Don't let the title fool you—this story is told from a girl's perspective. Sixteen-year-old Ruby Oliver is trying to find her way to understanding a bit more about herself and about friendship through the help of her psychologist. As friends and boyfriends come and go, narrator Kirsten Potter mostly has to concentrate on Ruby, whose thoughts and asides fill a virtual journal of feelings, emotions, and attempts to understand her life. Potter does a decent job with the host of supporting characters, mostly by slowing and deepening her voice. Ruby's psychologist takes on a methodical way of talking; the voice of one of her friends also is slowed and more pronounced. Ruby winds up taking an honest look at herself and friendship in this coming-of-age novel.
Young AdultPub Date: July 28, 2009
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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