An impassioned and inspiring manifesto on telling good stories.
In an unadorned but sincere and appealing performance, Barnett’s enthusiasm for children’s literature comes through loud and clear. The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature makes a convincing case for the importance of children’s literature as an art form, and the importance of recognizing kids as creative, imaginative, discerning readers in their own right. As anyone who has read or listened to Barnett’s books for children knows, he’s funny, and that humor adds to the listening experience, especially when he shares personal stories or interrupts himself to deliver frequent footnotes. A couple of small changes from the print book make the production specific to audiobook listeners.
An impassioned and inspiring manifesto on telling good stories.Pub Date: May 5, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668657096
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
Perceptive and thoughtful, this journey becomes both a search for old friends and a moving act of self-discovery.
McCarthy entices listeners with this charming blend of travel writing and an exploration of aging and male friendship. On a sprawling road trip across America to reconnect with five friends who shaped his life, McCarthy encounters people who deepen his contemplation of how friendships evolve over time, especially for men. McCarthy is an easygoing storyteller and his congenial narration matches his writing style. His engaging voice, playful and warm, captures the rich personalities of the people he meets as well as the character of the iconic and obscure places he passes along the way.
Perceptive and thoughtful, this journey becomes both a search for old friends and a moving act of self-discovery.Pub Date: March 24, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 2 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668653906
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
Keenly observed and achingly heartfelt, the story of Junod’s father is, in the end, the story of America.
In a voice brimming with sensitivity and urgency, the author invites listeners to come to know his father, Big Lou Junod, a tough, one-of-a-kind, self-made, sharply dressed husband, father, salesman par excellence—above all, a modern-day Lothario. Drawing from genealogical charts, archives, newspaper clippings, scores of interviews, and DNA analysis, Junod paints a picture of a man who bridged the classic Frank Sinatra days of the 1940s and the swinging 1960-70s. As the text careens between the sensibilities of true crime and Finding Your Roots, the author’s voice only intensifies as he discovers an extended family of broken homes, broken promises, buried secrets, and half siblings.
Keenly observed and achingly heartfelt, the story of Junod’s father is, in the end, the story of America.Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 18 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217174065
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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