Narrator Jonathan Todd Ross perfectly portrays 12-year-old Jake, a young spy enthusiast who tasks himself with figuring out the mystery behind the Russian tenant who is living in the attic of his family home. It's the 1950s, when suspicion of Communists in the United States is running high. Ross creates a spirited voice for Jake, which contrasts with the gruff voices of the adult espionage characters and their matter-of-fact tones. Listeners will be transported to an era of Cold War tension and high-stakes spycraft, and will be be eager to join Jake as he discovers the truth behind the new visitor and his father, who has been missing in action since WWII.
(Historical adventure. 10-13)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781980011101
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Far-north fun for emerging readers.
Narrator Mark Sanderlin guides listeners through this graphic early reader. When Wally Mammoth challenges friend Wolf to a game of hide-and-seek, it quickly becomes apparent that all-white Wolf has a notable advantage in their Arctic landscape. While their auk pal Otto’s voice is easily recognizable, Sanderlin’s vocal characterizations of Wally and Wolf are not so easily parsed, and they dominate the dialogue. This is one case where the audiobook and the print book should be experienced together. Even then, with no text other than speech balloons, this audiobook counts on its listeners to have some facility with letter and word recognition to accurately follow the banter.
Far-north fun for emerging readers.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 3 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063478213
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2026
Robb Moreira summons a mythic tone for this original spinoff of the Aztec creation story. In Higuera's story, the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl's lesser-known brother, Xolotl, recounts "what really happened." Xolo has a dog's head, paws, and, most importantly, a love of humankind. Moreira's declamatory tones suit the epic nature of the story but also sometimes flatten the nuances of Higuera's characterizations. Listeners who don't seek out the print edition to accompany the audiobook will miss illustrator Mariana Ruiz Johnson's strikingly stylized figures, colorfully lush design, and critical narrative detail that's often communicated only in the illustrations. Those who do read and listen will occasionally find themselves zooming past wordless sequences that demand close attention. Both otherworldly and sweet--and perhaps best enjoyed in print.
(Mythology. 7-10)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
Duration: 1 hr
DD ISBN: 9798899735035
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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