A little known event of WWII is the 1942 bombing of Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands and the U.S. Government's subsequent removal of Aleutians to internment camps more than one thousand miles away. For Vera, home from school and spending the summer with her family, three years of deplorable camp living begins. In vignettes of unrhymed verse, Vera tells of this time and her village and culture before the bombing. Sarah Jones's gentle and quiet narration is unobtrusive and underscores the full impact of Vera's story. In response to Hesse's signature technique of ending each section with a thought or happening that merits further consideration, Jones delivers added emphasis and a pause for reflection. More of the author's poignant memories of her childhood internment follow the novel and satisfy the listener's desire to know more about this event. A.R. 2005 YALSA Selection (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
Ages 10+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 1 hr, 45 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator P.J. Ochlan embraces this spirited novel, documenting 11-year-old Rocco Zaccaro's adventures with such gusto and spunk that you'd swear you'd traveled back in time to 1887. The story begins with Rocco's removal from his home in Italy and his subsequent arrival in New York City, where he is to work as a street musician for his new padrone, Signor Ancarola. Ochlan paints a vivid picture of immigrant life and the trials Rocco undergoes trying to escape the horrible living conditions under his padrone. Capturing the characters' voices perfectly, Ochlan delivers Rocco's animated storytelling, the slang of his newfound gang of pickpockets, and the accents of the city's many immigrants, whether Irish, Scottish, German, English, or Italian. Historical notes, including a pickpocket's glossary, complete this excellent production.
(Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780147521477
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John McDonough tells the oddball story of Prince Roger and his misbegotten quest for self-identity and true love. The story is amusing and at times inspiring as it follows Prince Roger on a three-year sojourn through the Forever Forest and across the Dastardly Divide as he seeks to transcend his clownish nature and find his destined love, Princess Petulia. Younger listeners will be enchanted by the whimsy and fantasy elements of this fairy tale and by McDonough's gentle style, while adults will enjoy Feiffer's tongue-in-cheek writing, metafictional asides, and profound insights about destiny, identity, and living happily ever after.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2001
Duration: 4 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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