Narrator Sarah Skaer takes listeners on a magical summer sojourn in this new English translation of Kashiwaba's 1975 fantasy. Sent alone to Misty Valley instead of Nagano, where her grandparents live, Lina is taken aback to learn she's expected to work for her keep. Skaer's pleasant lilt conveys the narrative as Lina works in various establishments along what the residents call Absurd Avenue, encountering a friendly imp, an officious parrot, and a vendor of enchanted ceramics. Skaer leans into the whimsy of Lina's adventures with humorously affected voices for most characters, reserving a childlike, no-nonsense tone for Lina, who soon takes the unexpected in stride. There is an occasionally grating nasality to some of her characterizations, but the openhearted fun of the story carries listeners along.
(Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
Duration: 3 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798331983642
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Henry's parents are kidnapped while they travel the world. Henry is confused and lost when he's sent to his aunt, uncle, and cousins in Kansas. His bewilderment increases when the plaster of his bedroom walls cracks to disclose 100 strange cupboards that are portals to odd places. Vivid descriptions of fascinating lands hold listeners' attention through the story's many unexplained facts as does the steady, solid narration by Russell Horton. Horton accurately modulates the characters' up-and-down emotions, adapting his pace quickly to the changes. Listeners are able to keep up with the rapidly introduced characters because of Horton's stand-out portrayals.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2007
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780739362778
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A cast of narrators shares these stories, each told from the point of view of a supporting character from Riordan's Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. We hear from Halfborn Gunderson, Samirah al-Abbas, Alex Fierro, and more. In "So's Your Face!" narrator Sile Bermingham gives fiery einherji Mallory Keen an Irish lilt, and in "I Play with Fire," Bahni Turpin gets to pull out the stops creating voices for a meeting of immortals in Muspellheim. Riordan's signature humor is here--Thor makes a guest appearance in each story, running through the nine worlds in his leather short shorts. The characterizations might not quite match what listeners heard in earlier installments, but diehard Magnus Chase fans can still enjoy this collection.
(Fantasy. 8-14)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
Duration: 3 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525641834
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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