The youthful buoyancy of Dana Wing Lau's narration alternates with notes of uncertainty reflecting the insecurity of sixth-grade Chinese American Mo Lin. She's moved to a town lacking ethnic diversity and attends a middle school where microaggressions trigger her anxiety. Mo's life is balanced by a supportive librarian, a willing friend, and her music-loving uncle. Anger and grief fill Lau's voice when Mo thinks of her stepfather's desertion of her family and her mother's depression. Lau also registers the curiosity and determination Mo shows when researching her town's racist past. During the story's climax Lau shows Mo's courage in confronting her nightmares, which include a strange elephant and ghostly characters. Lau also makes clear the moments when Mo achieves a feeling of safety.
(Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 25, 2023
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593746554
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
A sensitive performance.
Deepa is a precocious 12-year-old girl in remission from leukemia. Under the tutelage of her uncle, a house call doctor, she becomes involved in solving teen tennis player Taio's puzzling medical mystery. Deepa is unsure of herself, but she’s ready to get back to middle school after a year away for treatment. Narrator Soneela Nankani depicts Deepa's desire to be more than the "sick kid" while navigating her youthful insecurities and the social challenges of middle school. Nankani also ably portrays Deepa's growing confidence in herself as she uses her own experience with illness to help figure out what’s wrong with Taio.
A sensitive performance. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 32 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668182833
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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