Review: The Case of the Counterfeit Criminals

Lady Ada and Mary return in the third Wollstonecraft Detective Agency adventure, The Case of the Counterfeit Criminals. Ada and Mary are joined by Allegra, Jane, Charles, and the staff at Ada's home. Book three closely follows book two, The Case of the Girl in Grey. In the third installment, "The game is truly afoot in this quirky caper involving blood-sucking leeches, an asthmatic pug, smoke bombs, secret elevators, diabolical disguises, and wicked word-play."

The characters remain true to their personalities that were shared in the previous two stories. Sometimes it can be hard to follow all the characters through the story, but that could be just me listening instead of reading it. I did listen to book three while in the car so the story was a bit broken up instead of at one straight go. The final disc in the three disc set was my favorite. There is a letter delivery scene that I really enjoyed. The ending tied into a story from book one, The Case of the Missing Moonstone. I am intrigued to read the next book in the series. Author Stratford can't leave his listeners (or readers) hanging on this small book ledge!

I would recommend this series to families or someone who enjoyed The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. There is a website for The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency if you'd like to wander around Ada and Mary's world.

Nicola Barber returns to narrate The Case of the Counterfeit Criminals. Yahoo! I heard the characters come back to the life from the previous stories. The female and male characters were enjoyable. I still really enjoy how she says, "clandestine." I hope Barber will return for the next book.

Reviewed from a Audiobook Jukebox copy. Thank you, HighBridge Audio!

Audio Book Details...
The Case of the Counterfeit Criminals by Jordan Stratford
Series: Book 3, The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency
Read by Nicola Barber
Produced by HighBridge Audio
Number of Discs: 3
Total Time: 2 Hours, 50 Minutes
Release Date: January 2017
ISBN: 9781622314300

Review: A Clatter of Jars

Welcome back to the world of talents in glass jars!

A Clatter of Jars is a companion book to A Tangle of Knots. Lisa Graff returns with new stories that share a glimpse of magic in the real world. Everyone, well, almost everyone, has a special talent which can range from cooking, baking, ice control, or communicating with frogs. Some talents can beckon talents from others while others can move talents from one person to another.

If you are unfamiliar with Graff's Tangle or Clatter, I would recommend reading A Tangle of Knots first and then follow up with A Clatter of Jars. Characters from Tangle appear briefly in Clatter but I believe it is significant enough to read them in order of publication. There are also talent ties to the first novel as well.

The setting for A Clatter of Jars is a summer camp for talented kids. A great story to read during the summertime! Clatter features several talent children who's stories are woven together at camp. It's a good read for a family trip or listening on your own.

Ellen Archer narrates A Clatter of Jars. This is a different narrator from A Tangle of Knots. The differences of stories deserves a different narrator. I liked Archer's narration of Clatter. With the range of characters, I could hear the difference between who was "speaking." I also appreciated the frog sounds throughout the book. Many times we learn the sound of a frog is "ribbit," but the frogs around camp were not "ribbit frogs," so appropriate frog sounds were shared. Looking for more frog sounds? Visit Animal Diversity Web for their page on Frog Calls.


I received this audiobook from Penguin Random House for an honest review. Thank you, Listening Library!

Audio Book Details...
A Clatter of Jars by Lisa Graff
Read by Ellen Archer
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 4
Total Time: 4 hours, 31 minutes
Release Date: May 24, 2016
ISBN: 9780451485885 / 9780451485892

Music Review: Creative Movement and Rhythmic Expression

Have you heard of the plenteous Hap Palmer? He's a been a very influential children's singer for decades. He's one of my favorite kindie musicians and I haven't heard all of his albums yet. My storytime good-bye song is one of his songs. Today's CD, Creative Movement and Rhythmic Expression, does not have the good-bye song I use, so I'll have to share that on a later date.

