Narrators Ruffin Prentiss and Carra Patterson channel the humor and sweetness of Kwame Alexander's first YA novel, an urban rom-com recently released on audio. Omar "T-Diddy" Smalls is a big-talking football star who scores both on and off the field. Claudia Clarke is a whip-smart activist--Harvard-bound, with no time for the likes of T-Diddy. Omar's friends have a bet that he can't get with Claudia, and that bet is on! Prentiss and Patterson bring out the liveliness of Omar and Claudia's saucy banter as flirtation deepens into something more. The narrators honor the rhythm and swing of the text and authentically communicate the couple's charm and energy. A fun audio that will leave listeners cheering for this unlikely and memorable pair.
(Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
Duration: 7 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781980048213
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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