When quiet Ivan Ivanych adopts 12-year-old Arcady from a Soviet children's home, Arcady is sure that it's due solely to his remarkable soccer abilities. Why else would anyone want him? Ivan's purpose and Arcady's redemption unfold slowly. Narrator Ari Fliakos creates a cynical, sometimes insolent, Arcady. Fliakos's delivery is initially understandable, due to the brutal treatment Arcady experienced at the home; however, his snarky interpretation of Arcady continues even after months of Ivan's patient ministrations. Another curious production choice is the matter of accents. Although the story is set in Soviet-era Russia, all the children speak with American accents, while all adults have Russian ones. A moving author's note recounts the continuing relevance of Arcady's story.
(Historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
Duration: 2 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781427241146
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
It's 1975, and eleven-year-old Gao Sheng, a Hmong girl, is living in the highlands of Laos in a one-room house with her family. Then they are forced to flee. Narrator Robyn Morales lends a soft, feminine huskiness to the protagonist's voice as she describes the family's journey to a refugee camp, to gentle and thoughtful effect. The listener is transported alongside Gao Sheng to a new world as she reflects on memory, gender, and family relations in her culture; the events that change her life; and conditions in the refugee camp. An afterword provides context about the author's family's real-life experience. Morales' narration is comforting, even as she describes the difficult circumstances of refugees.
(Verse historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217080861
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Guy Lockard narrates the final episode in the Track series. This time the story focuses on the formative years of Coach, who's been central to the young runners in the previous titles. Back in the day, Coach was Otie Brody, a 12-year-old sprinter who longed for two things: to be like Carl Lewis and to have a pair of Jordans. Problems small and big enter his life: First, Otie accidentally shaves his forehead and eyebrows bloody; then his dad disappears due to a drug problem. Lockard balances lights and darks, humor and drama, authentic dialogues and evocative images in this fast-moving audiobook. His tour-de-force narration matches the power of a tough coming-of-age story that illuminates the compassion and caring of the man known as Coach.
(Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668150566
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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