Narrator Adam Gerber sets the scene in this hilarious yet poignant middle-grade novel. After his parents' divorce, TV-obsessed Jake Lightman feels like he plays two different parts in his life: He's "Yaakov" when he's with his Orthodox Jewish mother and "Jacob" when he's with his secular-minded father. Two friends he makes at his new school, Caleb and Tehilla, show him there's a third option--just being himself. Gerber shows his talent when navigating the names of various geographical locations and when pronouncing Hebrew and Yiddish words. His energy and inflections match the material well although he disregards descriptions of how dialogue should be delivered several times. Nonetheless, he delivers a charming show.
(Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 23, 2023
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063248229
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Live Oak Media recently caught our attention with this new read-along book and cassette program. We listened first, and were so delighted we couldn't wait to get the book. The picture book made the experience even better, but the audio recordings was strong and vibrant by itself. THE GARDENER, Sarah Stewart's Depression-era story of a young girl sent to live with her Uncle Jim in the city has a sweet, wistful quality with narration alone, but coupled with David Small's soft-edged pencil illustration, it's a total delight. The reading is repeated on both sides of the tape, one with and without page-turning signals.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A sensitive performance.
Deepa is a precocious 12-year-old girl in remission from leukemia. Under the tutelage of her uncle, a house call doctor, she becomes involved in solving teen tennis player Taio's puzzling medical mystery. Deepa is unsure of herself, but she’s ready to get back to middle school after a year away for treatment. Narrator Soneela Nankani depicts Deepa's desire to be more than the "sick kid" while navigating her youthful insecurities and the social challenges of middle school. Nankani also ably portrays Deepa's growing confidence in herself as she uses her own experience with illness to help figure out what’s wrong with Taio.
A sensitive performance. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 32 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668182833
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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