Priya Ayyar narrates briskly, making it easy for listeners to be captured by a story featuring 11-year-old Ariel Goldberg, who is growing up in the turbulent 1960s. Ayyar's youthful voice conveys the confusion and hurt Ariel feels when she's treated differently because she's Jewish and has learning difficulties. She finds comfort from her older sister, Leah, but then her beloved sibling falls in love. Ayyar differentiates characters with accents and emotions. Her tones reflect Ariel's parents' lack of acceptance of her, Leah's departure from home, and Ari's subsequent loneliness, which is compounded by her parents' financial struggles and secrecy. The story's second-person voice invites listeners into a closer experience of Ariel's determination to make sense of her world through poetry and taking action.
(Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593208441
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
Edwards gives a soulful performance.
Young Juniper visits her grandmother's house, where Grandma tells her about their ancestors from Africa and their practice of hoodoo. Together, Juniper and Grandma tend to the garden, go for walks in the woods, attend church, create herb-filled mojo bags, and visit the cemetery to place offerings for their ancestors, whom Grandma says are always with them. Narrator Janina Edwards conveys Grandma’s wisdom with an earthy and relaxed narration, expressing a clear connection with the natural world, a refuge for both of them. Edwards also handily portrays Juniper's sense of wonder as she navigates this spiritual connection, inspiring listeners to pay attention to the world around them.
Edwards gives a soulful performance. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
Duration: 13 mins
DD ISBN: 9798349168703
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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