Fourteen-year-old Madeleine and 15-year-old Elliot live in two different worlds—from which they communicate to each other by letter. Madeleine is being homeschooled in Cambridge, England. Elliott is a farm boy from the Kingdom of Cello whose father was killed by a purple storm (or he ran off with the physics teacher). The two find a crack between these two worlds in a parking meter. Fiona Hardingham makes Madeleine’s pluck, obsession with Isaac Newton, and amused disbelief in the existence of Cello both believable and lovable. Andrew Eiden’s Elliott is a smooth heartbreaker but one full of good cheer, common sense, and bravery. Also in the mix is a giggly newspaper column by a royal princess, voiced by Kate Reinders, with corrections and footnotes delivered with appropriate authority by Peter McGowan. It all adds up to a terrific fantasy voiced by equally terrific narrators.
(Fantasy. 12 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Nassif gives an emotional voice to survivors of bullying.
Victoria Nassif narrates this story of magic, grief, and racism. Syrian American Jihad Dabbagh enters a private school in her senior year of high school, and she hopes to attend an art school for college. Her name and the hijab she wears make her the target of dangerous bullies. To cope, she draws in a magical sketchbook, telling the story of her deceased mother’s journey from Syria to the U.S. Nassif relates Jihad’s story beautifully, taking her from a shy, introverted teen to a strong Muslim woman willing to call out bullies for their behavior. Her Arabic pronunciations lend authenticity to this story, helping to bring Jihad’s world to life, and she’s equally adept with the pretentious accents of the privileged white students at the academy.
Nassif gives an emotional voice to survivors of bullying. (Fabulism. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 46 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668657515
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
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