Louise Erdrich’s BIRCHBARK HOUSE is reminiscent of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS. Both provide detailed windows into life in the mid-1800s--Wilder as a white settler of the northern Midwest; Erdrich as an Ojibwa of Lake Superior. In the cycle of one year, the listener becomes familiar with life-sustaining events, such as the maple sugar and wild rice harvests, and is introduced to young Omakayas and her extended family. Nicolle Littrell narrates with a gentle and quiet voice. Her presentation is light and immediate, giving the listener the opportunity to bear witness to each event, whether it be Omakayas talking to her bear brothers and gaining insight into being a healer or Old Tallow telling of the sickness that impacts both Omakayas’s and Ojibwa life. Stories from Ojibwa tradition complement the seasonal narrative.
(Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2002
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Audio Bookshelf
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Rey’s timeless performance makes this medieval adventure fascinating, frightening, and fun.
Elena Rey holds listeners’ attention firmly in her grasp with her narration of this middle-grade historical fiction. Twelve-year-old Blanca is chosen by her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, to marry the prince of France. As Blanca travels from Spain, she learns lessons about how to be a queen from Eleanor and lessons about life from the difficult journey. Rey voices young Blanca, Queen Eleanor, and various male characters with equal aplomb. Eleanor sounds imperious and aged; Blanca is assuredly royal yet a still preteen; and the knights are chivalrous, pompous, and a bit overzealous. Rey’s royal harrumphs and sniffs and childish scoffs and whines add to the enjoyable soundscape.
Rey’s timeless performance makes this medieval adventure fascinating, frightening, and fun. (Historical fiction. 9-14)Pub Date: March 24, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217287901
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: yesterday
Higginbottom captures Rose’s spirited determination and anger as she fights for her existence.
Narrator Erin Higginbottom creates a youthful voice for 12-year-old Rose, whose native Métis community is being threatened by Canadian settlers during the North-West Resistance of 1885. Rose has always been drawn to more traditionally male activities, and when a battle breaks out between her people and the Canadian soldiers, she desperately wants to contribute. Finally, her opportunity arrives, and she volunteers for a dangerous mission that could help make a difference. Higginbottom brings Rose and her family to life in this historical story of standing in resistance alongside those you love in the face of great danger.
Higginbottom captures Rose’s spirited determination and anger as she fights for her existence. (Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 17, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 18 mins
DD ISBN: 9781547614776
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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