The goal of Creative Movement and Rhythmic Expression is to give children a way to freely express themselves during music. Lyrics are included in the CD insert, but instructions are not included. The songs explore listening, movement, shapes, and colors. The songs have a great pace for kids to follow along with the song. They are not too fast and give instrumental "pauses" from the lyrics to give listeners the chance to move! I also like that many of Palmer's songs "repeat." (Similar verses with different movement options.)

If you're hearing a song for the first time, it can be intimidating to move right away when you don't know what's going on. When verses are repeated in similar fashion, listeners can pick up on what to do and wade into moving more. It's also easier to create your own verses for a more personalized version of a song!

You can get a preview of Hap Palmer's songs at Educational Activities, Inc. Below is the track list and a few notes from me. The italicized tracks were some of the songs I would consider using during storytime:

Track List --
1. - Moving Game I - listen and move (tree in the wind, jet plane, riding a horse, rocket ship)
2. - Fishing Trip - story song - listen and move - instrumental sections throughout for plenty of time to move during the song
3. - Colored Ribbons - ribbon song - body song - color song - instrumental sections throughout for plenty of time to move during the song
4. - Teacher Who Couldn't Talk - instruments song - movement song
5. - Percussion Instruments - memory song  that follows "Teacher Who Couldn't Talk"
6. - Grandpa Builds a Table - story song - listen and move - tools song - movement song - instrumental sections after each tool mentioned
7. - Fast and Slow March - movement song (just as the title says) - slow, fast, slow so there is recovery time
8. - Out to the Country - story song - traveling song: city to the country in a car
9. - How Many Ways - shapes song (square, circle, triangle, figure eight) - instrumental sections after each shape mentioned
10. - Moving Game II - listen and move (elephant, bird, ball/sports, clown)

Reviewed from a personal copy.

Album: Creative Movement and Rhythmmic Expression
Artist: Hap Palmer
Label: Educational Activities, Inc.
Genre: Kindie / Family
Length: 28:16
Release Date: 1998 (originally 1971)

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A to Z Challenge - Letter C - Creative Movement and Rhythmic Expression - Hap Palmer

Review: Crenshaw

I picked up Crenshaw because I enjoyed Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan. I didn’t even bother to read the back cover summary. The cover looked sweet and magical. I’m always up for a fantasy story!

Applegate did not create a fantasy story. She wrote realistic fiction with an imaginary friend. (Thank you for the Harvey quote at the beginning of the book!) It is a story about one family's struggle with homelessness. A story that I did not expect, but one that truly is an eye opener into another person's world. I felt like I was walking in someone else's shoes as I listened to Jackson and his descriptions of his life. Crenshaw is his imaginary friend that appeared when he was needed. The cat brought humor, companionship, council, and frustration to Jackson. Crenshaw showed that everyone needs a friend, even if it is imaginary.

Hello, again, Mr. Kirby Heyborne! I’ve enjoyed several of Heyborne’s book narrations. This is another great listen. His voice was believable for 4th grader Jackson. He also added different vocal variations for the other characters in Crenshaw.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
Read by Kirbey Heyborne
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 3
Total Time: 3 Hours, 18 Minutes
Release Date: September 2015
ISBN: 9780399564642

Review: The Case of the Missing Moonstone

History and humor and math, oh my! What a fantastic read! I could also add mystery, science, and inventions to the list of themes in the first installment of The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency. English majors will be delighted with The Case of the Missing Moonstone.

I started laughing at track one and ended the story with a chuckle. Mr. Stratford put together a very clever story about a clever girl, Lady Ada Byron, and the people who surrounded her, Mary Godwin, Peebs, Charles, Mr. Babbage and more. He took some creative liberties, but tied true characters together to create a wonderful, historical mystery that will capture the attention of all ages. I am looking forward to book two, The Case of the Girl in Grey, which is coming out in 2016. This book is also a great read for readers who are waiting for the next installment of Maryrose Wood’s Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place.

