Renée Watson narrates this story like it's a chat with a best friend. Nala's goals for the summer before her senior year are to spend tons of time with her cousin-sister-friend Imani and, she hopes, to get a boyfriend. When she meets Tye at one of Imani's "Rise, Harlem" events, she feeds the sparks between them with a few little lies designed to make herself sound like more of an activist. Watson's voice and writing create a vivacious yet vulnerable Nala, who wants Tye to see the person she really is while still trying to find out who she wants to be. Watson's rhythm for the interlude lyrics by Nala's favorite singer, Blue, is spellbinding. The story tenderly explores what it takes to create change in one's community and oneself.
(Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2021
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
As the friends help each other negotiate life, Anton develops a vulnerability that transforms him into a nurturing leader.
Narrator Michael Ajao easily depicts 14-year-old Anton’s swagger, maximizing the wit of the writing and the hubris that makes Anton and his mates feel like kings. Ajao excels at accents and quickly distinguishes between different classes and personalities—from the fast, spicy dialogue of Anton’s South London friends to the gentleness of his grandmother. Anton’s mother enrolls him in the Happy Campers, a community service group. When he’s paired with loner Matthew, who saves his life after a bee sting, they become unlikely secret friends. Ajao expresses the way Matthew’s soft vulnerability tames Anton’s toxic masculinity and the way Anton’s sarcasm teaches Matthew about the world.
As the friends help each other negotiate life, Anton develops a vulnerability that transforms him into a nurturing leader. (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668654521
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: today
A powerful journey toward authenticity.
Shannon Tyo’s narration fully embodies the prideful spirit of Elena Ok, a 17-year-old Korean American influencer who lives in luxury thanks to her brand and her family’s clothing business. But when the Oks lose everything, the family moves to a remote farm town and into a rundown house with no Wi-Fi or furniture. Tyo perfectly captures Elena’s misery; she’s undone not just by the lack of reception but also the feeling that she’s being left out of her family’s efforts to unite and move forward. Listeners understand Elena’s pain and feelings of loss through dialogue that sparks with sarcasm. Tyo marks Elena’s gradual understanding that true connection is with family and community, not the empty superficiality that dominated her past.
A powerful journey toward authenticity. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280834
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2026
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