Review: The Hundred Dresses

I selected The Hundred Dresses to read in December because of the Dressember movement. It is a classic title that I had yet to read. I figured since I am wearing dresses all month, why not read stories about dresses, too.

This quick tale has power.

Yes, it was originally written in 1944, but it is relevant today as it was back in the day. An outsider in the classroom gets teased and then the family moves away. One classmate takes this to heart and decides to make a different. They won't stand on the sidelines again.

The Hundred Dresses is a perfect read for Dressember. Dressember is about taking a stand and helping others. It's about supporting artists that lift others up. It's a movement to end bullying, to end human trafficking, to end slavery.

It is some times the smallest tales that have the greatest impact.

I hope you've had a chance to read this story. If you haven't yet, I would highly recommend enjoying it this season.

Christina Moore narrates The Hundred Dresses. I previously heard her narrated Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr a few years ago. Her style reminds of an elementary teacher reading a book to her class.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Read by Christina Moore
Produced by Recorded Books, LLC
Number of Discs: 1
Total Time: 54 minutes
Release Date: 1998
ISBN: 0788795198

June is Audiobook Month Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 8 of June is Audiobook Month Blog Tour! Thanks for visiting Adolescent Audio Adventures. As a children's librarian, I love to hear stories for families and children. Audiobooks give me an opportunity to read more books as I travel, workout, and complete chores during the year. Whether it's a quick ten minutes or a lengthy six hour trip, there's a story (or part of a story) to enjoy!

Planning a family road trip this summer?
Here are a few mystery suggestions for your travels this summer:

The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series by Jordan Stratford
Book 1, The Case of the Missing Moonstone
Book 2, The Case of the Girl in Grey
Book 3, The Case of the Counterfeit Criminals
Read by Nicola Barber
Produced by HighBridge Audio
Quick review: Hilarious historical fiction with a mystery



The Brixton Brothers series by Mac Barnett
Book 1, The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity
Book 2, The Ghostwriter Secret
Book 3, It Happened on a Train
Read by Arte Johnson
Produced by Listening Library
Quick review: Hilarious series with a flavor of an old school mystery



Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School series by Andrew Clements
Book 1, We the Children
Book 2, Fear Itself
Book 3, The Whites of Their Eyes
Book 4,  In Harm's Way
Book 5, We Hold These Truths
Read by Kevin Nobbs
Produced by Simon & Schuster Audio
Quick review: Modern school mystery series about a group of students trying to save their historic school.

Thank for stopping by Adolescent Audio Adventures! Huge thanks to Audio Publishers Association for putting this blog tour together for June is Audiobook Month. They also shared with me a fun giveaway! A collection of 8 audiobooks that have been generously donated by Blackstone Publishing, High Bridge Audio, Hachette Audio, LA Theatre Works, Macmillan Audio, Post Hypnotic Press Audiobooks, Scholastic, and Tantor Audio. One winner will be chosen from the comments on this post. (Limited to the USA only.) The books will be available on Audiobooks.com.


What are you listening to OR hope to listen to this summer?

Comment for a chance to win. No purchase is necessary. The giveaway is open until Saturday, June 30 at 8am (CT). One winner will be chosen. The codes have been provided by the Audio Publisher’s Association and Audiobooks.com. Entrants are restricted to USA only, please. One entry per person, please.

1. Seven by Paula Cizmar, Catherine Filloux, Gail Kriegel, Carol K. Mack, Ruth Margraff, Anna Deavere Smith, and Susan Yankowitz
2. Gone to Dust by Matt Goldman, narrated by MacLeod Andrews
3. Bring Me Back by B. A. Paris, narrated by Kevin Hely and Cathleen McCarron
4. Wings of Fire Book One: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland, narrated by Shannon MacManus
5. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan, narrated by Todd McLaren
6. Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan, narrated by David Shih
7. A Girl Stands at the Door by Rachel Devlin, narrated by Robin Miles
8. Torn from Troy, Book 1 in the Odyssey of a Slave Trilogy by Patrick Bowman, narrated by Gerard Doyle

#LoveAudiobooks #TravelWithAudiobooks #FamilyListens #Mysteries

Review: Trolled

Trolled by Bruce Coville is the third installment in the series, The Enchanted Files. The first books is Cursed (or Diary of a Mad Brownie) and book two is Hatched.