Nicola Barber narrated The Case of the Missing Moonstone. I haven't heard her narrate before, but I have put a number of her audiobook titles on my to-be-read shelf without realizing it (until today). I believe Ms. Barber captured the story very well. It's a book that needs an authentic English voice and she hits the spot. Every once in a while I didn't know if Ada or Mary were talking, but soon their personalities of the characters shone through the narrative. I am excited to see that Barber will be back to read book two!

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford
Series: Book 1, The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency
Read by Nicola Barber
Produced by HighBridge Audio
Number of Discs: 3
Total Time: 3 Hours, 32 Minutes
Release Date: January 2015
ISBN: 9781622314249

Review: Catch You Later, Traitor

Catch You Later, Traitor is Avi's newest historical fiction title for middle school listeners and readers. He tells a story about the Collison family, specifically 12 year old Peter. The family lives in Brooklyn, New York in the year 1951. Professor Collison teaches at an area college, Mrs. Collison is guidance counselor at an area school, older brother Bobby goes to high school and has dreams of space, and Peter, the youngest Collison, is attending middle school. Peter hangs out with his best friend Kat, enjoys playing punch ball at school, and loves a good detective story. The Collisons are living a typical 1950's lifestyle when Peter's teacher tells his class that Peter is a "pinko." All the sudden Peter's world is turned upside down! His teacher and his classmates give Peter the cold shoulder, an FBI agent wants to talk to him about communism, and his family is full of secrets. Peter needs to turn into a detective, like Sam Spade, and find out the truth!

The description of Catch You Later, Traitor brought to mind a variety of media that I previously consumed, but with a new twist and historical story. I thought of Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin, The Brixton Brothers series by Mac Barnett, and the movie The Majestic. In Avi's story, it was a double detective story. Peter loves to hear about Sam Spade on the radio and he also reads detective magazines. With all his sleuthing knowledge, he sets out to discover his family secrets and why the FBI is after him. It's a very captivating historical mystery. As Peter unearths family history, his mind picks up part of his life as if Peter himself was a detective story. (Those sections were fun to hear on the audiobook.)

The story picked up pace as Peter shares his life in the 1950's and his findings about truth, freedom, and family. I felt that Avi wrote on a topic that is "new." I know of very few (in any) books for middlers that talk about the Red Scare in the 1950's. There are books on the World Wars and the Great Depression, but not too many about these themes from a young citizen's perspective. If you know of a title, please leave a comment.

Mark Turetsky narrates Avi's Catch You Later, Traitor. I've previously heard him read The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger and The Candymakers by Wendy Mass. It's been a couple years since I've heard Turestsky, but he captured the youth of Peter Collison wonderfully. He gave different tones and voices for the other characters as well. At times, the narration was breathy (where you can hear Mark take a breath before speaking), but the story was captivating. After the first two discs, it wasn't so noticeable to me. Would I listen to another title narrated by Mark Turetsky? Yes, I would listen to Mr. Turetsky again.

Reviewed from an Audiobook Jukebox copy. Thank you, Recorded Books!

Audio Book Details...
Catch You Later, Traitor by Avi
Read by Mark Turetsky
Produced by Recorded Books
Number of Discs: 6
Total Time: 7 hours, 9 minutes
Release Date: March 2015
ISBN: 9781490664637

Review: Curse of the Arctic Star

Are you familiar with Nancy Drew and her friends Bess and George? Carolyn Keene is the 'author' of the very popular mystery series for grade schoolers, middle schoolers, high schoolers, and adults! Did you start with the original series first published 85 years ago or did you jump in and start reading the notebooks, graphic novels, or diaries published more recently?

I'll be honest and confess I have yet to read the original books. I started with the graphic novels several years and enjoyed them. I would recommend them to high schoolers who enjoyed Nancy Drew mysteries or graphic novel enthusiasts. When I read about Curse of the Arctic Star, I was curious. I have a dream of going on an Alaskan cruise and Nancy gets to go with her friends and solve a mystery while on board. Sounds like a winning story to me!

