Powerful writing based on the real life of Ricky Anywar is heightened by narrator Kevin R. Free's dramatic reading. Free's use of an African accent carries readers to the Ugandan setting and the stories of two characters--one real, one fictional. The true story of 14-year-old Ricky begins with the tenderness of his warm family. Soon, there's a horrific reversal as Free narrates the brutalities Ricky endures when his family is murdered and he's enslaved by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The imagined story of 11-year-old Samuel, who represents all the child soldiers, reveals the trauma that comes after a child is freed from being a soldier. Free's characterizations vary from the diabolical menace of Ricky's commanders to the nurturing compassion that the grown-up Ricky provides Samuel through his relief organization, Friends of Orphans. This may be one of the most difficult audios you'll ever hear.
(Historical fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781427287137
Publisher: Macmillan 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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