Philip Reeve has written a rollicking space adventure as an alternative Victorian reality. The British Empire spans the universe, gravity is measured in British Standard Gravity (BSG), and the moon is a convict colony for petty criminals. Greg Steinbruner deftly narrates the tale of Art Mumby and his sister Myrtle making an emergency escape from Larklight, their rambling home in space, and signing up with space pirates in order to save the Empire from an army of enormous spiders. Steinbruner portrays Art as a kind of " Boy's Own" chap with old-fashioned attitudes but daring and gung-ho. When the two siblings are separated, we get Myrtle's prim and proper diary with both swoon and spunk. Marvelous fun for child and adult alike.
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: July 4, 2007
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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