant encounters with school bullies. Keating projects Avalyn's initial confusion about her special gift of empathy, her questions about how to use her talent, and her courage to tell truths about abuse that will help Adam and her other peers. An author's note discusses abuse.
(Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2023
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668628911
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Xe Sands's strong narration reflects the promise in the title of this children's audio on the topic of a parent's serious illness. Her variations on the refrain "love stays strong" serve as a continual affirmation throughout, and her tender tone sounds like she's addressing an adored child. Sands's lyrical cadences emphasize changes in the natural world and how the seasons' turns relate to the changes illness brings. She compares the miracle of how "a few drops of honey can fuel a bee's flight around the world" to the power provided by a child's love. The tone, tempo, and images of this audiobook make for a reassuring listen. The afterword shows the author's range of expertise as she gently offers advice on how adults can comfort children and aid their understanding of a loved one's illness.
Ages 4-6Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
Duration: 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217081561
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Joey Florez juggles the many facets of this audiobook. Depicting seventh grader Alex Ramirez, a neurodivergent student, Florez honors both the character and the verse format of the story. He gives his narration a definitive rhythm. Periodically, Ramirez uses fluid Spanish that reflects Alex's heritage and adds another rhythm to the narration. Alex has been in an SC (self-contained) classroom since a third-grade conflict landed a former friend in the hospital. Florez's narration reveals Alex's intelligence and curiosity, frustration with the limitations on his learning and with bullying, passion for space, and determination to escape his narrow bounds and enter a mainstream science class, his first step in attaining his dreams.
(Verse fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
Duration: 2 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217071289
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
