THE PICKLE KING is a young adult mystery that borders on horror. Laurence Bouvard gives an upbeat lilt and twinkle to her portrayal of the story’s narrator, 11-year-old Bea. Bea has lost her parents and longs to escape the confines of the rainy town of Elbow. After forming their own gang, Bea and her friend Sam confess they’ve found a dead body, and that starts them down the road to some grisly adventures. The body belonged to Herman, a local purveyor of pickles and other salty treats, and he’s not at all happy to find himself dead. Bouvard’s male characters seem a bit whiny, and some come off as just dumb. But she portrays the story’s female characters with ease.
Young AdultPub Date: Jan. 22, 2010
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781449824792
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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