Narration by three narrators makes sense for a story with a quickly shifting reality. Jessie Bernstein portrays 12-year-old Finn, who’s tense with worry about the foreclosure of his family’s home and his mother’s plan to send her children to their Colorado uncle. Becca Battoe depicts Finn’s 14-year-old sister, India, who’s sullen and resentful at being responsible for her young, eccentric sister, Mouse. Tara Sands's lilting high pitch convinces listeners of Mouse’s happy acceptance when an hour’s plane trip brings the siblings to Falling Bird, an unsettling place that appeals to each of their individual sensibilities—at first. Because all three narrators establish a strong sense of character, the tensions that divide the three heroes add a chilling quality to an action-packed puzzle.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2011
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780307737885
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kelly’s kaleidoscopic voice draws listeners in.
Caitlin Kelly narrates the start of a new children’s fantasy animal series from a powerhouse author. After losing their home to a mysterious fire, cat sisters Willow and Luna stumble upon secretive animals with the ability to communicate with them despite being different species. This means that the sisters are “attuned” and have magical abilities. Luna can control fire, but Willow struggles to realize her own gift. Kelly easily differentiates a wide cast of animal characters. And as Willow and Luna witness their new world clash with human witches, Kelly adds emotional intensity that matches the highly dramatic situations the animals find themselves in.
Kelly’s kaleidoscopic voice draws listeners in. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: May 19, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 55 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063449558
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2026
Sanderlin brings gravitas to the story’s most serious scenes while adding humor to its frequent moments of whimsy.
Mark Sanderlin tells this middle-grade story as the Royal Chronicler, an unnamed adult at an entertaining scholarly remove from the adventures of the main characters. Eleven-year-old Olly leaves his younger sister, Jenny, at home when he reluctantly goes out to find work, a necessity for kids in their struggling community. Their bleak reality becomes more colorful when Olly’s first job ends up being at a secret refuge for endangered dragons, and when Jenny develops magical powers. As they stumble into a quest to save the fantastical species, Olly and Jenny’s dialogue sounds convincingly kidlike, a nice contrast with the chronicler’s news anchor-style delivery of the rest of the prose.
Sanderlin brings gravitas to the story’s most serious scenes while adding humor to its frequent moments of whimsy. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798898850296
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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