Tenderness and depth ground the narration of this Stonewall Award-winning story about one girl's perspective-changing summer. Shortly after learning that her divorced dad is engaged, 13-year-old Dalia finds herself and her new friend, Rani, on a road trip to an amusement park with her prickly soon-to-be-stepsister, Alexa. Neither Dalia nor Alexa is eager to connect, but Dalia is thrilled and terrified by the chance to ride real roller coasters and explore her friendship-turned-crush with Rani. Narrator Em Grosland stirs Dalia's complicated stew of emotions with care, using tone and cadence to serve up her mixed emotions and all-too-relatable tween dorkiness. Never veering into mawkishness, Grosland's portrayal is respectful and authentic throughout, adding to this audiobook's appeal for young listeners experiencing their own seasons of growth and self-discovery.
(Fiction. 8-13)Pub Date: June 8, 2021
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593459201
Publisher: Listening Library
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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