Though disguised as a peasant girl, Cecilia's actually the true princess, who is hiding from the assassins who killed her parents. When Cecilia flees with her best friend, Harper, to the capital to claim the throne, she discovers that her decoy, Princess Desmia, has been told a different story. This plot-driven tale is engrossing, and Polly Lee does a good job with her main role, voicing Cecilia's thoughts and words. Lee’s other characterizations—from Nanny Gratine to Harper—are weaker. As she warbles her voice to become an old lady or deepens it to sound like a boy, Lee may irritate some listeners. Sometimes her voice takes on a wistful, keening quality that's hard on the ear. Still, listeners will be drawn in by her overall steady performance.
Young AdultPub Date: Feb. 4, 2008
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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