Robin Miles's deliberate pacing, lilting pronunciation of Haitian Creole words and phrases, and lovely singing voice complement Edwidge Danticat's wrenching story of the separation of an undocumented mother from her young child and husband. Saya's mother is in "a prison for women without papers." Although her father writes many letters to judges and journalists, there is no response to their plight; Saya must be content with weekly visits and tape-recorded bedtime stories sent by her mother. One day Saya writes a letter herself, and the injustice of her mother's predicament is noticed. While there's no reading of the title page and barely enough time is given for page-turning, this production can also be enjoyed along with the print edition featuring Leslie Staub's color-drenched illustrations.
Ages 4-6Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2016
Duration: 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501911163
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Powerful listening.
Four narrators personalize the tragedy of Houston’s 2017 Hurricane Harvey through the viewpoints of three struggling teens. Sunil Malhotra depicts Pakistani American Yasir’s many facets—his determination to succeed at soccer, his barely controlled rage about racism, his sadness about his father’s death, and his deep fear of drowning. Nikhaar Kashnani portrays South Asian American Mona. Weighed down by caring for her young brother, she loses herself in art and dreads her recurring nightmare about a flood. Josh Hurley renders Cody’s cruel, racist bullying as well as his fear of the dark, a result of being abused by his father. Christopher Salazar enthusiastically delivers interstitial news bulletins. When flooding from Harvey makes them face their worst fears, the resilient threesome’s separate stories come together and they support each other’s bravery.
Powerful listening.Pub Date: today
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063389557
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: today
Narrator Sunny Lu creates a passionate voice for seventh grader Luna in this coming-of-age realistic fiction. Luna leaves her introverted life behind when she becomes a bibliotherapist for her fellow classmates, recommending books to help them in times of need and eventually writing her own zines with the assistance of her best friend, Scott. Lu perfectly captures Luna's complex emotions as she abandons Scott and joins the popular group. Now rather than writing to help others, she starts to hurt others by writing about their faults and flaws in "fix-its." Listeners will relate to Luna's struggles as she loses her way and will cheer her on in hopes that she finds her way back.
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217081578
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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