Moose Flanagan is a good-natured 12-year-old growing up on Alcatraz in 1935, where his father works as a prison guard. With a youthful tone, Kirby Heyborne expertly delivers a full portrait of Moose and his emotions. These include his guilty relief that his autistic sister, Natalie, has left the island to attend a special needs school, his alternating attraction and infuriation with the pretty warden's daughter, and his palpable fear that Al Capone wants a favor in return for his having helped to get Natalie into the new school. Heyborne creates multiple convincing characters, including the vindictive Officer Darby Trixle; Moose's friend Jimmy, who prefers breeding flies to playing baseball, and Natalie, whose autism (a disorder not recognized in 1935) causes her to spin out of control in stressful moments. Heyborne doesn't miss a crucial detail.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2009
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
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
Mirai's renderings of Kestrel, her family, and fellow workers at the institute thoughtfully depict the protagonists' growth.
Kestrel and her mother leave the home in California they share with Kestrel's grandfather, a pastor, to stay at a wildlife conservation institute in Montana. Narrator Mirai's youthful voice is a natural fit for this story of a young girl who at first resents being tricked into leaving California, but who later comes to realize that moving away from their strict home life was the right choice. Mirai employs distinctive voices for the adults, like Kestrel's stern grandfather and her uncertain mother, who begins gaining confidence. An author's note at the end discusses emotional abuse and how to find help.
Mirai's renderings of Kestrel, her family, and fellow workers at the institute thoughtfully depict the protagonists' growth. (Verse fiction. 9-14)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 42 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668175507
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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