Narrator Sisi Aisha Johnson transports listeners to rural South Carolina in the 1940s through the passionate perspectives of three characters: 11-year-old Ella and her two cousins--14-year-old Myrna, an orphan, and 12-year-old Henry, who is Ella's best friend. They live together with their grandparents, but life is dangerous for African-Americans in the South. Teased by other black kids for her light skin, Ella is eager to leave when her mother invites her to live with her in Boston. But while Myrna and Henry deal with scary realities in South Carolina, Ella finds Boston a difficult adjustment. Johnson's youthful voice and Southern accent sympathetically capture the three kids as each experiences childhood through the lens of a racist society.
(Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549175350
Publisher: Hachette 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
Powerful and affirming.
Narrator Erin Tripp’s melodious voice cradles listeners of this celebration of the unbreakable ties between Indigenous families and the land they walk on. In turn, the audiobook’s young protagonist reflects on wisdom learned from grandparents, parents, little sister, and community. Nature-based metaphors and similes reinforce the reciprocal relationship between the child and the land. “You are the land,” the child learns. “You are the sea...mountains…sky.” Tripp, whose heritage is Lingít, invests each iteration of “You are” with a gentle firmness that underscores the web of connections among child, family, community, and land. Littlebird’s tribes are Atfalati Kalapuya and Clatsop Chinook, and listeners who seek out the print edition will enjoy illustrations that present the lush glory of her people’s Oregon homelands.
Powerful and affirming. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280407
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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