Narrator Jorjeana Marie invites listeners into this biography of Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the U.S., in 1849. Marie highlights the determination of the young Blackwell, who even slept on a floor “to toughen herself up.” Background music conveys the period, and the soundscape aids in depicting Blackwell’s reality—the laughing of those who doubted her, excerpts from the letters of the 28 medical schools that rejected her before she was accepted at Hobart, and the jeering of her fellow students. Marie’s narration warms with pride at Elizabeth’s eventual successes. At the end, when a male doctor expresses his hope that Blackwell will be the last female in the profession, Marie confidently tells young listeners: “. . . but as you know, she certainly was NOT.”
(Picture book/biography. 5-9)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2014
Duration: 9 mins
Publisher: Weston Woods Studios
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This is a very brief introduction to the 6,888th Central Postal Directory Battalion of WWII. Jade Wheeler narrates with crisp enunciation, slow pacing, and buoyant admiration for the work of the Black women serving in the newly desegregated U.S. Army. Letters from home were a great morale builder for the troops. The Six Triple Eight was deployed in the U.S. and overseas to manage the sorting and delivery of millions of pieces of backlogged mail. Although more than 850 women served, 6 individual service members are named during the story. Wheeler delivers their names in a tone of respect. The credits are accompanied by 1940s-style jazz music. The PDF included contains a timeline, a glossary, and further reading.
(Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
Duration: 11 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063459748
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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