John Smith is Number Four. His alien civilization sent nine survivors to Earth, and the ruthless Mogadorian assassins have already killed Numbers One to Three. John and Number Six work with their human friend, Sam, to locate the other numbers. Neil Kaplan does better with adults’ voices than with teens’. His nasal voice gives Sam a dopey quality that doesn’t precisely fit Sam’s ingenious nature. Kaplan’s earnest reading lacks the “wow” factor that makes this series so popular with teens. Marisol Kaplan’s female voice for Six is artificial and uneven. While she has smooth tones and reproduces the story’s Spanish phrases well, many of her secondary characters sound overacted. These weaknesses, together with low recording volume, make this hard to recommend.
Young AdultPub Date: Aug. 23, 2011
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062067791
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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