Narrator Miebaka Yohannes replicates the inviting conversational tone of Frederick Joseph's audiobook, which is aimed at a white audience. Yohannes builds a relationship with listeners as he weaves together Joseph's stories of experiences with racism--his own and those of the activists he interviews, such as author Angie Thomas and sports journalist Jemele Hill. As Joseph introduces and reflects on antiracist practices, Yohannes amplifies his sincere and frank tone. The audiobook addresses issues such as systemic racism, cultural appropriation, and becoming an "active accomplice," and includes resources such as "An Encyclopedia of Racism" and "People and Things to Know." The balance of humor and sincerity creates a powerful audio for parents and teens to share.
(Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781713570936
Publisher: Brilliance Audio/ Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Al-Kaisi’s performance reflects Asad’s gradual transformation, making his growth and his hopeful next steps...
Seventeen-year-old Asad is the eldest of seven children living and working in a Gazan refugee camp. Asad’s father is in prison, and the family lives in poverty with no possibility of relief. This audiobook’s power lies in Asad’s poignant inner monologues. Fajer Al-Kaisi’s narration immerses listeners in Asad’s desolation and overwhelming sense of responsibility. Al-Kaisi’s renderings of Asad’s conversations with Um Fawzi, a frank and wise elderly woman, depict both her caring and the vividness of her journeys beyond Gaza. Houriya is an erudite young woman who expands Asad’s worldview with well-chosen books.
Al-Kaisi’s performance reflects Asad’s gradual transformation, making his growth and his hopeful next steps believable. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 27 mins
DD ISBN: 9798898852153
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
Listeners will be inspired by this principled prime minister who tackled her country’s biggest challenges with...
Aspiring leaders, take note! In her Kiwi accent, Jacinda Ardern narrates this heartfelt and sincere adaptation of her memoir A Different Kind of Power, eliciting chuckles with amusing anecdotes and tears over tragedies. Ardern recounts her modest childhood, her unlikely path to politics, and her rise to New Zealand’s highest office as a young, pregnant, unmarried woman—armed with empathy, intelligence, faith, supportive loved ones, and a desire to serve. She shepherded her country through a volcanic eruption, Covid-19, and a mass shooting. Her heartrending narration of the shooting switches to steely resolve as she works to ban assault rifles.
Listeners will be inspired by this principled prime minister who tackled her country’s biggest challenges with kindness. (Memoir. 12-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 55 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217342044
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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