O’Hara invitingly delivers this authentic, inspiring, and laugh-out-loud listen.
Co-author and narrator O’Hara engagingly introduces 12-year-old Jackson—lover of show tunes and glitzy clothes—while exploring his gender identity. Jackson is coping with his dad’s depression and with school bullies calling him “sissy” after he wears a dress. Encouraged by his nonbinary best friend, Eva, Jackson decides to secretly enter the Little Miss pageant using the name Sissy. Eva helps Jackson master a dance routine, while his irrepressible uncle—an award-winning designer—creates vivacious ensembles for the pageant. Sissy interacts with diverse people and learns about their pronouns, faces a dilemma about which restroom to choose, and experiences the ups and downs of the competition.
O’Hara invitingly delivers this authentic, inspiring, and laugh-out-loud listen. (Fiction. 10-13)Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2025
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798899732188
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: today
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: Feb. 10, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063389557
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
A poignant portrait of bravery.
Graham Halstead’s narration contains layers of emotion that fully reveal the character and growth of 13-year-old Lucas Dubois, an orphan living in 1944 occupied France. Halstead shows Lucas’ compassion as he rescues newborn kittens from being drowned. Lucas’ tenderness extends to a teen mother kept at the Lebensborn, a Nazi maternity home dedicated to producing soldiers-to-be. Lucas delivers groceries and conveys underground messages. Halstead also reveals the prickly nature of Alice, an older teen protecting her horse from being captured by Nazis. Halstead’s performance matches the breakneck pacing when Lucas stands up to German soldiers and confronts his own sense of insecurity.
A poignant portrait of bravery. (Historical fiction. 8-13)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250433039
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: today
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
