Narrator Channie Waites's infectious enthusiasm is the perfect match for YouTuber Hasani, a tween girl who's just discovered that magic is real and that she can do it. Just a few days after that discovery she starts at an elite charm school for witches. But her exuberance meets resistance when the students and teachers at Les Belles Demoiselles look down on her for being a Wildseed, a witch born to a non-magical family. French, Creole, and flower names roll easily from Waites, enhancing the story's lush Louisiana setting. Hasani is bursting with emotion as well as uncontrolled magic, and Waites expertly puts the listener in her shoes. Middle-grade listeners will love hearing how Hasani learns to value her strength in this heady blend of magic, technology, and charm.
(Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: May 10, 2022
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781705060308
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Arsenault’s passionate performance brings this alternative world to life.
Fourteen-year-old Tessa lives in a dystopian world with a leader who has banned books and taken away the personal liberties of its citizens. Elise Arsenault establishes a steady pace with her narration. When an older neighbor is taken to elder care, Tessa finds a box of forbidden books in her house that changes everything. Arsenault captures Tessa’s tumultuous emotions as she learns about the past and discovers that her long-lost twin brother, Theo, who disappeared years ago, may still be alive. Fans of Lowry’s The Giver will be intrigued by this world, one that feels frighteningly plausible.
Arsenault’s passionate performance brings this alternative world to life. (Dystopian. 9-12)Pub Date: yesterday
Duration: 5 hrs, 49 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063515130
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: tomorrow
Simply marvelous.
Samuel West gives a riveting performance of this thrilling, action-packed adventure. When scholar Irian Guinne is kidnapped, Christopher and Anya, along with Jacques the dragon and Ratwin the ratatoska, embark on an odyssey across the Glimouria Archipelago to collect various magical objects and ransom Irian’s release. Christopher is also trying to master his new ability to connect directly to the minds of magical creatures. West doesn’t have a youthful voice, but he’s still completely convincing as the young characters, and he deftly captures every moment of humor, fear, peril, and wonder. In his telling, a dangerous race becomes breathless and impossible to pause, and the themes of love, bravery, and kindness ring true.
Simply marvelous. (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593830123
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
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