Ned is a troll living and working in New York City. Cody is a sixth-grader living in New York City. How did they meet? Ned and Cody's father work at Grand Central Terminal (otherwise known as Grand Central Station). Their worlds collide with family history and enchantments.

Listen to a sample on the Listening Library website!

If you enjoyed the first two titles, you will be sure to enjoy this third installment of The Enchanted Files. I appreciated the links between the characters in book one, Cursed, and book three, Trolled. The story was engaging because it was a diary or log setup with interesting side stories or documents. The variety of voices helps the listener understand all the different parts of the books - journaling, stories, documents, reports, etc. One "setback" to this audiobook would be there are no illustrations, but they are not a highlight in the story. I personally didn't care for characters saying, "OMG" in the story or the talk of farts. I'm sure it won't bother other readers or listeners.

The full cast audio is a great way to tell a story with multiple voices. I applaud all the readers because they had to have their character voice, but also characterize the other characters they interacted with during their part of the story. I could distinguish the characters and they were enjoyable to hear. I wish that all the readers were listed on the audiobook cover, but alas they are not. I couldn't find a complete list on the Listening Library website either. One strange sound effect during the story was during texts between characters. Their was a keyboard typing noise with a zoom noise at the end. The zoom noise was find, but the keyboard typing was very out of place. It brought to mind AOL Instant Messanger messaging rather than phone messaging.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Trolled by Bruce Coville
Series: Book 03, The Enchanted Files
Read by Barbara Rosenblat, Kivlighan de Monebello, and a full cast
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 5
Total Time: 5 Hours, 21 Minutes
Release Date: September 2017
ISBN: 9781524782610

Review: A Frozen Heart

Disney's Frozen is one of the top animated films right now. There have been numerous books and audiobooks about the story. A Frozen Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick is another one you can add to the list of available books. Rudnick's rendition of Frozen is a chapter book for older elementary readers. She focuses on the characters of Anna and Hans. She created backstory for the characters and offers their perspective of the events that the movie shares with the audience.

A Frozen Heart was a fine story. I played the audiobook hoping for a twisted tale of Frozen. I was disappointed. It was Frozen. I wanted to stop the book and start a different one, but I was all ready committed. I listened to all 6 CDs. If you're a Frozen fan, by all means find a copy and give a listen! If you're looking for something completely different on this new classic, you could pass.

Narrator Andrew Eiden did a fine job sharing the story between two characters. He was not dynamic with voices, but he gave the characters different nuances. I previously heard him narrate another Frozen tale: Journey to the Lights. I would listen to him again.



Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
A Frozen Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick
Read by Andrew Eiden
Produced by Disney / Blackstone Audio
Number of Discs: 6
Total Time: 7 Hours, 32 minutes
Release Date: September 2016
ISBN: 9781504751049

Review: Dragonwatch

Journey back to the world of Fablehaven!

Brandon Mull has begun a new series, A Fablehaven Adventure. Book one is entitled Dragonwatch. If you have yet to hear the original Fablehaven series, you need to start there before tackling his newest adventure. Familiar characters return to familiar locations in this fantastical story.

Here is the book description from Brandon Mull's website:

"In the hidden dragon sanctuary of Wyrmroost, Celebrant the Just, King of the Dragons, plots his revenge. He has long seen the sanctuaries as prisons, and he wants nothing more than to overthrow his captors and return the world to the Age of Dragons, when he and his kind ruled and reigned without borders. The time has come to break free and reclaim his power.
No one person is capable of stopping Celebrant and his dragon horde. It will take the ancient order of Dragonwatch to gather again if there is any chance of saving the world from destruction. In ancient times, Dragonwatch was a group of wizards, enchantresses, dragon slayers, and others who originally confined the majority of dragons into sanctuaries. But nearly all of the original Dragonwatch members are gone, and so the wizard Agad reaches out to Grandpa Sorenson for help.
As Kendra and Seth confront this new danger, they must draw upon all their skills, talents, and knowledge as only they have the ability to function together as a powerful dragon tamer. Together they must battle against forces with superior supernatural powers and breathtaking magical abilities.
How will the epic dragon showdown end? Will dragons overthrow humans and change the world as we know it?"

