Narrator Rama Krishna Vallury charms in this heartfelt audio about when to fit in and when to stand out. Ajay always follows his Sri Lankan parents' strict rules for him: no bad grades, no scary movies, and NO friendships with girls. When a taunt from a popular kid goads Ajay into stealing a chocolate bar with a valuable prize inside, he has to figure out how to get his life back on track. Vallury balances Ajay's natural sweetness and his frustration with his cultural separation from his peers in a voice that sounds authentically conflicted and thoughtful. His animated narration also brings vibrancy to the people in Ajay's life, especially the gruff Scary Al, owner of the pillaged store.
(Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063360952
Publisher: Harper Audio
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: April 28, 2026
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