Oasis Audio produced Curse of the Arctic Star (as well as seven other titles in the Nancy Drew Diaries series). Jorjeana Marie narrated this audiobook version of book one. I really enjoyed Jorjeana Marie's voice. Her voice fit very well with Nancy Drew's age. Jorjeana Marie was a fair hand at juvenile and male voices. The various girl characters in the book were also distinctly different from one another. I would listen to Jorjeana Marie again and I was happy to see that she narrated the rest of Nancy Crew Diaries that Oasis Audio produced!

The mystery in Curse of the Arctic Star was very appropriate for young mystery readers. It's set at a good pace with lots of suspects to ponder along with Nancy. It's a story of thoughts and clue rather than using various detective gizmos. The cruise mystery wrapped up, but there is another small mystery cliffhanger that leads readers to book two, Strangers on a Train. The diary part of this Nancy Drew Diaires book is the opening and closing of the whole story. The main text of the story is the usual live action setting with dialog between characters and people going about their lives. I was wondering how Carolyn Keene would draw readers into the series and I will admit I want to hear book two. Well crafted story with a solid audiobook production. Very enjoyable listen that I would recommend to mystery readers or families going on a roadtrip together.

Reviewed from an Audiobook Jukebox copy. Thank you, Oasis Audio!

Audio Book Details...
Curse of the Arctic Star by Carolyn Keene
Series: Book 1, Nancy Drew Diaries
Read by Jorjeana Marie
Produced by Oasis Audio
Number of Discs: MP3 download (12 parts)
Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
Release Date: May 2015
ISBN: 9781621884972

The Christmas Quiet Book

The Christmas Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood


When the original Quiet Book and Loud Book appeared at the library, I was a bit skeptical. It seemed like a rather odd topic for little ones to read and enjoy, but I was amazed at how Underwood pinpointed moments of life. When The Christmas Quiet Book appeared a couple years ago, I knew I wanted to read that book right away.

I have savored The Christmas Quiet Book and shared it with others. I've also noticed the popularity of Underwood's stories. It is now available as an audiobook and on DVD by Dreamscape Media. I listened to the three minute audiobook, then listened to it again while paging through the picture book.

I found it best to listen with the book rather than listen to the recording alone. The audiobook features Susie Berneis as the reader and she does a fine job expressing the lines. She has a lovely voice.

Some of the lines had sound effects while some of them did not - it was a ratio of about 1 in 3. I wasn't a big fan of most of the sound effects. I think the story can stand on it's own. Some of the effects were heard at the same time as the narration and that can be difficult to separate the layers of sound. It might be best if the sounds were before or after each narrated line.

I enjoyed the opening and closing music on the CD. I wonder what it would have sounded like with the light music during the entire story.

I still believe this is a strong book and I would share it with anyone - young children, elementary students, grown-ups, grandparents. The recording can also be shared with anyone. It's a gentle, thought provoking book. The narration lends itself to use for non-readers or early readers that want to enjoy the book but cannot read or are learning to read.

Reviewed from an Audiobook Jukebox copy. Thank you, Dreamscape Media, LLC!

Audio Book Details...
The Christmas Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood
Read by Susie Berneis
Produced by Dreamscape Media, LLC
Number of Discs: 1
Total Time: 3 minutes
ISBN: 9781633794917

Children of the Dust Bowl

Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp by Jerry Stanley

Children of the Dust Bowl briefly shares the trials and triumphs of Okies moving from Okalahoma to California. They were looked down upon and rejected. Their children were ridiculed and turned out of schools. Leo Hart saw the Okie children and knew they needed a safe place to live and learn. He helped to build Weedpatch school and became their voice and their savior.