I am thrilled to hear more about Fablehaven's world! I was hoping for more stories, but I was content with end of the original series. I adored the original narrator, E. B. Stevens, too. I hoped for the return of Stevens, but Shadow Mountain went with Kirby Heyborne. I was disappointed, but Heyborne did an amazing job! Dragonwatch is a dramatic story and he fully embraced the emotions without going over the top. The only voice that got muddy in my ears was Grandpa's voice. I look forward to the next installment of A Fablehaven Adventure and hope to hear Heybourne read again.

One final note on Shadow Mountain - they produce an wonderful audiobook. The music at the beginning and end of the discs is lovely with what sounds like a full orchestra. Moving from disc to disc is an artform. They fade out the story and bring in Heybourne to tell you to go to the next disc and fade out with music. There is no abrupt cutoff of the story or jarring new voice to tell you to change discs. Well done, Shadow Mountain!

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull
Series: Book 1, A Fablehaven Adventure
Read by Kirby Heybourne
Produced by Shadow Mountain
Number of Discs: 9
Total Time: 10 hours, 19 minutes
Release Date: March 2017
ISBN: 9781629722962

Review: The Jolly Regina

Sisters Jaundice and Kale Bland live a very bland life. They stay in one place and repair stockings. Everything they need is delivered to them. Until one day when there is a knock at the door. Before the sisters can blink they are kidnapped and set to work on the pirate ship, The Jolly Regina. How unintended!

A fun family listen of blandness, adventure, and silliness. There is word play during the tale as well as definitions at the beginning of each chapter. The definitions play well in hand with the topic of the chapter as well as bringing in the Bland sisters only book, a dictionary. Yes, it is adventures on the high seas, but nothing terrifying for young listeners in the family. All's well that ends well. If you appreciate silliness, adventure, or pirates, give this story a go.

Rosalyn Landor narrates the first book in the new series The Unintenional Adventures of the Bland Sisters. This is the first time I have heard Landor narrate an audiobooks. I would listen to her again. I did read that there is a second book coming, The Uncanny Express. If the books is also made into an audiobook, I hope Landor returns to narrate. The girls are soft spoken characters while the pirates are boisterous. It listens well, but I did have to adjust my volume up and down in the car as I listened to the story. Dreamscape Media adds end of the disc notifications so it is easy to know when to change CDs.


Reviewed from a Dreamscape Media copy. Thank you, Audiobook Jukebox!
I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

Audio Book Details...

The Jolly Regina by Kara LaReau
Series: Book 1, The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters
Read by Rosalyn Landor
Produced by Dreamscape Media
Number of Discs: 3
Total Time: 2 hours, 41 minutes
Release Date: February 2017
ISBN: 9781508227960

Review: The Wooden Prince

The Wooden Prince by John Claude Bemis is on the shortlist for the 2017 Young Listeners Audie Award. It's the first book in a new series, Out of Abaton. Abaton is a magical kingdom, but it has ties to the Venician Empire (Venice). Book one shares snippets about Abaton, but all the action takes place in the Venician Empire.

Bemis shares a new interpretation of the classic story Pinocchio. In The Wooden Prince, Pinocchio is a automa servant who carries something mysterious inside is chest. He is sent to the alchemist Geppetto by the ruler of Abaton, Prestor John. Geppetto is in hiding. The airmen of the emperor are after Geppetto and Pinocchio. Prestor John is imprisoned and his daughter, Princess Lazuli is determined to rescue him. As the story unfolds, their paths cross and the Abatonians band together to overcome the evil forces of the emperor.

