Narrator Guy Lockard’s impressive command of dialect and intonations enlivens the author’s humor. His voice animates the rural African-American setting of this story and actualizes the characters of 11-year-old Genie and his older brother as they spend a month with grandparents they hardly know. Lockard’s portrayal of Genie is seasoned with a mix of curiosity and nervousness. These fit the anxious protagonist, who worries about his parents’ marriage, the unusual behavior of his grandfather, and generational hurts he doesn’t fully understand. Amid chores of poop-scooping and pea-picking and wondering about the forbidden “nunya bidness door,” Lockard fully expresses Genie’s blind, gun-toting Grandpop—the vulnerability that lies below his swagger and the man’s need for the grandson who comes to love him.
(Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781508225089
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Arserio perfectly captures Hafsa’s boldness as she fights for herself and others.
Narrator Shiromi Arserio establishes a determined voice for Hafsa, a Pakistani village girl who longs to attend a summer science camp focused on medicine in the city to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. At first, her parents firmly reject the idea, but after her sister’s husband insists that Hafsa could stay with them, her father relents. Arserio beautifully portrays Hafsa’s disappointment when she learns that the camp’s topic is climate change instead of medicine, and her resilience when she makes the most of it anyway. When Hafsa takes up the cause of finding a new home with better conditions for an elephant at the local zoo, Arserio’s energetic narration brings the story to life.
Arserio perfectly captures Hafsa’s boldness as she fights for herself and others. (Fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280414
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
A heartfelt audiobook for the entire family to enjoy.
With a youthful voice, Jeff Ebner brings much emotion to this realistic middle-grade novel. Ten-year-old Nathan Savage is consumed with worry that the gigantic pile of trash across the street from his home is about to collapse. He’s even more worried that his father, who works at the top of said pile, is in extreme danger. It’s up to Nathan to devise a flawless plan to save the day. Ebner’s fast-paced, energetic narration moves the action along, engaging young listeners to the very last word.
A heartfelt audiobook for the entire family to enjoy. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 55 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280445
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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