Dual timelines and dual points of view in this audiobook introduce listeners to two children as they work to save the people and things that mean the most to them. Brian Nishii's authentic accent adds to his portrayal of Han Yu, whose only skill in 731 China, making steamed buns, leaves him few options when his family is quarantined from a terrible illness. Sura Siu expresses Luli's distress in 1931 at the potential foreclosure of her family's Chinatown restaurant. The narrators' skill at presenting the characters' fears and determination to find solutions to their problems makes the arduous and unexpected events the children endure an engrossing experience. An author's note and a downloadable pdf provide more on the settings and history behind the two stories.
(Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063284463
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
It's 1975, and eleven-year-old Gao Sheng, a Hmong girl, is living in the highlands of Laos in a one-room house with her family. Then they are forced to flee. Narrator Robyn Morales lends a soft, feminine huskiness to the protagonist's voice as she describes the family's journey to a refugee camp, to gentle and thoughtful effect. The listener is transported alongside Gao Sheng to a new world as she reflects on memory, gender, and family relations in her culture; the events that change her life; and conditions in the refugee camp. An afterword provides context about the author's family's real-life experience. Morales' narration is comforting, even as she describes the difficult circumstances of refugees.
(Verse historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: 2026
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217080861
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a lilting voice, narrator Christopher Hampton captures the hope and curiosity of Will, a young Black boy who is hoping to claim land during the Oklahoma Land Rush. Will's companions include his stern father and their mule, Belle, and later the gentle but wizened ex-Union soldier, Caesar. Southern accents, including Will's, and twangy cowboy voices enhance the historic setting. Northern characters are more neutral, but moments of racial tension are full of anger and stress. Throughout the harrowing story, Will is anguished during a fight, Pa falters in fearful moments, and Caesar strains when he is badly injured. As he nears Oklahoma, Will's confidence grows, as does his father's pride in him. Adventure abounds in this moving production.
(Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 4 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668647417
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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