Sandy Rustin deftly introduces 12-year-old Emmie Ethrige, her school, and friends. Impressively independent, Emmie is saving to buy a sport wheelchair in order to participate in motocross events. Emmie and her best friend, Ale, sell Spanish moss, pine cones, and wheelchair bags to make money for their projects. Rustin movingly presents Emmie and her dad as they cope with the loss of her mother, who was her fiercest defender. Things fall apart when self-sufficient Emmie is given her own teacher aide and a fundraiser to purchase a wheelchair (which she planned to purchase herself) is begun. Rustin thoughtfully handles the awkward situations Emmie must navigate to protect her autonomy. Family life, a budding romance, and coping with challenges make for an uplifting yet realistic listen.
(Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781705060704
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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
Together, author and narrator create a three-dimensional character to root for.
Sunny Lu’s soft and youthful voice is perfect for April, a 12-year-old theater geek who happens to need a tracheostomy tube to help her breathe. April believes that her audition for the school play went so well that she’s sure to get the lead, so she’s devastated when she is confined to a backstage role because of her disability. Lu adapts her tone to each supporting character—April’s Chinese American parents; her best friend, Ruby, who lives by tarot cards; school bully Graham; and Zahra, whose activist mother wants to see more Muslims on the stage. April’s underhanded strategy to grab back the lead role sows discord until she finds a solution.
Together, author and narrator create a three-dimensional character to root for. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 19 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217295906
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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