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
Mirai's renderings of Kestrel, her family, and fellow workers at the institute thoughtfully depict the protagonists' growth.
Kestrel and her mother leave the home in California they share with Kestrel's grandfather, a pastor, to stay at a wildlife conservation institute in Montana. Narrator Mirai's youthful voice is a natural fit for this story of a young girl who at first resents being tricked into leaving California, but who later comes to realize that moving away from their strict home life was the right choice. Mirai employs distinctive voices for the adults, like Kestrel's stern grandfather and her uncertain mother, who begins gaining confidence. An author's note at the end discusses emotional abuse and how to find help.
Mirai's renderings of Kestrel, her family, and fellow workers at the institute thoughtfully depict the protagonists' growth. (Verse fiction. 9-14)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 42 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668175507
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: July 18, 2026
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