by Sid Fleischman ; read by Banna Rubinow & The Full Cast Family ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2009
Awards & Accolades
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The Great Freddie, a soldier who has survived WWII, is traveling in Europe as a not-so-talented ventriloquist when a dybbuk named Avrom—who is "not quite 13 but older than God"—takes possession of him. As a human, Avrom saved Freddie's life right before he himself was murdered by the "Nazi Jew child-killer." Now Avrom has come back to take care of unfinished business. He is seeking justice for all the unnamed lost children of the war. Banna Rubinow, as the story’s narrator, speaks with authority and feeling. Alexander Harvey and Joshua Gutmaker are especially worthy of note as The Great Freddie and the dybbuk. Harvey communicates the confusion of a young American flyer who finds himself possessed by an avenging ghost. Gutmaker ably conveys Avrom’s idealistic belief in the justice of retribution.
Ages 10+Pub Date: June 1, 2009
Duration: 2 hrs
Publisher: Full Cast Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Jennifer A. Nielsen ; read by Emily Lawrence ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2026
Lawrence enthusiastically portrays Cora and her friends in this fast-paced historical-fiction adventure.
Narrator Emily Lawrence creates a determined voice for Cora, who is desperately trying to survive the tragic 1906 earthquake in San Francisco with her two friends Chi and Oliver. Lawrence captures Cora’s tumultuous emotions as she and Chi are buried in rubble following the disaster and saved by her forbidden friend Oliver. Despite the bitter feud between their parents, Cora and Oliver work together to try to find her family as fire keeps spreading throughout their beloved city, all while running from bullies who are after Cora. Lawrence makes each character unique and adds a slight Irish accent for Oliver.
Lawrence enthusiastically portrays Cora and her friends in this fast-paced historical-fiction adventure. (Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798225033521
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
by Claire Swinarski ; read by Casey Holloway & Emily Eiden ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 17, 2026
Past and present come together seamlessly.
Casey Holloway and Emily Eiden perform alternating chapters of this audiobook about two girls connected through time. In the present day, 13-year-old Penny Marks is angry and resentful about her parents’ decision to move their family to Paris for her mother’s museum job. In 1943, 13-year-old Marie Bonnet and her sister live alone in Nazi-occupied Paris. Holloway depicts the curious, determined, artistic Penny, who pursues the mystery of a painting hidden in a wall and a letter written 80 years earlier. With an accented narration, Eiden reveals Marie’s entry into the French Resistance and her commitment to hiding French art from the Germans.
Past and present come together seamlessly. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 42 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063321816
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2026
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