This story is not what I expected at all. The magical world is built on alchemy and elemental forces (earth, wind, fire, water) which are attached to magical creatures (gnomes, sylphs, djinn, undines). Some readers might place this story under the steampunk genre. I personally didn't feel a heavy steampunk vibe. The story does wrap up well in book one with openings for book two. No giant cliff hanger for those who are uncertain to continue with the series. I'm not sure I will continue with book two.

The Wooden Prince under the shortlist for the Young Listeners Audie category and after finishing the story I'm questioning the placement. Shouldn't The Wooden Prince be in the next step up with Middle Grade? Young Listeners goes up to age 8 which is around second grade. This story is pretty in-depth with magic, battle, new worlds, etc. Readers can even download a glossary of terms online. I am sure there are some children who would happily jump into this tale, but in general this is not a book I would recommend to third graders and younger. If you have ideas or thoughts on the The Wooden Prince, please let me know. I would be very interested.

Audie awards are given for the production of the piece and this is a well crafted audiobook. Oasis Audio put a lot of time in adding music, sound effects, and voice adjustments for some of the magical characters. Narrator Ralph Lister was a fine voice to hear throughout the book. I have previously heard Lister reading The Haunting of Charles Dickens and The Flint Heart. I liked Maestro's cranky voice and attitude. The undine's voice was the hardest to hear while I was listening. His voice was very low and being accompanied with sound effects made the voice very muddy to me.

The added sound effects and music were a fine addition. The music is by Vernian Process. The sound effects helped and hindered the story. Some of the squelch noises were disgusting - eating and arrow pulling. Other sound effects help set the mood of the story - night crickets or a fire burning. I think sound effects were an interesting choice to add.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
The Wooden Prince by John Claude Bemis
Series: Book 1, Out of Abaton
Read by Ralph Lister
Music by Vernian Process
Produced by Oasis Audio
Number of Discs: 8
Total Time: 9 Hours, 39 Minutes
Release Date: March 2016
ISBN: 9781613757666

Review: In a Blink

Are you a Disney fan? Are you a Disney fairy fan? The Never Girls series could be the series for you!

Characters from Disney's Tinker Bell movies are going about their lives in Never Land when human girls arrive. The four girls traveled in a blink. They have to stay in Pixie Hollow until a solution arrives to sent them back home.

It's a fine story that has a touch of suspense. There is a small cliff-hanger at the end. The book is categorized as an easy or early chapter book. There are currently two audiobook collections of the Never Girl series from Blackstone Audio / downpour.com. Each collection contains six titles in the series for a complete collection of twelve books.

I enjoyed listening to narrator Eileen Stevens. I did recall seeing / hearing some of the characters in the Tinker Bell movies. I thought she captured the Pixie Hollow fairies pretty well. The four girls have different personalities and Stevens gave each girl a slightly different voice. I would listen to Stevens again. I doubt I'll listen to the entire series. I am not passionate about Disney Fairies, just wanted to hear a taste of the series. They have been popular books at my library.

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

Audio Book Details...
In a Blink by Kiki Thorpe
Series: Book 1, The Never Girls series
Read by Eileen Stevens
Produced by Disney / Blackstone Audio
Number of Discs: MP3 download (11)
Total Time: 1 Hour, 27 minutes
Release Date: October 2016
ISBN: 9781504752831

Review: Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights

Welcome back to the world of Frozen!  Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and friends continue their adventures in Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights! A rock troll, Little Rock, is ready for a new crystal and with the help of his friends he will earn his tracking crystal.

I felt that author, Suzanne Francis (Disney Press) captured the character very well. Olaf was so Olaf and everyone else seemed true to their personalities first introduced in the movie. If readers want more Frozen, this is a fine book. I could hear the kid appeal. I was intrigued to see where the story would go as I did enjoy the movie. I doubt that I would listen to this book again. I would recommend this book to Frozen fans or young listeners who are earning badges.

Narrator Andrew Eiden was a fine narrator for Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights. He had different character voices and youthfulness in his narration. I would listen to him again.

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

I received this audiobook for free from Audiobook Jukebox for an honest review.

