Stroud's intriguing characters and plot twists will keep listeners engaged with this first installment in a new series, which takes place in a future Britain in which all kinds of monsters roam. Sophie Aldred's narration adds to the verve, keeping the dialogue spicy between Scarlett McCain, a bank-robbing outlaw, and Albert Browne, an innocent-seeming young man. Aldred adds notes of humor to Scarlett's quick-witted disdain for the clueless tag-along, Albert. With him in tow, Scarlett leads listeners through her adventures until she realizes that secrets and thinly disguised terror lurk beneath Albert's docile sweetness. Gradually, warmth builds between the two, leaving listeners ready for more exploits with this daring duo.
(Science fiction. 10-13)Pub Date: 2021
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593460115
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In the small town of Soledad, Texas, in 1952, 12-year-old Pineda encounters a young alien when she crash-lands on his family's pecan farm. Unfortunately, the U.S. military has just taken over the town for a war games exercise. Giordan Diaz gives a winning performance as Pineda, communicating his humor and kindness and switching easily between English and Spanish, which Pineda speaks with his Cuban mom. Chapters alternate between Pineda's point of view and Luisa's--that's what Pineda calls the alien, since he can't pronounce her name in her language. P.J. Morgan gives Luisa an appropriately nervous, hesitant voice as she slowly learns English. As Pineda and his friends try to reunite Luisa with her parents, the chorus of voices for other characters who chime in during the story's climax reinforces the message about the power of community. Warm, funny, and timely.
(Science fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781666679236
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Laura Knight Keating captures every nuance--both human and doll--in this contemporary yet old-fashioned fantasy. In front of a dollhouse shop, lonely, 11-year-old Tiph captures and returns a runaway dog to its elderly Hungarian owner, Nene (Aunt) Szilvia. Spunky Tiph and Nene are Keating's standout characters, with Nene's stunning voice and accent making every appearance a delight. As their friendship develops, they restore a dollhouse, magically awakening the dolls, who chat with various accents. Listeners will be shocked when the usually conscientious Tiph steals a valuable antique doll. Listeners of all ages will be enchanted by Keating's spot-on rendering of the intergenerational relationship and story of correcting a regrettable mistake. The charm of the narration should make this delightful tale an audio classic.
(Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798890592316
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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