Listeners may be familiar with Peter Abrahams as an Edgar Award nominee for his adult thrillers. In his first novel for the younger set, he succeeds in creating a tantalizing mystery. Mandy Siegfried perfectly captures teenaged Ingrid’s doubt, snideness, and bravado, grabbing the listener’s interest right away. The upbeat rock music introducing each disc doesn’t hurt either. As the title suggests, Ingrid feels a lot like Alice down the rabbit hole when she realizes she was the last person to see a local actress alive. Not only does Ingrid find herself in the theater playing Alice in Alice in Wonderland, but her new boyfriend’s father, the sheriff, is following up clues that are pointing way too close to her.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2005
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: Harper Audio
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: Feb. 10, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063389557
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
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