Soneela Nankani shifts smoothly from Hindu mythology to pop-culture references in the second story about a seventh-grade girl who has her feet planted in both worlds, though not always firmly. Heroine Aru Shah is being framed by someone who has stolen Cupid's bow and arrows from an enchanted shopping center and is turning humans into heartless zombies. Aru and her best friend, Mini, join forces with Brynne and her best friend, Aiden, to find and defeat the thief. Nankani individualizes the four children and a host of fascinating characters of the Otherworld, including a giant blue crab who's infuriated when he's associated with Disney characters and a sage whose curses are comical. Nankani gets the balance of humor and adventure exactly right.
(Fantasy. 10-13)Pub Date: April 30, 2019
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525587606
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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