Narrator Heather Simms gives a captivating performance of Katherine Johnson's inspiring life story. At age 4, Katherine was helping her older brother with his schoolwork, and by age 18, she had graduated from college with degrees in mathematics and French. In describing her parents' struggles and sacrifices to educate all their children, Johnson describes the impact that racism, school segregation, and poverty had on her life. But she persevered, achieving her goal of being a research mathematician. Simms gives an upbeat voice to Johnson's triumphs as she proves herself to NASA engineers and becomes instrumental in the success of the first U.S. space flights. Johnson's passion for learning, her love for her family, and her pride in her remarkable professional accomplishments come through loud and clear in Simms's voice.
(Memoir. 9-adult)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781508297710
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A joyous, respectful introduction to the King of the Blues.
Bookended by a bluesy guitar riff, John Elbe’s resonant narration takes young listeners to rural, Jim Crow-era Mississippi to tell the story of the great B.B. King. In the sounds of a preacher's guitar and a blues-loving aunt's Victrola, little Riley B. King found music early: a $15 guitar he purchased at age 12 with money earned from picking cotton set him on his way. Elbe mimics the twangs of Riley’s guitar as the boy begins to master the instrument, his voice gathering power as the now-grown King’s career takes off. Duncan’s account smoothly backgrounds her subject’s climb to success with the realities of poverty and segregation. An accompanying PDF of the print edition’s backmatter provides a timeline and further resources.
A joyous, respectful introduction to the King of the Blues.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063459649
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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