Narrator Channie Waites turns Tami Charles's protagonist into a flesh-and-blood teen full of doubts, humor, and grace. In New Jersey, in 1983, Vanessa is a wallflower who dreams of following in the footprints of Vanessa Williams, the first black Miss America. She enters a pageant at her middle school--despite feeling too fat, too dark, and too shy--and compares the cost of pageant outfits to the price of groceries and utility bills. While a few adult characterizations are heavy-handed, Vanessa's voice bubbles with charm and crackles with energy in her racially charged inner-city school. As family secrets are revealed and events spiral out of control, the listener will be compelled to hear the end of the story.
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2018
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501991035
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A fresh, dynamic interpretation of Woodson's poetry.
Woodson originally narrated her memoir in 2014, and this updated production features a lively chorus of voices, a new bonus chapter, and testimonies about the legacy of Brown Girl Dreaming. The audiobook opens with spare guitar music, and Woodson narrates her new, emotion-filled introduction. The chorus—Denée Benton, Marley Dias, Dominique Fishback, Big Freedia, Montego Glover, Nicole Ari Parker, Tika Sumpter, and Lena Waithe—then jumps in, each contributor delivering one poem and passing the mic to another voice for the next. The variety of voices adds a little spice, as their narration styles are very different from one another. Snappy musical interludes by Toshi Reagon feature before each section.
A fresh, dynamic interpretation of Woodson's poetry. (Memoir/poetry. 8-12)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 11 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217175611
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
Devon warmly depicts a quirky and loving family with his engaging performance.
Narrator Chris Devon returns for a bravura performance of this sweet, silly, and poignant second installment in Wood’s series. Seagull Gully and badger Septimus are busy raising their three chicks, and an already hectic household becomes that much more chaotic when a group of forest badgers comes for an extended visit. They want to dig a den where?! With his British accent and excellent pronunciation of Italian words, Devon immerses listeners in their various adventures and misadventures and conjures the many delights of the seaside town where they live. Gully’s dialogue consists exclusively of “Caw,” and Devon injects impressive variation and emotion into each utterance.
Devon warmly depicts a quirky and loving family with his engaging performance. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: May 5, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 52 mins
DD ISBN: 9798349115998
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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