Marvin and his twin, Tyler, are anticipating a junk food binge after a convenience store run when they hear: Pop!Pop!Pop! JaQwan Kelly's narration turns from lighthearted to fearful, and he amps up tension when an aggressive white policeman draws a gun on the innocent black teens. This is only the first conflict Kelly dramatizes in a neighborhood that has "garden gnomes with bullet holes." He expresses Marvin's many forms of vulnerability, which change as quickly as that first scene. Marvin's worry about Tyler turns to fear when his brother goes missing, and then to anger and sadness when Tyler is killed by a policeman. Speedy emotional shifts mirror the story's fast pace as Kelly recounts Marvin's painful journey, marked by grief, outrage, and the realization of his true beliefs and needs. S.W © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: 2018
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549167980
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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