Ramón de Ocampo's prosaic narration adds to the uneasy mood of this middle-grade horror story. After an embarrassing school incident, Casey becomes a social outcast. His family worries about him--until a local dad drops a new friend at Casey's home. Morel doesn't speak, has no eyes, and appears to be made of clay. Oddly, only Casey seems to notice these peculiarities. De Ocampo shines at adding to the listener's discomfort. Rather than reflect Casey's anxiety, his delivery mirrors the normalcy that Casey's parents exhibit around Morel. As days pass, Morel becomes more boy-like and ingratiates himself with Casey's parents. When Morel's true nature is finally revealed, de Ocampo conveys Casey's panic--which the listener has felt all along.
(Horror. 9-12)Pub Date: July 22, 2025
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063396388
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Solid middle-grade horror.
Kaipo Schwab performs this fourth outing in the Tales From Cabin 23 series. In this entry, a Lipan Apache middle schooler finds himself trapped in a house that’s slowly falling into the ocean off coastal Massachusetts. Sean’s been uprooted from his Texas home to live temporarily with his cousin, Zeke, and Schwab convincingly captures his hesitancy and earnestness. Little Badger’s story is propulsive, and Schwab matches its pacing easily. His characterizations also include brash and confident Zeke as well as lonely schoolmate Jenny and “Many Names,” a monster who’s as displaced as Sean—and very hungry. Each character comes alive for listeners as Sean desperately works to rescue himself, his cousin, and their new friend from both Many Names and the Atlantic.
Solid middle-grade horror. (Horror. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 20 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063298286
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
Knowelden's proper English accent has a hint of a wink and a smile throughout.
Elizabeth Knowelden narrates another of Millie Fleur’s enchanted gardening adventures. This time, Millie plants a pumpkin patch with magic soil to brighten Garden Glen for the fall. As she works, her cheerful chatter can be heard in the background. When Millie’s garden shed escapes the yard, it dances through town to a quaint country music tune, accidentally spilling seeds and soil wherever it goes. Listeners will enjoy nature sound effects, orchestral music, and the grumblings of the locals as the enchanted pumpkins overrun Garden Glen. Eventually, the townsfolk work together to find unique uses for the extreme variety and abundance of pumpkins.
Knowelden's proper English accent has a hint of a wink and a smile throughout. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 21 mins
DD ISBN: 9798225073169
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2026
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