Narrator Michael Crouch captures each character's quirks in this funny, sometimes heartbreaking, story of an emotionally charged family road trip. Thirteen-year-old Theo is an introvert. Like his older sister, Laura, and his father, a science teacher, he struggles with communicating his emotions, preferring to channel those feelings into his comic book drawings. Two years after the death of his mother, Theo's family, still unable to share their grief, somewhat reluctantly takes a vacation. Crouch delivers Theo's first-person perspective with relatable adolescent angst and sardonic wit. His subtle differentiation between the main characters illuminates the dynamics of family conversations, sibling squabbles, and parental refereeing. The journey is memorable, and Crouch skillfully voices an assortment of robust personalities that listeners will enjoy.
(Fiction. 10-13)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780358576297
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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
The plot, performances, and production are funny and engaging and make Pedro’s world feel vibrant and full.
This full cast audio rendition of a graphic memoir conveys the energy and brightness of that visual medium. The story recounts Pedro’s challenging but hopeful and humorous childhood as a migrant farmworker in the U.S., growing up with dreams of a life in the arts. Sound effects and musical interludes punctuate the narrative. Plates rattle as an earthquake shakes a restaurant, and birds sing in the bushes on a berry farm as Pedro’s family works. The animated performances by this large cast, especially the boyish voice of Oscar Emmanuel Fabela as Pedro, are perfect to hook preteen listeners—and adults, too.
The plot, performances, and production are funny and engaging and make Pedro’s world feel vibrant and full. (Graphic memoir. 10-16)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 38 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217349708
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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