edited by Saraciea J. Fennell ; read by Avi Roque , Elizabeth Acevedo , Frankie Corzo , Ibi Zoboi , Janel Martinez , Jasmine Mendez , Julian Randall , Khalil Haywood , Lilliam Rivera , Natasha Díaz , Saraciea J. Fennell & Zakiya N. Jamal ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 2, 2021
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The collection contains 15 essays that contemplate ethnicity, race, and culture and how these affected the authors' identities. The individual stories are narrated mostly by their authors, a choice that allows listeners to feel as though the authors are speaking directly to them. Topics include Ibi Zoboi's account of where Haitians fit into the pecking order of her Brooklyn neighborhood when she was growing up and Janel Martinez's descriptions of gifts passed down from her Honduran abuela. The authenticity and emotion in the narrators' voices will appeal even to those who may not understand the occasional Spanish word or phrase. Through this audiobook listeners will discover that the Latinx diaspora is much more diverse than they realized while at the same time showing them parallels to their own lives.
(Nonfiction anthology. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 2, 2021
Duration: 7 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250818713
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Avi ; read by Alexandra O'Karma ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A
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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by Jacinda Ardern ; adapted by Ruby Shamir ; read by Jacinda Ardern ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2026
Listeners will be inspired by this principled prime minister who tackled her country’s biggest challenges with...
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Aspiring leaders, take note! In her Kiwi accent, Jacinda Ardern narrates this heartfelt and sincere adaptation of her memoir A Different Kind of Power, eliciting chuckles with amusing anecdotes and tears over tragedies. Ardern recounts her modest childhood, her unlikely path to politics, and her rise to New Zealand’s highest office as a young, pregnant, unmarried woman—armed with empathy, intelligence, faith, supportive loved ones, and a desire to serve. She shepherded her country through a volcanic eruption, Covid-19, and a mass shooting. Her heartrending narration of the shooting switches to steely resolve as she works to ban assault rifles.
Listeners will be inspired by this principled prime minister who tackled her country’s biggest challenges with kindness. (Memoir. 12-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 55 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217342044
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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