Katherine Kellgren and Cassandra Campbell share narrating this story-within-a-story. Campbell touchingly portrays a mother reading a tale to her daughter, who asks questions as the plot unfolds. Kellgren energetically introduces Arabella and Henrietta Osgood, identical twins who couldn't be more different. After Henrietta, more difficult and less favored by her parents, "punishes" her sister, she's sent to live with Aunt Priscilla, who lives in a creepy house with her black cats. Kellgren's best creation is former actress Aunt Priscilla, who's the most dramatic member of this group of eccentrics. When Arabella misses Henrietta, she has a thrilling and perilous journey to bring her sister home. Listeners will enjoy hearing the girls grow to appreciate each other and marvel at the unexpected conclusion.
(Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2016
Duration: 4 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780399569036
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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