Narrator Rebecca Soler effectively voices the diverse characters in Behar's story of Jewish immigrants in Cuba on the cusp of WWII. Soler deftly manages Yiddish and Spanish words and phrases as 11-year-old Esther joins her father in a village outside Havana, where they work to earn money to send for the rest of their family in Poland. As Esther recounts in letters to her sister, she makes friends with villagers whose backgrounds range from Spanish settlers to formerly enslaved Santería practitioners and Chinese shop owners. Soler's gentle, emotionally connected performance showcases Esther's joy in discovering new sights and sounds, as well the tension of dealing with those espousing Nazism, even in Cuba. A quiet, thoughtful production of little-known history for young listeners.
(Historical fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2020
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593287927
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This engaging, uplifting summer read reminds listeners that happiness is often found in unexpected places.
This thoughtful and humorous coming-of-age story set in the late 1990s is a memorable listen. Narrator Mindy Escobar-Leanse shines as Gigi, a 12-year-old girl spending the summer at Camp Shir Gershon, a Jewish bungalow colony in upstate New York. Despite being there with her older sister, Yasmin, and her father, who works as the camp handyman, Gigi doesn't feel like she fits in and plans to run back to her mother in Brooklyn. As she begins to make friends and explore her family history and cultural links, listeners will feel like they are part of her journey. Escobar-Leanse infuses Gigi and the story as a whole with warmth and a feeling of connection while also capturing the insecurity, excitement, and uncertainty of growing up and discovering who you are.
This engaging, uplifting summer read reminds listeners that happiness is often found in unexpected places. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: May 5, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 59 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063372290
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Swayam Bhatia helps listeners imagine the feisty spirit of North Indian Simi Singh, a 12-year-old who meets school and field hockey challenges handily. Bhatia reflects Simi's fear when threats come from a prejudiced classmate and the comfort she finds in her loving extended family. Bhatia depicts Simi's personality as her parents' interfaith Sikh-Muslim marriage puts the family's safety at risk, and they must flee the country. While Simi's father is successful at legally gaining entry to the U.S., Simi and her mother must attempt a perilous journey to enter from Mexico with coyotes. Amid mounting pressures, both Simi's fear and courage build. When she becomes separated from her mother, Bhatia depicts her resourcefulness and resilience, as well as the kindness of strangers.
(Fiction. 8-13)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781546176954
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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