Jimbo’s sister, Becky, tells him she’s overheard that he’s in trouble at school. Just to be sure, because Becky likes to torture him, he and best pal Charlie put a listening device in the teacher’s room. What they hear starts an adventure that takes them light-years away from school, Becky, parents, and even Earth itself. Julian Rhind-Tutt’s youthful, energetic voice takes listeners on a wild and woolly adventure. As the boys experience intergalactic travel and ultimately save Earth from annihilation, Rhind-Tutt portrays everyone from snarky teachers to alien-spider-robot-things and a big sister who brains aliens. Mark Haddon (THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME) wrote BOOM! (published as GRIDZBI SPUDVETCH) in 1992. This reissue has been classily updated, and with Rhind-Tutt narrating, it’s a good fit for today’s listeners.
Ages 10+Pub Date: May 11, 2010
Duration: 3 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780739381380
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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