For those who grew up in storytelling families, there's nothing more comforting than a voice settling in to tell a family tale. A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO will put you in mind of storytelling afternoons on the front porch. Peck's Newbery Honor title fairly begged to be recorded, for it's the seven episodic chapters--one for each summer that Joey and Mary Alice visit their gun-totin' Grandma Dowdel in her Illinois town--that make the book memorable. Ron McLarty adopts the perfect unruffled tone as he relates the series of outrageous tales, all taking place from 1929 to 1935 and starring the gruff and grumble Grandma Dowdel and her two Chicago grandchildren. A cast of small-town characters--eccentric, pompous, or unpretentious in turn--complements the story. A gem!
Ages 8+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1999
Duration: 4 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
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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