[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with THE CHICKEN SISTERS, SAVING SWEETNESS, and THE STRAY DOG.]--One of the joys of fall is the release of a wonderful crop of new audiobooks. All four of these selections from Live Oak Media are extremely well done--clear sound, appropriate music that enhances the telling but never becomes the focus, and perfectly cast narrators. In SAVING SWEETNESS, Tom Bodett provides just the right long, slow drawl for this Old West sheriff--not too bright but with a good heart. Bodett's fairly flat narration promotes visions of vast open desert and a slow, easygoing lifestyle. William Dufris, narrating Simont's THE STRAY DOG, also reads at a slow pace, allowing young readers time to take in the illustrations. In a story with little text, Dufris manages to convey the varied emotions the family goes through as they find, lose, then recover a charming stray dog; Dufris imbues the story with warmth and joy to accompany the exuberant illustrations. THE CHICKEN SISTERS, another silly story by Laura Numeroff, is brought to life with the slow, easy pace and wonderfully diverse voices of Barbara Rosenblat. Over soft clucking sounds in the background, Rosenblat gives each character a distinct, identifying voice. Over half the pages of THE JOURNEY have no text. Classical music pieces, perfectly suited to Hannah's moods and environment, enhance the story. Narrator Daisy Egan delightfully juxtaposes spunky Hannah's two very different worlds--her breathless excitement amid the crazy, lonely bustle of the city and her homesickness for the peaceful, supportive community of home. A wonderful choice for a one-on-one book or an independent reader, with many layers to consider for older readers.
Ages 6+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2002
Duration: 12 mins
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
While narrator Liam Aiken evokes the wistful, dolorous tone of Snicket’s second mystery in his All the Wrong Questions series, he fails to deliver Snicket’s signature snark with appropriate vigor. In this episode, the main character, 12-year-old Lemony Snicket, continues the investigations that began in STAIN’D BY THE SEA with the case of the missing chemist, Cleo Knight. As Aiken delivers Snicket’s declarative sentences in a deadpan voice, his remote reading keeps listeners distant from the story. Furthermore, Aiken does not always play up the quirks of the town’s eccentric characters. When he does use individualized voicings, the story shakes off its languidness to some degree. Aiken’s melancholy narration echoes Snicket’s loneliness but doesn’t enliven the recording for young listeners. An attached PDF file includes the character Seth’s illustrations.
(Mystery. 8-14)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2013
Duration: 4 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478924845
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Jeff Harding voices the many impactful moments of 1919 in this engaging nonfiction audiobook. From women activists fighting for the right to vote to the Red Scare and civil rights riots, Sandler draws parallels to today's social issues. Harding matches 1919's cadence with a forward-moving pace. He uses different accents for quotations, though the women and people of color might have been better served with a diverse cast. The asides and timelines that appear in the text also are in the audio. Full of fascinating stories put into a modern context, this audiobook offers much to learn about an eventful year and ponders the big questions of our current time.
(Nonfiction. 11-16)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2020
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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