A lively narration by Olivia Campbell captures the voice of 12-year-old Daisy Bauer as she recounts the ingenious plot, thought up by her friend Graham, to bust her father out of prison. Campbell's youthful and highly modulated voice reveals Daisy's frustration with her home life. Conveying spunkiness rather than self-pity, Campbell captures a spirited girl as she comes to terms with the truth about her father. Her narration offers vivid portrayals of other characters as well, including Graham's lisp after he loses his front teeth and Grandma's churlishness. Despite some unclear transitions between characters during dialogue, Campbell's sensitive performance enhances a touching story about friendship and growing up.
(Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2014
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780553397024
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Live Oak Media recently caught our attention with this new read-along book and cassette program. We listened first, and were so delighted we couldn't wait to get the book. The picture book made the experience even better, but the audio recordings was strong and vibrant by itself. THE GARDENER, Sarah Stewart's Depression-era story of a young girl sent to live with her Uncle Jim in the city has a sweet, wistful quality with narration alone, but coupled with David Small's soft-edged pencil illustration, it's a total delight. The reading is repeated on both sides of the tape, one with and without page-turning signals.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ebner’s well-paced narration will engage listeners to the very end of this excellent audiobook.
Jeff Ebner's youthful, enthusiastic voice immediately pulls listeners into this fun-filled summer adventure. Eleven-year-old Felix and his neighbor, Marigold, find a mysterious wooden box that contains a field recorder and a coded message that subsequently sends them on a fantastically sound-filled scavenger hunt. The inclusion of actual sound effects—an ice cream truck’s jingle, a barking dog, bird song, and more—throughout the audiobook enhances the listening experience. The music, the voices, and the clues as Felix and Marigold run all over town are irresistible. The story’s conclusion features an unexpected reconnection.
Ebner’s well-paced narration will engage listeners to the very end of this excellent audiobook. (Mystery. 7-11)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217351961
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
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