Bravo to Katherine Kellgren, whose prodigious narrating skills are on display in this production. Kellgren moves up and down her vocal register with seeming ease and employs a shifting tempo as she narrates this droll tale of girls who are shipped off—literally, in cardboard boxes—to a lighthouse school, where they’re transformed into “Rapscott girls” by the devoted headmistress of the same name. Ms. Rapscott—with her imperious voice full of pronouncements—rolls her “r’s” at every possible opportunity, rattles off lists of parental offenses, and waxes sadly about her own birthday-cakeless childhood. Kellgren elongates vowels for emphasis and creates memorable voices for some of the girls, such as screeching Beatrice and whining Faye. This story is practical, adventure filled, and fun.
(Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 10, 2015
Duration: 3 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781101890646
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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