Narrator Ali Ahn gives this young adult rom-com fun doses of personality and sass. Raised in California by her mother, Izumi Tanaka doesn't know the name of her father until she accidentally discovers it just months before high school graduation. In PRINCESS DIARIES fashion, Izzy is shocked to learn that her dad is Japanese royalty and that she's been invited to Tokyo to meet him and learn how to be a princess. Ahn's delivery reflects Izzy's conflicted reactions to Japan, the people, the places, the customs and expectations--and her cute bodyguard. Strong-willed Izzy worries she'll never truly be accepted by her father's traditional family. Ahn's accents and Japanese pronunciations ring true as she clearly differentiates characters of different ages and nationalities.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250804167
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
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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