Two things are clear to Moose Flanagan: Living near criminals like Al Capone on Alcatraz with a prison strike looming and watching his special needs sister will leave little time to get a spot on his high school baseball team. Narrator Kirby Heyborne's intuitive vocal choices channel an unforgettable summer in 1936. He exposes the story's layers of conflict using changes in cadence and tone that reflect the historical details and events. Moose cares for his sister, and the responsibility of her care weighs heavily. Heyborne gives their relationship verve and treats it with reverence. When Natalie gets lost in the cell house, Moose's mission to save her will have listeners glued to their headphones.
(Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: May 8, 2018
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525624486
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
Naeymi’s narration is both raw and triumphant.
Samara Naeymi beautifully narrates this middle-grade novel about an Iranian American girl. Bullied by her classmates for her frizzy hair and thick eyebrows and criticized by her mother for her weight, Yasmin struggles to be her authentic self in a world that tells her she's not good enough. There are many different perspectives in this story, and Naeymi is true to each: Yasmin’s judgmental mother, with her Persian accent and steely belief in her own harsh parenting; the ruthless teenagers whose hurtful comments cause emotional harm; the younger brother concerned for his sister's unhappiness; and the tried-and-true best friend.
Naeymi’s narration is both raw and triumphant. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 24, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9798349114861
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
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