With her older brother and only family member, Rob, missing in action in the Pacific theatre of WWII, Jayna, aka Gingersnap, leaves her guardian and heads to Brooklyn with her pet turtle and a bakery address in hand. She's been told she may have a grandmother there. Olivia Campbell's narration enriches the character of Jayna. Her tender, raw voice mirrors Jayna's uncertainties and desperation. Campbell's voice weakens and trails off at just the moments when Jayna feels most vulnerable. And as Jayna lets herself take in the welcoming bakery "family," Campbell picks up the pace, and her voice gains conviction. As guardian Celine, Campbell's quavering voice creates a remarkably unsuitable parent surrogate. Bakery owner Elise's voice is filled with uncertainty and skepticism, followed by growing warmth.
. (Historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780385361323
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Live Oak Media recently caught our attention with this new read-along book and cassette program. We listened first, and were so delighted we couldn't wait to get the book. The picture book made the experience even better, but the audio recordings was strong and vibrant by itself. THE GARDENER, Sarah Stewart's Depression-era story of a young girl sent to live with her Uncle Jim in the city has a sweet, wistful quality with narration alone, but coupled with David Small's soft-edged pencil illustration, it's a total delight. The reading is repeated on both sides of the tape, one with and without page-turning signals.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Powerful listening.
Four narrators personalize the tragedy of Houston’s 2017 Hurricane Harvey through the viewpoints of three struggling teens. Sunil Malhotra depicts Pakistani American Yasir’s many facets—his determination to succeed at soccer, his barely controlled rage about racism, his sadness about his father’s death, and his deep fear of drowning. Nikhaar Kashnani portrays South Asian American Mona. Weighed down by caring for her young brother, she loses herself in art and dreads her recurring nightmare about a flood. Josh Hurley renders Cody’s cruel, racist bullying as well as his fear of the dark, a result of being abused by his father. Christopher Salazar enthusiastically delivers interstitial news bulletins. When flooding from Harvey makes them face their worst fears, the resilient threesome’s separate stories come together and they support each other’s bravery.
Powerful listening.Pub Date: yesterday
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063389557
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
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