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 A boy named Adam incites Avalyn's curiosity because of his withdrawn personality and the dust storms that arrive whenever he does.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
Ruby will win listeners over with her unique point of view.
Kate Coventry brings Ruby Emmerson, a middle school student with learning differences, to realistic, vibrant life. She and her twin brother, Bryce, have been accepted at the rigorous Benton Academy, where standards are high and failure is not tolerated. Even after getting extra help, Ruby fails a math test she worked hard to pass. When she anonymously posts online about her frustration in being “the mango among the lovebirds,” she’s surprised to discover she’s not the only student struggling. Coventry captures Ruby’s helplessness, anger, and eventual courage and determination as she misses her old friends at the neighborhood school, tries to fit in at Benton, and fights for the support all students need.
Ruby will win listeners over with her unique point of view. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 14, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 18 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668658390
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: May 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
Naeymi’s narration is both raw and triumphant.
Samara Naeymi beautifully narrates this middle-grade novel about an Iranian American girl. Bullied by her classmates for her frizzy hair and thick eyebrows and criticized by her mother for her weight, Yasmin struggles to be her authentic self in a world that tells her she's not good enough. There are many different perspectives in this story, and Naeymi is true to each: Yasmin’s judgmental mother, with her Persian accent and steely belief in her own harsh parenting; the ruthless teenagers whose hurtful comments cause emotional harm; the younger brother concerned for his sister's unhappiness; and the tried-and-true best friend.
Naeymi’s narration is both raw and triumphant. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 24, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9798349114861
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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