Stockard Channing adopts a questioning tone that establishes the pure innocence of Bug Contreras, the 10-year-old heroine of Gayle Forman’s first middle-grade fiction. Everything’s changing in Bug’s world in Venice Beach, California, in 1987. Her brother doesn’t want to spend time with her anymore, and Frankie, who’s come from Ohio and might be a replacement, doesn’t want to go to the beach. Channing adopts a guileless tone as Bug struggles to understand the complexities that surround her—gayness, transgenderism, and racism. Channing shifts adroitly and sensitively to the voices of the elders. She deftly portrays their protective instincts, tenderness, and pride in Bug, who is growing up and learning to fight injustices. The characters are beautifully woven into an emotive plot that doesn’t flag or preach, and could aid the young listener in becoming an ally like Bug.
(Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797129563
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Live Oak Media recently caught our attention with this new read-along book and cassette program. We listened first, and were so delighted we couldn't wait to get the book. The picture book made the experience even better, but the audio recordings was strong and vibrant by itself. THE GARDENER, Sarah Stewart's Depression-era story of a young girl sent to live with her Uncle Jim in the city has a sweet, wistful quality with narration alone, but coupled with David Small's soft-edged pencil illustration, it's a total delight. The reading is repeated on both sides of the tape, one with and without page-turning signals.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Powerful and affirming.
Narrator Erin Tripp’s melodious voice cradles listeners of this celebration of the unbreakable ties between Indigenous families and the land they walk on. In turn, the audiobook’s young protagonist reflects on wisdom learned from grandparents, parents, little sister, and community. Nature-based metaphors and similes reinforce the reciprocal relationship between the child and the land. “You are the land,” the child learns. “You are the sea...mountains…sky.” Tripp, whose heritage is Lingít, invests each iteration of “You are” with a gentle firmness that underscores the web of connections among child, family, community, and land. Littlebird’s tribes are Atfalati Kalapuya and Clatsop Chinook, and listeners who seek out the print edition will enjoy illustrations that present the lush glory of her people’s Oregon homelands.
Powerful and affirming. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280407
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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