America's first test pilots were the aerial daredevils who strove to go higher and faster and to do rolls, dives, and other stunts, often in the name of entertainment. But they also helped early plane builders construct increasingly safer and stronger aircraft. That's the focus of this book, written as a series of profiles that make it eminently suited to audio. Robertson Dean offers an engaging narration, altering his voice slightly to match the tone of the text. He's excited when appropriate and even gravely serious when needed. Because the author includes inserted background notes--for example, a brief explanation of who Queen Victoria was--the production's continuity is occasionally broken. This is a title for young listeners, but adults will find it engaging and informative.
(Nonfiction. 11-15)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
Duration: 4 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478915416
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A joyous, respectful introduction to the King of the Blues.
Bookended by a bluesy guitar riff, John Elbe’s resonant narration takes young listeners to rural, Jim Crow-era Mississippi to tell the story of the great B.B. King. In the sounds of a preacher's guitar and a blues-loving aunt's Victrola, little Riley B. King found music early: a $15 guitar he purchased at age 12 with money earned from picking cotton set him on his way. Elbe mimics the twangs of Riley’s guitar as the boy begins to master the instrument, his voice gathering power as the now-grown King’s career takes off. Duncan’s account smoothly backgrounds her subject’s climb to success with the realities of poverty and segregation. An accompanying PDF of the print edition’s backmatter provides a timeline and further resources.
A joyous, respectful introduction to the King of the Blues.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063459649
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
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