The Dust Bowl was such an interesting part of American history. I knew bits and pieces, but never in-depth knowledge. This short piece of non-fiction was fascinating. I never knew that the Okies were rejected by so many and that their struggles were so heartbreaking. Stanley shares just a small glimpse of Weedpatch Camp history and it was heartening to hear about Hart's part in helping the migrant families. It only takes one person to make a difference! I would highly recommend this title to middle-schoolers, high-schoolers, and adults. The prejudice is harsh and shocking, but the growth of one school created by one man brought an entire county together again.

Fred Sullivan narrates Children of the Dust Bowl. I previously heard him read Mr. Lincoln's High-tech War. Again, it's an easy listen on the ears. Sullivan adds happiness and outrage when needed. I would listen to a book narrated by Sullivan again. He has a great voice for non-fiction.

Reviewed from an Audiobook Jukebox copy. Thank you, AudioGo/Downpour!

Audio Book Details...
Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp by Jerry Stanley
Read by Fred Sullivan
Produced by AudioGo
Number of Discs: MP3 Download
Total Time: 1.4 hours

The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit

The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit by Octavia Spencer

Randi Rhodes is proud of her sleuthing that she employed as a detective in her Brooklyn neighborhood. Unfortunately, case number thirty-two is her last. Her father is moving the family - Randi and himself - to Deer Creek, Tennessee. From the hustle and bustle urban life to country living in a resort town. The biggest news is the celebration of Founders' Day and the opening of the 200 year old time-capsule. But boring small-town life quickly turns exciting when the historic time-capsule goes missing and strange secret service agents are swarming the town. Randi needs to dust off her detective skills and get to work!

The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit is the first Randi Rhodes mystery in the Randi Rhodes series. An untitled book number two is coming out in Fall of 2014.

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I was so thrilled to receive an audiobook copy to review! Ms. Spencer brings so much energy to her movies, as well as, her narration from the audiobook, "The Help". I was vastly looking forward to hearing her voice again.

My first reaction to her audio was slight disappointment. Her narration was flatter than I thought it would be, but I need to step back from my castles in the air and listen to reality. She's reading a story, not putting on a play or movie. It's a fine reading! She's dynamic and gives her characters different voices and remains consistent throughout the book. At one point I did think she was showing off when she had so many different cultural characters in her story, but the location of her story is in a resort town. A resort brings in people from all over the area, so a wide variety of citizen (temporary or permanent) is natural. My favorite character was the cantankerous old man who is accused of stealing the time-capsule.

All in all, it's an easy-listen story. The mystery is fun and suspenseful. The town is small-town America where everyone knows everyone. Readers who like mysteries (or ninjas) will enjoy this book. If a young reader is going through a move, this could be a good story for them. I would recommend this book to tween readers (roughly, 4th-6th graders). I am interested to see what adventure Ms. Spencer creates for the next installment of Randi Rhodes Ninja Detective.

Reviewed from an Audiobook Jukebox copy. Thank you, Simon & Schuster Audio! The opinions are my own and no monetary compensation was offered to me for my review.


Audio Book Details...
The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit by Octavia Spencer
Series: Book 1, Randi Rhodes Ninja Detective
Read by Octavia Spencer
Produced by Simon & Schuster Audio
Number of Discs: 4
Total Time: 4 hours, 27 minutes
ISBN: 9781442364264

The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda has a sequel called Darth Paper Strikes Back. These books are popular among tweens and teens at the library. To catch up on reading I jumped in and found the audiobook version.

Origami Yoda is a short chapter books lasting the length of two compact discs. Surprisingly, Recorded Books used five narrators to represent all the characters in this novel. The storyline includes a crowd of unpopular teens who deal with the surprising wisdom from Dwight's paper puppet. The chapters are people's reflections about the circumstances around Yoda's wisdom. The main character, Tommy, remarks upon each incident as does Harvey who is pessimistic about Yoda's/Dwight's wisdom.

