Josh Bloomberg's resonant voice is perfect for 15-year-old Hoodie Rosen, who shares classic Jewish stories and the words of his Rebbe (a Hasidic spiritual leader). But Hoodie's instincts are beginning to conflict with Orthodox teachings, and Bloomberg's narration captures Hoodie's irony, sarcasm and introspection. Central to the story is an act of goodness: Hoodie and 15-year-old Anne-Marie remove swastikas spray-painted on Jewish gravestones. Instead of affirmation, he is condemned for consorting with a non-Jew. In a further complication, Anne-Marie is the daughter of the mayor, who opposes Hoodie's father's proposed high-rise project, which is meant to bring more Orthodox families to the community. Bloomberg guides listeners expertly through Jewish terms and traditions, Hoodie's experience of first love, and the hatred mounting in a conflicted community.
(Fiction. 12-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593630020
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Winslow’s deep voice and emotional resonance suit an overwhelmed teenager with too much on her plate.
Andia Winslow narrates this witchy YA fantasy. The witches in 17-year-old Mikaela’s coven are having their magic stolen, and as the next Witch Queen, she’s expected to solve this mystery. She also helps out at her family’s occult shop, and when a beautiful new girl in town visits Mikaela for a tarot reading, she is struck by a vision of her own murder at the stranger’s hand. Winslow easily differentiates characters of different genders and ages and seamlessly shifts between African American Vernacular English and Standard American English. She elegantly adjusts her pacing for action scenes and political debates.
Winslow’s deep voice and emotional resonance suit an overwhelmed teenager with too much on her plate. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 38 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217342082
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: tomorrow
First love, community, and self-discovery triumph over secrecy and confusion.
With a gifted narration, Brenda Arteaga-Walsh shifts between Spanish and English to portray the changing thoughts and emotions of 17-year-old Ezzie Ramos. On the precipice of college choices, Ezzie discovers a surprising letter of resignation written by her biologist father shortly before his death. Determined to uncover truths hidden by the silence of her Mami and Abuelita, she volunteers at the nonprofit garden he started. Arteaga-Walsh expresses Ezzie’s increasing passion for art and writing, which conflict with her family’s view that she should enter the sciences, and traces Ezzie's developing relationship with the once-hated Gabe McCallister. When Gabe shows himself to be loving and eager to help, Ezzie finally opens up.
First love, community, and self-discovery triumph over secrecy and confusion. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 31 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063071919
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: tomorrow
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