Sonia Manzano was known to millions of people as Maria on "Sesame Street" for more than 40 years. So hearing her narrate this powerful memoir of her turbulent young life can give listeners cognitive dissonance: Why is Maria's familiar, comforting voice talking about sex and violence? Her tumultuous childhood informed how she portrayed Maria; she made her real so other Puerto Rican little girls could see someone who looked like them on television. Manzano narrates her book with unflinching honesty. She sputters when recalling anger and lightens her tone and laughs aloud when reading about happy times. There's honesty in her voice as well as her words as she forthrightly recounts her life, rough spots and all.
. (Memoir. 12 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2015
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780545881500
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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
Lipica Shah's stirring narration of this YA biography showcases Emma Goldman's unshakable commitment to improving the lives of the oppressed. In 1885, Goldman immigrated to the U.S. from czarist Russia and became an ardent anarchist. A prolific writer and inspirational speaker, she gave hundreds of well-attended speeches each year. When quoting Goldman, Shah exudes the intensity of her quest to elevate America's working class. When quoting from any of the thousands of period newspaper articles about Goldman, Shah mimics their predominantly disapproving tone. Goldman was even imprisoned because of her progressive positions on government, workers' rights, sex, and birth control. Never deterred, Goldman was once considered the most dangerous woman in America.
(Biography. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250415134
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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