Christina Moore takes over the narration in the continuing story of Omakayas, now 14, and her Ojibwa family. It’s 1852, and Omakayas and her family have been forced by the chimookoman (white people) to leave their beloved homeland in Wisconsin. They encounter many dangers as they travel long distances to meet up with other members of their tribe. Moore's richly textured voice is reminiscent of that of a Native American storyteller. She masterfully navigates the story of the family's hardships and effortlessly pronounces the Ojibwa words interspersed throughout the text. Though tinged with sadness, Erdrich’s Birchbark House series is a fine addition to historical fiction for its accurate portrayal of Native American life.
(Historical fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2008
Duration: 4 hrs, 15 mins
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: today
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