In this historical middle-grade audiobook, four disparate teens join a secret WWI mission, tunneling beneath no-man's-land toward the German front line. Narrator Raphael Corkhill is superb. He gives each boy a voice matching his nickname and personality. Shillings, named for his quick-fingered ability to steal one, speaks like the wily London urchin he is. Dover's lilting voice reflects his close-knit family's Irish roots. The gentle Mouse's voice is deep and soft--when he chooses to use it. Eton speaks with the accent of the British aristocracy. In addition, Corkhill deftly infuses kindness into the gruff and demanding officer who helps the teens bond into a cohesive unit. The horror and danger of war are palpable in a subplot involving an unnamed adult soldier who is fighting above ground.
(Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250212870
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
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
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