The framework for this novel is an interview between reporter Paul Faustino, from LA NACIÓN, and soccer goalie El Gato, whose team has just won the World Cup. The story weaves back and forth through Gato's childhood and his path toward his destiny. Christopher Lane brings the listener into the room where Faustino is carefully conducting the interview of a lifetime with a man who both fascinates and confounds him. Lane’s accents are thick and vary for each character. The soccer scenes are told with such energy and momentum that even non-sports fans will be rapt. The occasional references to Faustino's deadline and greedy editor put listeners on the edge of their seats, hoping that the story’s conclusion is reached before the time is up.
Young AdultPub Date: Feb. 28, 2011
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781455800704
Publisher: Brilliance Audio/ Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Much has been written on Jackie Robinson's groundbreaking career and legacy, but it's nice to see a well-done synopsis covering the highlights of his life for young people. Narrator JD Jackson carries the story as he conveys the importance of Robinson's life without overdramatization. It covers Robinson's growing up, time in the Army, and deliberate recruitment for the purpose of breaking Major League baseball's color barrier. Jackson gives various players, coaches, and individuals--including Robinson's wife, Rachel--slight accents. His steady, animated narration reflects the well-researched book and is sure to hold the attention of both young and older listeners.
(Biography. 10-13)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2017
Duration: 2 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrators John Lithgow and Kate Mulgrew alternately share poems and songs created by Fred Rogers for his long-standing television show. Rogers's messages affirm children and give voice to the myriad feelings, good and bad, that all people feel from time to time. Wonder, joy, questions, exploration, outsides and insides, a new baby, one-of-a-kindness, needs emotional and material are examples of the breadth of Rogers's words. Lithgow's voice has its own richness, reminiscent of Rogers's own. His tone is firm and straightforward. When his voice expresses the anger of a poem, for example, he soon becomes calm as the anger fades. Kate Mulgrew is equally genuine and sets a pace for children's consideration of each message.
(Poetry. 3-8)Pub Date: March 19, 2019
Duration: 1 hr, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781683691808
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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