Myers portrays the street life of Harlem through the voices of a trio of disparate characters. Narrator Brandon Gill transitions deftly from the troubled voice of high school senior Paul Dupree to those of Elijah, his summer employer, and the smooth-talking Sly, a neighborhood gang leader. Elijah’s cajoling, amusing instructions in the soup kitchen run the gamut from how to dice carrots to life lessons on social contracts. Paul thoughtfully digests the lessons and tries to convey them to an unwed mother he is coaching in basketball. Myers adds drama to this morality tale through the characters of Sly and the young basketball star. Gill decisively portrays them all, along with a host of minor characters—from soup-kitchen seniors to thugs and visiting relations.
(Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2012
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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