What's truth, what's myth? Did Maniac Magee really do all those amazing feats and deeds, or is it just story? Orphaned at 3 and raised by hateful relatives, Jeffrey Lionel Magee finally runs away--and lands in Two Mills, Pennsylvania, and the stories begin. Winner of the 1991 Newbery Medal, MANIAC MAGEE is a touching story about a boy who makes a difference because he doesn't allow pre-conceived notions, prejudice, and others' expectations to interfere with his behaviors and his life. S. Epatha Merkerson does a masterful job as Amanda, Mars Bar, Maniac, and the narrator, as well as the other characters who inhabit the story. Her tone, diction, and accent clearly differentiate those from the East Side and the West. She gives her characters strength, individuality, and attitude, while the narrator remains neutral yet amused by the stories and the legend of this unflappable boy. A superb rendering of an exceptional book!
. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2001
Duration: 4 hrs, 24 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Though the premise is fantastical, Naudus makes it believable, creating a kind, confident protagonist.
Natalie Naudus narrates this middle-grade mystery set in a remote family camp in northwestern Ontario. Hayley Rilko and her cousins decide to break the Toronto Maple Leafs’ losing streak by contacting the ghost of their great-grandfather, a Leafs star whose body was never found after his plane crashed. Hayley’s family is cursed, and members are forced to quit playing hockey when they come of age. The arrival of her period is a salient point in this coming-of-age story. There is a huge cast of relatives at camp, but Naudus successfully focuses on creating credible family interactions rather than distinctive character voices.
Though the premise is fantastical, Naudus makes it believable, creating a kind, confident protagonist. (Fiction. 11-14)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 39 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217342211
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 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.
