by Sharon Dogar ; Read by Oliver Wyman , Joe Barrett , Rachel Butera , Jeremy Gage , Peter Ganim , L.J. Ganser , Elisabeth Rodgers , Jay Snyder , Eileen Stevens & Suzanne Toren ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 4, 2010
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Oliver Wyman portrays a resentful 15-year-old Peter van Pels, who lives in Amsterdam in 1942. This novel is another of those based on Anne Frank’s diary. En route to meeting the Frank family in their secret annex, Peter is determined to see his girlfriend one last time. Instead he views his girlfriend’s family being taken away by the Nazis. When his family joins the Franks in the annex, he lurks in the shadows, feeling powerless and frightened. Wyman’s voice measures the way Peter has been robbed of his sense of self. The rest of the full cast plays the other annex residents, their tones and voices contrasting vividly with Peter’s sense of darkness—especially Anne Frank’s. Peter’s longing and her optimism give credibility to the two teens, who are united by uncertainty and growing feelings of mutual attraction and frustrated by a lack of privacy. Later, the cast’s haunting voices give a fuller depiction of Peter’s guilt, remorse, and despair at Mauthausen concentration camp.
Young AdultPub Date: Oct. 4, 2010
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Audible Inc./ Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Linda Davies ; Read by Emily Wilden ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A
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
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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