Narrator Ariana Delawari's accent and youthful voice are well suited to this novel in verse featuring Nurah Haqq, a new Pakistani immigrant who is making a difficult transition to life in Peachtree City, Georgia. Nurah and her confident older brother, Owais, find friends on the high school swim team, but the family suffers racism and bullying nonetheless. Listeners hear Nurah's sincere remorse when her failure to speak up results in harm to her family. Delawari's pacing is not to be faulted; however, listeners may find themselves backtracking to fully savor the artful verse in many of the shorter poems. Bonus material contains Nurah's family tree, a glossary of Urdu words used in the audiobook, and a recipe for kabobs. Delawari's reading of the author's note is particularly moving.
(Verse novel. 10-13)Pub Date: May 11, 2021
Duration: 2 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063044739
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A listen that will work best as a companion to the print book.
Cindy Kay narrates this first in a planned series. The story unfolds with the first meeting of the Skeleton and the Cat. The friendly Cat disturbs the Skeleton's solitary, peaceful home life, hoping to make a friend. Kay employs a perky, lighthearted voice for the Cat. He tries jokes, food, and dancing to make friends with the Skeleton, who does not joke, eat, or dance. She is aloof but never sounds unkind or impatient. As opposites often do, they become friends. Kay's narration is quiet, slow, and comforting, but unfortunately, some of the humor is visual and doesn’t translate to the audiobook.
A listen that will work best as a companion to the print book. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 7, 2026
Duration: 9 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063577213
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2026
Together, author and narrator create a three-dimensional character to root for.
Sunny Lu’s soft and youthful voice is perfect for April, a 12-year-old theater geek who happens to need a tracheostomy tube to help her breathe. April believes that her audition for the school play went so well that she’s sure to get the lead, so she’s devastated when she is confined to a backstage role because of her disability. Lu adapts her tone to each supporting character—April’s Chinese American parents; her best friend, Ruby, who lives by tarot cards; school bully Graham; and Zahra, whose activist mother wants to see more Muslims on the stage. April’s underhanded strategy to grab back the lead role sows discord until she finds a solution.
Together, author and narrator create a three-dimensional character to root for. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 19 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217295906
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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