Rachel loves the sights, smells, and sounds of life in Africa. But all that is lost when she’s orphaned and forced to assume another child’s identity in a manipulative scheme. Bianca Amato’s exceptional narration brings us fully into Rachel’s inner life. We feel her shock at her parents’ death and the end of all that is familiar, her misery and guilt at the lie she must live, as well as her innate qualities that cannot be destroyed: her kindness and strength; caring personality; and joy in books, nature, and medicine. Amato’s reading is so smooth and soft-spoken that the listener is rarely aware of the transitions to supporting characters, who are drawn in distinct, if subtle, characterizations. A stellar reading gives breadth and raw emotion to a solid story.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2006
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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