Narrator Edward A. Mendoza captures the otherworldly mood of this unique story. Selfish 12-year-old Barnaby and his parents spend three weeks packing his grandpa's belongings for a move. Barnaby's relief at getting to stay in an attic room turns to dismay when the spoiled ghost of a man named Maxwell, who died in the 1980s, demands his help with unfinished business. Mendoza deftly blends details of Max's life in the 1980s with disturbing clues to his death. Barnaby's book-loving younger brother, Leo--Mendoza's best creation--seeks ways to help Max. The vividly rendered situation escalates when the boys confront a corrupt resident who is planning to gentrify the neighborhood, destroying Max's hopes for finding peace. Audio amplifies Barnaby's maturation while overcoming the story's occasional repetition and predictability.
(Paranormal. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063347083
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Bahni Turpin employs a Caribbean accent to take young listeners to St. Rita for this haunting combination of folklore and contemporary life. Young Kela is freshly mourning the loss of her mother when she finds a sea woman's comb in an exposed cave. Maybe that's why she can't help making a wish and why she fights so hard when things go wrong. If you're not familiar with this Golden Voice narrator, it may be hard to believe that all the character voices come from Turpin. She pulls electric energy and emotion from them all, especially the embittered sea woman, Ophidia. Turpin's tone travels effortlessly between fairy-tale sweetness and crackling action. Be prepared to hold your breath as the danger mounts.
(Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2022
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063043466
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Elena Rey ably voices a bustling cast of humans and monsters in this sequel to THE SCHOOL FOR INVISIBLE BOYS. Here, 12-year-old Kairos agent Sam Osborne takes center stage when he's assigned to find the papers of a deceased operative. Embedding in Seattle with his family, Sam assumes the identity of a Texas cousin, a device that allows Rey to slip nimbly between accents. She's particularly adept with her characterizations of children, especially Sam's target's earnest grandson, his word-loving best friend, and the teenage son of the family next door--none of whom are what they seem. Author Hutchinson opens his aperture considerably in this second series outing, but he provides enough backstory to orient new listeners as Rey confidently carries them forward.
(Supernatural. 9-12)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217015627
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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