Young Charlie has just lost his father, and narrator Ron Butler clearly conveys his anger and vulnerability. Fans of Kwame Alexander's THE CROSSOVER will quickly recognize Charlie as a teen version of Chuck "Da Man" Bell of the earlier book. It's fun to note signs of the teasing, loving father Charlie becomes, but Butler mainly focuses on depicting Charlie's emotional growth in this story. His resentment at having to spend time with his father's family, for example, eventually changes to appreciation. Butler also gives meaningful portrayals of the minor characters who influence Charlie. His paternal grandfather, for example, offers many words of wisdom. While they may come across as heavy-handed in the text, Butler lightens them. Overall, Butler's effective pauses respect the author's poetic form. The last bit of the book shifts into a surprise ending that will delight fans of the earlier novel.
(Historical verse fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2018
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501949173
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Live Oak Media recently caught our attention with this new read-along book and cassette program. We listened first, and were so delighted we couldn't wait to get the book. The picture book made the experience even better, but the audio recordings was strong and vibrant by itself. THE GARDENER, Sarah Stewart's Depression-era story of a young girl sent to live with her Uncle Jim in the city has a sweet, wistful quality with narration alone, but coupled with David Small's soft-edged pencil illustration, it's a total delight. The reading is repeated on both sides of the tape, one with and without page-turning signals.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Naeymi’s narration is both raw and triumphant.
Samara Naeymi beautifully narrates this middle-grade novel about an Iranian American girl. Bullied by her classmates for her frizzy hair and thick eyebrows and criticized by her mother for her weight, Yasmin struggles to be her authentic self in a world that tells her she's not good enough. There are many different perspectives in this story, and Naeymi is true to each: Yasmin’s judgmental mother, with her Persian accent and steely belief in her own harsh parenting; the ruthless teenagers whose hurtful comments cause emotional harm; the younger brother concerned for his sister's unhappiness; and the tried-and-true best friend.
Naeymi’s narration is both raw and triumphant. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 24, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9798349114861
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
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