I understand the pull of Origami Yoda. Angleberger shares the themes of frienship, school life, and relationships. He also focuses on an extremely popular pastimes of Star Wars and origami. Listening to Origami Yoda looses some of the uniquness of the novel itself. Character Kellen adds doodles to the pages and being audio, you miss out on the illustrations. If audio is preferred format, go ahead and have a listen, but reading it would be the best format for Origami Yoda.

The readers include Mark Turetsky, Greg Stenbruner, Jonathan Todd Ross, Julia Gibson, and Charlotte Parry. With so many characters, it was wonderful to hear a audible clue of who's case is the focus of the chapter. Overall, everyone shared a great story. Some narrator's tried too hard to capture a teen's attitude and voice characteristics. My favorite was the cases recorded with a player (then trascribed by Tommy). I also enjoyed everyone's rendition of Yoda's voice - very humorous.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Series: Book One, Origami Yoda
Read by Mark Turetsky, Greg Stenbruner, Jonathan Todd Ross, Julia Gibson, and Charlotte Parry
Produced by Recorded Books
Number of Discs: 2
Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes


Purchase The Strange Case of Origami Yoda from Amazon (Affiliate)

The Case of the Deadly Desperados

The Case of the Deadly Desperados: Western Mysteries, Book One by Caroline Lawrence

P.K. Pinkerton is on the run. His adoptive parents were murdered by a gang masquerading as American Indians. He needed to escape before he was killed as well. He runs to Virginia City to find an escape, but Wittlin Walt is always right behind P.K.

Lawrence's newest mystery series is centered in the Wild West during the Silver Rush. I heard about the popularity of this book and I enjoy a good Western. It was a very pleasant surprise to find a new series. P.K. keeps running and the listener will be on the edge of their seat to see if he succeeds. He needs to grow up fast and be quick witted to survive in a city where no once trusts each other. The final twists to the tale are clever and interesting. I am looking forward to hearing book two, The Case of the Good-Looking Corpse.

T. Sands is the narrator of this tale. With a diverse community in Virigina, Sands did a wonderful job distinguishing the different accents. P.K.'s twelve year old voice wasn't too deep or too high, very believeable with a country hitch. I hope Sands will return to read again.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
The Case of the Deadly Desperados by Caroline Lawrence
Series: Book 1, Western Mysteries
Read by T. Sands
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 6
Total Time: 7 hours, 19 minutes

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: 14 Amazing Authors Tell the Tales by Chris Van Allsburg

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

For more than twenty-five years, readers have been puzzling over the illustrations by this enigmatic artist. Thousands of children have been inspired to weave their own stories to go with his intriguingly titled pictures. And now, some of our most imaginative storytellers attempt to solve the perplexing mysteries of Harris Burdick.

Enter The Chronicles of Harris Burdick to hear this incredible collection of stories: magical, humerous, creepy, poignant, inscrutable, these are tales you will not forget.

Readers who enjoy slightly scary and strange stories will appreciate Van Allsburg's collection. The biggest difference between the book and audiobook is, of course, the illustrations. It would have been nice to have a leaflet of the illustrations with the audiobook. I was fortunate to have the book and audiobook checked out at the same time.

Three readers were included in this drama - Cassandra Campbell, Christopher Lane, and Luke Daniels. I assumed that readers would rotate between stories, but they did not. Campbell told all the stories and the gentlemen read the introduction at the beginning and the original introduction at the end. Campbell has a pleasant voice. The pauses between the stories were too quick for my taste. Music, extended pauses, or even a second reader would have a been appreciated between each story.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: 14 Amazing Authors Tell the Tales by Chris Van Allsburg
Read by Cassandra Campbell, Christopher Lane, and Luke Daniels
Produced by Brilliance Audio
Number of Discs: 6
Total Time: 6 hours, 19 minutes

The Candymakers

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass

For sugar lovers, candy books beckon from library shelves. Patrick Skene Catling wrote The Chocolate Touch in 1952 and Brandon Mull wrote The Candy Shop War in 2007. Wendy Mass added to the collection of candy chronicles with The Candymakers.


