Cassandra Morris’s beautifully fluid narration highlights the themes of identity and friendship in this heartwarming story. Julia just wants to be like the other girls. Unlike Avery and Becca, her Chinese “sisters”—who were both adopted from the same orphanage that she was—Julia wants to forget all about China and adoption. With her youthful voice, Morris embodies Julia, capturing the turmoil and mortification of a girl who is struggling to accept her identity while also trying to fit in with the cliques at her summer camp. Morris’s performance is touching. Her lively modulations and giggles convey the high, excited tones of girls as they laugh and bicker, while strained whispers capture the quiet, heartfelt moments as secrets are shared and loyalties betrayed.
Ages 8+Pub Date: April 1, 2016
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781520005959
Publisher: Dreamscape
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
A joyous, respectful introduction to the King of the Blues.
Bookended by a bluesy guitar riff, John Elbe’s resonant narration takes young listeners to rural, Jim Crow-era Mississippi to tell the story of the great B.B. King. In the sounds of a preacher's guitar and a blues-loving aunt's Victrola, little Riley B. King found music early: a $15 guitar he purchased at age 12 with money earned from picking cotton set him on his way. Elbe mimics the twangs of Riley’s guitar as the boy begins to master the instrument, his voice gathering power as the now-grown King’s career takes off. Duncan’s account smoothly backgrounds her subject’s climb to success with the realities of poverty and segregation. An accompanying PDF of the print edition’s backmatter provides a timeline and further resources.
A joyous, respectful introduction to the King of the Blues.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063459649
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
