While Wexler's message on improving education will be interesting to any parent, school official, or educator, her narration will leave them wanting. She argues quite convincingly that the missing piece in our educational system is a meaningful focus on building a student's knowledge base in order to help them develop skills. However, the education debates since the 1980s have missed this key element, leaving children less capable upon graduation. She demonstrates the impact of these issues by following two classes of students over the course of a school year. Her narration does well in re-creating classroom dialogue but is a bit too laconic and disinterested when narrating the straight narrative. She provides some emphasis, but, overall, her tone sounds too distant for the listener to become absorbed in.
Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2019
Duration: 9 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781984888969
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a respectful, serious tone, Lizan Mitchell narrates the personal story of Carlotta Walls LaNier, one of the Little Rock Nine, who challenged the policy of educational segregation in Arkansas during the Civil Rights movement. Carlotta’s story recounts her life from her childhood in Little Rock though the Civil Rights era and all the way to Barack Obama’s 2008 election to the highest office in the land. Mitchell’s forte is expressing the emotional aspects of the story, especially her struggles to move on from the hate and discrimination she faced during her teen years. The one distraction from the excellent narration is the chapter read by Peter Fernandez. Since Mitchell reads the rest of the story on her own, including all the quotes, it’s surprising to suddenly hear Fernandez’s voice. Furthermore, the switch seems unnecessary.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2009
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Julia Winwood's narrative tone is that of a well-done lecture, with emphasis on interesting ideas and intriguing facts. She can bring a hint of suspense to the invention of the ring binder and make listeners smile as they hear a poem on alphabetical order. Judith Flanders's history of ordering systems and the developments that made them necessary is thoughtful but a bit esoteric. Her account of the roots of the written word and libraries focuses on such things as indexes, concordances, and card catalogues. Early on, the origins of the word "abracadabra" in the Roman alphabet can seem magical as delivered in Winwood's voice.
Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549104800
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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