The naval guns sent to coastal Rhode Island in 1942 may have been enormous, but the issues about to face cousins Elliot and Robert are equally monumental. With WWII approaching and Robert’s father already fighting the Nazis in the Royal Canadian Air Force, his family has relocated closer to his grandparents in the U.S. Charles Carroll takes on the role of the adult Robert recounting the events during these war years. He’s even voiced, letting layers of the various familial and town relationships reveal themselves and letting listeners draw their own conclusions. A German painter and a bullying grandfather, both with secrets, impact each boy dramatically. At the climactic moment when the 11-year-olds and the painter confront paranoia, hatred, and horror, Carroll’s voice takes on strength and resonance. Listeners will have much to ponder.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2012
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781620645406
Publisher: AudioGo
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator P.J. Ochlan embraces this spirited novel, documenting 11-year-old Rocco Zaccaro's adventures with such gusto and spunk that you'd swear you'd traveled back in time to 1887. The story begins with Rocco's removal from his home in Italy and his subsequent arrival in New York City, where he is to work as a street musician for his new padrone, Signor Ancarola. Ochlan paints a vivid picture of immigrant life and the trials Rocco undergoes trying to escape the horrible living conditions under his padrone. Capturing the characters' voices perfectly, Ochlan delivers Rocco's animated storytelling, the slang of his newfound gang of pickpockets, and the accents of the city's many immigrants, whether Irish, Scottish, German, English, or Italian. Historical notes, including a pickpocket's glossary, complete this excellent production.
(Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780147521477
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John McDonough tells the oddball story of Prince Roger and his misbegotten quest for self-identity and true love. The story is amusing and at times inspiring as it follows Prince Roger on a three-year sojourn through the Forever Forest and across the Dastardly Divide as he seeks to transcend his clownish nature and find his destined love, Princess Petulia. Younger listeners will be enchanted by the whimsy and fantasy elements of this fairy tale and by McDonough's gentle style, while adults will enjoy Feiffer's tongue-in-cheek writing, metafictional asides, and profound insights about destiny, identity, and living happily ever after.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2001
Duration: 4 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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