Even though the setting of this audiobook is the future, it’s especially for those who don’t know or who have forgotten the lessons of history. A few years in the future, a xenophobic president has forced Muslim Americans into internment camps. Teenage Layla and her family become caught up in the wave of anti-Muslim hysteria. Narrator Soneela Nankani effectively conveys Layla’s emotions, which range from fear and uncertainty to anger and rebelliousness. For young adults concerned about our nation’s current state of affairs, this is an important listen. It also is a listen for adults who may have forgotten the terrible mistakes this country made in its treatment of Japanese-Americans during WWII.
(Realistic fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549175343
Publisher: Hachette Audio
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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