The sadness of loss and the gentle comfort of remembrance permeate this lovely story of Spoon Gilmore in the summer following his beloved grandmother's death. As Spoon searches for the token he needs to keep Gram close to his heart, Blair Brown breathes life not only into Spoon but also into his quirky and lovable family as well--his gentle, husky-voiced grandfather; his generous, garden-addicted parents; and, most particularly, his sparkling and pesky sister, Joanie. Brown portrays the charming, obsessive, stick-collecting Joanie so richly that the listener imagines this six-year-old to be a reincarnation of Brown's own girlhood self. Joanie comes so fully alive, in fact, that Brown's reading of Spoon pales just a bit in comparison. The wonderful combination of heartfelt emotion and ordinary humor will make this a favorite for individual, as well as family, listening.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 1 hr, 49 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Liam Aiken narrates this prequel to the Series of Unfortunate Events in a somber, deadpan tone that heightens its dark humor. As a teenaged Lemony Snicket investigates a series of arsons in a town called Stain’d-by-the-Sea, Aiken creates voices that delineate character and help keep clear the large cast of Snicket’s associates, enemies, and enemies that turn out to be associates. Aiken’s tone of quiet urgency will keep listeners hooked through wordplay, mysteries, good meals, romance, and the appearance of a new villain named Hangfire, who hoodwinks adults, frames a librarian, and kidnaps all the children in town. This smart and funny listen will please Snicket fans and create new ones.
(Mystery. 8-14)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2014
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478955733
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
While narrator Liam Aiken evokes the wistful, dolorous tone of Snicket’s second mystery in his All the Wrong Questions series, he fails to deliver Snicket’s signature snark with appropriate vigor. In this episode, the main character, 12-year-old Lemony Snicket, continues the investigations that began in STAIN’D BY THE SEA with the case of the missing chemist, Cleo Knight. As Aiken delivers Snicket’s declarative sentences in a deadpan voice, his remote reading keeps listeners distant from the story. Furthermore, Aiken does not always play up the quirks of the town’s eccentric characters. When he does use individualized voicings, the story shakes off its languidness to some degree. Aiken’s melancholy narration echoes Snicket’s loneliness but doesn’t enliven the recording for young listeners. An attached PDF file includes the character Seth’s illustrations.
(Mystery. 8-14)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2013
Duration: 4 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478924845
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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