Middle schooler Kacey Simon has everything she wants: popularity, her own weekly advice show, and the lead in the school musical. But when a series of misfortunes forces her to get braces and glasses, she begins to lose it all. Casey Holloway narrates with a spark that helps listeners understand why people are drawn to Kacey, even when she schemes and pushes away the friends she should keep close. Holloway adds her lovely singing voice when Kacey befriends the new kid in town and joins his band in an effort to regain her popularity. Listeners will root for Kacey as she develops self-awareness and learns what true friendship is worth.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2011
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781611130140
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Though the premise is fantastical, Naudus makes it believable, creating a kind, confident protagonist.
Natalie Naudus narrates this middle-grade mystery set in a remote family camp in northwestern Ontario. Hayley Rilko and her cousins decide to break the Toronto Maple Leafs’ losing streak by contacting the ghost of their great-grandfather, a Leafs star whose body was never found after his plane crashed. Hayley’s family is cursed, and members are forced to quit playing hockey when they come of age. The arrival of her period is a salient point in this coming-of-age story. There is a huge cast of relatives at camp, but Naudus successfully focuses on creating credible family interactions rather than distinctive character voices.
Though the premise is fantastical, Naudus makes it believable, creating a kind, confident protagonist. (Fiction. 11-14)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 39 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217342211
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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