How do you create an amazing audiobook from an illustrated novel in which the vibrant art takes center stage? Author Jason Reynolds deftly narrates “Take One” of this collaboration between himself and mixed-media collage artist Jason Griffin. Together, they bring slam-poetry sensibilities to a brief yet evocative glimpse of an unnamed young Black narrator. His mother stays glued to the news, his father coughs endlessly, and his siblings search for meaning as he hunts fruitlessly for an oxygen mask. As Reynolds’s singular voice fades out, “Take Two” of this work hands the same spare, moving words to a full cast of outstanding narrators. They add layers of meaning as their voices weave together, blending uncertainty and hope as one person’s worries become everyone’s journey.
(Illustrated poetry. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 11, 2022
Duration: 37 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797137544
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This audio gem from Indigenous authors features stories in which elders offer guidance to young Native Americans. Various Native voices introduce listeners to Sandy June's Frybread Drive-In, known as SJ's, which magically opens whenever a teen faces a social challenge--for example, fitting in. An elder cooks while listening to the teen's concerns and offers advice. In "Kathy's Poem," an excellent writer is palpably terrified until performing at SJ's open mic. "Red Patent" features a Cherokee teacher condescendingly criticizing a Native student--both superbly rendered--then having a change of heart after both are stranded at SJ's. Traditional accents, dynamic portraits of young and old tribal members, and the author's note encouraging listeners to honor their elders ensure an unforgettable listening experience.
(Anthology. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063314290
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Tony Keith, Jr.--poet, rapper, and hip-hop educator--uses his cultural observations, edgy politics, and sharp ear for concise wordplay and fast rhymes to get the attention of the audience that needs him most: disenfranchised Black school kids he affectionately calls "knuckleheads." With brash and evocative poem titles like "If You Fail to Plan, Then Plan to Fail," "Because When I Write, I'm Dangerous," and "I Don't Have to Imagine Being Black," Keith weaves personal verses of navigating the world as a gay Black man with themes of healing and empowerment. Energetic, enthusiastic, and empathetic, Keith is a veteran of the slam poetry circuit, and one can imagine him commanding the stage like he commands this audiobook.
(Poetry. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
Duration: 1 hr, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063296084
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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