In her sequel to LOCOMOTION, Woodson's format has moved from poetry to letters in this epistolary novel. "Peace, Locomotion" is the sign-off of 12-year-old Lonnie Collins Motion in his letters to his younger sister, Lili. They’ve been separated by the foster care system since the death of their parents five years earlier in a fire. Dion Graham's mellow narration of Lonnie's life and letters is moving and amusing. Graham infuses the reading with Lonnie's sense of discovery as he copes with school, grief, missing his sister, watching her life evolve apart from him, and finally, helping his foster family cope with a tragedy of their own. In the end, Locomotion helps his foster brothers and mother find peace—"the good stuff that happens to all of us . . . sometimes." D.P.D. 2010 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: July 20, 2009
Duration: 2 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Catch up with the Miller family through the voice of the youngest child.
Keylor Leigh narrates this fifth and final novel in the Miller Family series, this time focusing on the youngest family member, 10-year-old Poppy. Still grieving the death of her father, Poppy is facing a Thanksgiving with lots of changes in the people around her—her brother, Billy, is returning from college; her lovelorn sister, Sal, is rebelling; and her mother has a new male friend. Luckily, Poppy has her art to help her cope. Leigh takes Poppy through these challenges with a youthful voice filled with exasperation, desperation, anticipation, and, always, love. Leigh ably conveys Sal's sarcasm and portrays Billy’s coming-of-age.
Catch up with the Miller family through the voice of the youngest child. (Fiction. 6-10)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063517196
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
Arsenault’s passionate performance brings this alternative world to life.
Fourteen-year-old Tessa lives in a dystopian world with a leader who has banned books and taken away the personal liberties of its citizens. Elise Arsenault establishes a steady pace with her narration. When an older neighbor is taken to elder care, Tessa finds a box of forbidden books in her house that changes everything. Arsenault captures Tessa’s tumultuous emotions as she learns about the past and discovers that her long-lost twin brother, Theo, who disappeared years ago, may still be alive. Fans of Lowry’s The Giver will be intrigued by this world, one that feels frighteningly plausible.
Arsenault’s passionate performance brings this alternative world to life. (Dystopian. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 49 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063515130
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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