Narrator Kathleen McInerney transports listeners to Russian-occupied Lithuania in 1893 in this historical fiction told from the perspective of 12-year-old Audra. McInerney makes listeners feel Audra's terror when her parents are arrested for smuggling banned books written in the forbidden Lithuanian language. Listeners feel the suspense building as Audra evades Officer Rusakov and his Cossack soldiers, finding refuge with her parents' friends: adults Milda and Ben, and Lukas, a boy her own age. Audra's youthful voice contrasts with Officer Rusakov's sharp tone and Russian accent. Listeners will be swept into the action as Audra bravely decides to join an underground network of book smugglers who are trying to preserve their Lithuanian history and culture.
(Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: 2019
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781338567519
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
