Narrator Christian Barillas's youthful, expressive voice tells the story of 17-year-old Nico Kardos. Nico can't get over the death of his friend, Rosario. The story, written as journal entries, sheds light on Nico's feelings as he aspires to attend college and become a writer. But his ambitions are halted when his single mother gets cancer and the care of his 12-year-old brother falls on him. Nico worries that his brother will fall into addiction and crime like others in his Bronx neighborhood. Barillas captures Nico's desperate situation with his apt vocal skills, portraying all the characters with convincing accents and varying timbres. He fully conveys Nico's struggle to to stay true to his dreams, rather than go down the easy path of criminal activities.
(Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: 2024
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781546136934
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
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:
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:
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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