With STRAWBERRY GIRL, Lois Lenski captures a slice of life in rural Florida of the 1940s, and with it she won the 1946 Newbery Medal. In the tradition of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, the listener is welcomed into the Boyer home and witnesses firsthand the joys and sorrows of their hardscrabble life and the friction with neighbors who have varying viewpoints on cattle ranching and truck farming. Natalie Ross establishes a deliberate pace for her narration, allowing listeners time to picture each episode. Her nonjudgmental tone affords listeners the opportunity to experience the events up close—from heartbreak over a trampled strawberry bed to the destruction of property and cattle and to the growing respect between the children in each family. Additional information about the time period concludes the production.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Nov. 20, 2011
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781455834952
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Reader Michael Prichard delivers a convincing rendition of Archie Goodwin, the burly right hand of the portly Nero Wolfe, world-renowned gourmand and detective. Prichard preserves the 1970s setting and 1950s origins of the story, bringing listeners a well-paced narration of murder and politics--a combination of elements that usually guarantees an exciting listen. This audio entertainment is as well formed and fragrant as one of Wolfe's hothouse orchids (the stout sleuth cultivates them by the hundreds in his town house greenhouse) as Goodwin walks us through an explosive murder investigation and political wheeling and dealing in a tough yet intelligent read.
Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2006
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Partners
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This collection of eight short stories contains gentle tales of fantasy and magic--not the magic of wizards and wands, but of wishing mats and enormous cats and gifts brought by the winds. In a lovely English accent, Lizza Aiken quietly narrates these stories in which magic and good fortune often come to those who deserve it. Although her pitch changes little, she registers a range of emotions--from the sadness of a girl whose necklace of raindrops has been stolen to the joy of a child who moves from a hard life and a ramshackle trailer to a happy home amid the clouds. A NECKLACE OF RAINDROPS would make a soothing choice for a family car trip after a long day.
Ages 6+Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
Duration: 1 hr, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781101915721
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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