Narrator JD Jackson takes listeners to an unidentified Nordic region in Paulsen's last survival story. When a strange illness kills everyone in his fishing village, 12-year-old Leif follows Old Carl's advice to head north. There, he uses his wits to build a new life. At the book's opening, a dulcimer intro sets a tone of gravitas as Jackson recites the origin tale of the village. His warm bass voice projects a feeling of folklore as Leif's story follows. Listeners will smell the stench of death, cringe when the boy faces danger, and cheer when he escapes certain death. Voices are consistent throughout, and repeated phrases and lists are particularly strong. This story of survival among Scandinavia's cold fjords will linger in listeners' memories.
(Historical adventure. 9-13)Pub Date: Jan. 11, 2022
Duration: 4 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250831286
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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