John (Jack) Langstaff was born into music—his parents’ home was often filled with performers. Being musically trained at boy choir schools, and subsequently educated at other fine schools, ignited a passion that resulted in a career as a recording artist, playwright, teacher, children’s book author, and the founder and musical director of the renowned Christmas Revels, which began in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and have now spread all over the world. Susan Duerden is a magnificent entertainer who provides a sincere and multidimensional performance. She traces Jack’s enriched childhood, with its famed Christmas gatherings; applies heightened emotions to his horrific experiences during WWII; and enthusiastically recounts his magical accomplishments in weaving medieval music with dance and drama, traditional English songs, and children’s theater.
Young AdultPub Date: Jan. 22, 2011
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781455829347
Publisher: Brilliance Audio/ Candlewick
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
Listeners will be inspired by this principled prime minister who tackled her country’s biggest challenges with...
Aspiring leaders, take note! In her Kiwi accent, Jacinda Ardern narrates this heartfelt and sincere adaptation of her memoir A Different Kind of Power, eliciting chuckles with amusing anecdotes and tears over tragedies. Ardern recounts her modest childhood, her unlikely path to politics, and her rise to New Zealand’s highest office as a young, pregnant, unmarried woman—armed with empathy, intelligence, faith, supportive loved ones, and a desire to serve. She shepherded her country through a volcanic eruption, Covid-19, and a mass shooting. Her heartrending narration of the shooting switches to steely resolve as she works to ban assault rifles.
Listeners will be inspired by this principled prime minister who tackled her country’s biggest challenges with kindness. (Memoir. 12-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 55 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217342044
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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