Mass combines the love of candy with the reality of how people are connected to each other. Twelve-year-old Logan, Miles, Daisy and Phillip meet at the Life is Sweet Candy Factory to create the next award winning candy. They are working for the general goal of making candy, but they cannot comprehend how each of their lives are intertwined. As the children get to know each other, they realize how their past actions influenced the people they are today.


Listening to this novel is eye opening, considering the book is divided into sections. Paging through an actual book, the reader could discover such information prior to reading. Without the benefit of the printed word, surprises are revealed at every new track. Mysteries are solved while deep friendships are built. Wonderful humor is sprinkled throughout story with an adventure in candy making.


I enjoyed Mark Turetsky's narration of The Candymakers. Each character's voice had their own tone and delivery. Overall, Phillip's voice was my least favorite to hear. On a voiceover sidenote, the narrator who shared the audiobook details at the beginning of each disk was the narrator of Drizzle, Maria Cabezas

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
Read by Mark Turetsky
Produced by Recorded Books
Number of Discs: 10
Total Time: 11 hours, 45 minutes 

The Candy Shop War

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull


Summer, Trevor and Pigeon meet the new kid in the neighborhood - Nate. Although, Nate isn't the only new character in town. Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth Candy Shop also arrives in town. Who can turn away from entering a candy store? The group of friends couldn't refuse. They just didn't expect to find so many adventures with magical candy.

I read Mull's Fablehaven series before The Candy Shop War. I adored Fablehaven, so naturally, I found Mull's previous story. Mull writes an imaginative and adventurous tale that will be enjoyed by kids of all ages. What sold me on this piece of fiction was the amazing final twist to the tale. Mull has a way of adding the perfect surprise twist that takes my breath away. I am looking forward to his new series - Beyonders.

Reader Emily Janice Card shares the story very well. Each character has a distinct voice that remains strong throughout the entire story.

Reviewed from a library copy.

View all my reviews

Audio Book Details...
The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull
Read by Emily Janice Card
Produced by Shadow Mountain
Number of Discs: 8
Total Time: 10 hours, 30 minutes 

Cloaked

Cloaked by Alex Flinn


Retold fairytales always draw my attention. I enjoyed the tales of Perrault, Andersen and Brothers Grimm. Creating new stories from classics always is an adventure. When I saw Cloaked, I pegged it as a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. A hint - not even close! The cloak refers to a magic cloak, not a red cloak. And Flinn wove one story out of seven little known fairytales. For myself, it was a little too many fairytale elements in one story. In one word, it was unbelievable. I am curious to read his first book, Beastly.


Alexander Cendese read the story with excellent teenage attitude.


Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Cloaked by Alex Flinn
Read by Alexander Cendese
Produced by Brilliance Audio
Number of Discs: 6
Total Time:6 hours, 46 minutes

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity: The Brixton Brothers, Book 1 by Mac Barnett


Men in black rappel from the ceiling while a sinister man reaches through a bookshelf to capture a young man reading a book. That's just the cover! Writer, Mac Barnett, weaves an amazing story about a young man named Steve Brixton who lives and breathes sleuthing. Steve adores the Bailey Brothers Mysteries series and works on becoming a detective just like his literary heroes. As luck would have it, Steve stumbles into a whopper of a mystery by visiting the library to checkout a book for his social studies report that is due bright and early Monday morning. An innocent looking library explodes with action and mayhem for an unforgettable weekend!

Reader Arte Johnson gives an outstanding performance. He shares Barnett's use of yesteryear slang with flair. Modern and nostalgic characters combine for a modern Hardy Boys adventure. The whole family will enjoy this hilarious Brixton Brothers story. All in all, this story is ace!

Reviewed from a library copy.

View all my reviews

Audio Book Details...
The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett
Series: Book 1, The Brixton Brothers
Read by Arte Johnson
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 3
Total Time: 2 hours, 55 minutes