With vibrant intensity, Christopher Ashman narrates this steampunk adventure set in an alternate 1930s England. Twelve-year-old Christopher is an engineer's assistant who lives with the mechanical children created by the unscrupulous Mr. Absalom. When an accident reveals Christopher's true nature and a rival engineer kidnaps him, the other children run away to search for him. With his deep pitch and rich British accent, Ashman brings heart to the action-packed story, creating distinct voices for a wide range of characters. These include a gentle tone for the sympathetic Christopher; a nasal twang for the sly Absalom; a gruff growl for the belligerent genius, Cormier; and a supercilious delivery for the mechanical butler.
(Science fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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