Melodies abound throughout this engaging novel based on the actual story of Libby Dodge, a 16-year-old sent to the Sherborn Prison for women in the early 1900s. Carmen Viviano-Crafts brings Libby alive as she finds her place in the prison world, and The Full Cast Family adds just the right spice to the hard-boiled inmates Libby befriends during her time there. Although its setting is dreary, this is a hopeful story, punctuated by bursts of songs by Gilbert and Sullivan as the inmates strive to carry out a production of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE. Libby and her friends will tug on listeners' heartstrings and make them want to sing along. D.L.M. 2006 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
Family ListeningPub Date: March 1, 2005
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Full Cast Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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