Eric Yang's spirited performance and ease in creating multiple characters make this audiobook a joy to listen to. Californian Rick Kotani, who loves baseball, expected to spend the summer pitching for his team. Instead, he winds up in Oregon, with his mom, who's looking after his Japanese grandfather, who still has spunk but isn't safe living independently. As Rick's Grandpa Hiroshi introduces him to a Japanese folktale that mirrors his life as a young man, Yang adopts an accent that perfectly fits an immigrant who has spent decades in America. Rick's growing interest in Toni, an excellent ballplayer and umpire who is continually being sidelined in favor of her twin brother, sounds both charming and squirmy. The minor characters are excellent, too--the overenthusiastic administrator at a dreary nursing home is particularly entertaining.
(Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2025
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063230842
Publisher: Harper Audio
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
Mirai's renderings of Kestrel, her family, and fellow workers at the institute thoughtfully depict the protagonists' growth.
Kestrel and her mother leave the home in California they share with Kestrel's grandfather, a pastor, to stay at a wildlife conservation institute in Montana. Narrator Mirai's youthful voice is a natural fit for this story of a young girl who at first resents being tricked into leaving California, but who later comes to realize that moving away from their strict home life was the right choice. Mirai employs distinctive voices for the adults, like Kestrel's stern grandfather and her uncertain mother, who begins gaining confidence. An author's note at the end discusses emotional abuse and how to find help.
Mirai's renderings of Kestrel, her family, and fellow workers at the institute thoughtfully depict the protagonists' growth. (Verse fiction. 9-14)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 42 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668175507
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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