This is the second audiobook about Aven--who may be armless but is armed with confidence and grit, as was shown in the earlier audiobook INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CACTUS. She's a very different heroine in this story. Listeners will again be engaged by narrator Karissa Vacker's portrayal, especially her whip-smart, quick dialogue. She does full justice to even minor characters, especially their individual ways of expressing themselves and relating to Aven. Aven grows emotionally in this audiobook as she enters high school cautiously and is daunted by cruel and constant bullying. Vacker represents these low points with genuine-sounding sadness and fear. These moments make Aven's return to her true and able self all the more spectacular.
(Fiction. 12-14)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781977345707
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Live Oak Media recently caught our attention with this new read-along book and cassette program. We listened first, and were so delighted we couldn't wait to get the book. The picture book made the experience even better, but the audio recordings was strong and vibrant by itself. THE GARDENER, Sarah Stewart's Depression-era story of a young girl sent to live with her Uncle Jim in the city has a sweet, wistful quality with narration alone, but coupled with David Small's soft-edged pencil illustration, it's a total delight. The reading is repeated on both sides of the tape, one with and without page-turning signals.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Powerful and affirming.
Narrator Erin Tripp’s melodious voice cradles listeners of this celebration of the unbreakable ties between Indigenous families and the land they walk on. In turn, the audiobook’s young protagonist reflects on wisdom learned from grandparents, parents, little sister, and community. Nature-based metaphors and similes reinforce the reciprocal relationship between the child and the land. “You are the land,” the child learns. “You are the sea...mountains…sky.” Tripp, whose heritage is Lingít, invests each iteration of “You are” with a gentle firmness that underscores the web of connections among child, family, community, and land. Littlebird’s tribes are Atfalati Kalapuya and Clatsop Chinook, and listeners who seek out the print edition will enjoy illustrations that present the lush glory of her people’s Oregon homelands.
Powerful and affirming. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280407
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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