Em Grosland narrates this story of a school-picture day gone wrong. Andrew is a worrier, and today he has more than enough to worry about. Besides his best friend's new friends, his mom's new job, and his grandmother's worsening Alzheimer's, he has to spend his day dodging bullies, basketballs, ketchup rockets, and getting his photograph taken. Grosland expertly blends Andrew's wry sense of humor with his forthright explanations of his struggles with anxiety and obsessive behaviors. As the pressure builds inside Andrew, Grosland subtly increases their pitch and speed to mimic the sensations being described. The audio production effectively uses sound effects, lively music, and Grosland's exaggerated tones to stand in for the illustrated panels included in the print edition.
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593945896
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Perfect for listeners who enjoy a fast-paced coming-of-age novel in verse and an exceptionally authentic narrator.
What starts as a story about a young man’s passion for basketball ends in a powerful reckoning with anxiety and self-acceptance. Author Randall dynamically narrates Malik “Shake” Page with so much personality that listeners will align with Shake's emotional highs and lows as if they're spectators in the bleachers. After an ankle fracture sidelines Shake from the sport that defines him, his inner journey takes center stage. Listeners will chuckle at the dialogue and be on the edge of their seats as they root for Shake to find his community both on and off the court.
Perfect for listeners who enjoy a fast-paced coming-of-age novel in verse and an exceptionally authentic narrator. (Verse fiction. 9-14)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250441652
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2026
A sensitive performance.
Deepa is a precocious 12-year-old girl in remission from leukemia. Under the tutelage of her uncle, a house call doctor, she becomes involved in solving teen tennis player Taio's puzzling medical mystery. Deepa is unsure of herself, but she’s ready to get back to middle school after a year away for treatment. Narrator Soneela Nankani depicts Deepa's desire to be more than the "sick kid" while navigating her youthful insecurities and the social challenges of middle school. Nankani also ably portrays Deepa's growing confidence in herself as she uses her own experience with illness to help figure out what’s wrong with Taio.
A sensitive performance. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 32 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668182833
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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