Olive’s family has moved into a magical old house. While her parents are oblivious to the magic that surrounds them, Olive is thoroughly embroiled in it, working to free a friend who is trapped inside a painting. The house’s three guardian cats are reluctant to help, so Olive seeks to take matters into her own hands. But is Olive using magic, or is the magic using Olive? This book is filled with cheerfully wacky dark humor, and narrator Lexy Fridell’s saucy Kewpie doll voice leavens the scary parts. Nasal-voiced boys, indignant British cats, spooky old women, and plucky young Olive fill listeners’ ears and imaginations. This is a fast-paced, delightful audiobook, and youngsters don’t need to have listened to the first one to enjoy it.
Ages 10+Pub Date: July 12, 2011
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Henry's parents are kidnapped while they travel the world. Henry is confused and lost when he's sent to his aunt, uncle, and cousins in Kansas. His bewilderment increases when the plaster of his bedroom walls cracks to disclose 100 strange cupboards that are portals to odd places. Vivid descriptions of fascinating lands hold listeners' attention through the story's many unexplained facts as does the steady, solid narration by Russell Horton. Horton accurately modulates the characters' up-and-down emotions, adapting his pace quickly to the changes. Listeners are able to keep up with the rapidly introduced characters because of Horton's stand-out portrayals.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2007
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780739362778
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A cast of narrators shares these stories, each told from the point of view of a supporting character from Riordan's Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. We hear from Halfborn Gunderson, Samirah al-Abbas, Alex Fierro, and more. In "So's Your Face!" narrator Sile Bermingham gives fiery einherji Mallory Keen an Irish lilt, and in "I Play with Fire," Bahni Turpin gets to pull out the stops creating voices for a meeting of immortals in Muspellheim. Riordan's signature humor is here--Thor makes a guest appearance in each story, running through the nine worlds in his leather short shorts. The characterizations might not quite match what listeners heard in earlier installments, but diehard Magnus Chase fans can still enjoy this collection.
(Fantasy. 8-14)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
Duration: 3 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525641834
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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