Audio Book Details...
Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights by Suzanne Francis
Read by Andrew Eiden
Produced by Blackstone Audio / Disney Press
Number of Discs: MP3 download (20 parts)
Total Time: 2 hours, 23 minutes
Release Date: July 19, 2016
ASIN: B01INXXGJW

Review: Grayling's Song

Grayling's Song is a juvenile fiction novel written by Karen Cushman. She created a medieval world with magic. Grayling sets off on a journey to find magical people who can help her mother (and others along the way) who is turning into a tree. It's a ragtag team that comes together and helps Grayling along the way. It's a fine quest story. The unlikely characters are a good mix of interesting. It reminded me a little bit of Christopher Healy's series, The League of Princes. Grayling is more serious, and Healy is more humorous. I picked up Grayling's Song because of the narrator, Katherine Kellgren, and the fantasy element. If readers appreciate, medieval times, music, or Ms. Kellgren I would recommend this book to them.

Katherine Kellgren was an amazing narrator. Grayling sings throughout the story and Kellgren sings to tunes, too. Acapella. I am every so impressed when music is added to an audiobook. I am even more impressed when narrators feel comfortable and confident while singing without a tune in the background. Wow! Beyond the singing, Kellgren offers different voices for each character which sounded very authentic to the type of character Cushman described: crabby weather witch, languid enchantress, a befuddled wizard, and more. I would definitely listen to Kellgren again.

Grayling's Song reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Grayling's Song by Karen Cushman
Read by Katherine Kellgren
Produced by Recorded Books
Number of Discs: 4
Total Time: 5 hours, 6 minutes
Release Date: June 7, 2016
ISBN: 9781501916922

Review: The Soccer Surprise

Author David A. Kelly continues his new mystery series, MVP or Most Valuable Players, with The Soccer Surprise. The students from book one, The Gold Medal Mess, are back. Instead of an all school event, it is soccer season and the students want to save an old field house. They think of an fundraiser to help save the field house, but along the way someone is tampering with the building.

It's a good story for young mystery readers. A touch of danger at the field house, but nothing harmful to the MVPs. The mystery can be followed and solved by the reader. If readers enjoyed book one, they will like book two.

Tonya Cornelisse returns to narrate The Soccer Surprise. I love consistent narrators with audiobooks. Cornelisse maintains her voices during the story and is able to share a variety of characters from guys, gals, children, and adults. You can hear a sample from The Soccer Surprise on Listening Library's website.


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


Audio Book Details...
The Soccer Surprise by David A. Kelly
Series: 02, MVP (Most Valuable Players)
Read by Tonya Cornelisse
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 1
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Release Date: May 24, 2016
ISBN: 9780399569272 / 9780399569265

Review: Waiting for Augusta

Earlier this year I heard Nooks & Crannies by Jessica Lawson. Over the summer I listened to Lawson's newest youth novel, Waiting for Augusta. Both books were captivating, but very different in their locations and history.

Waiting for Augusta is set in the South (Alabama and Georgia) during the 1970's. Segregation is happening as well as the Masters. Benjamin Putter seeks to give his dead father one last wish - to have his ashes spread on the 18th hole at Augusta National. He runs away from home with his father's urn and another young runaway, Noni. They both have a mission of unfinished business and it will take a trip to the golf course to see them both resolved.

Luke Daniels narrated Waiting for Augusta. This the first full length book I have heard Daniels narrate. Previously, I heard him briefly in The Chronicles of Harris Burdick. I was very impressed with his voices and characters. Ben Putter hears the voices of things around him. Each character that spoke was different. I think the hardest, but possibly the most memorable was the voice of a clock. I could make out all the words, but it sounded like a ticking clock! Very impressive vocal work, Mr. Daniels. I would definitely listen to another book read by Luke Daniels.

The narration was my favorite part of the book. The story line was heartrending then terribly tragic for me. Benjamin Putter works through his grief and misunderstandings with his father which was an interesting listen. I appreciated the theme of golf because very few children's books offer that as sports theme. Noni's story (which she doesn't share until near the end) took my breath away. I have no words for what happened to her. I tried explaining it to other readers and I just ended up crying all over again. My body hurts just thinking about her story. Well done on the realism, Ms. Lawson.

Some readers will love this story and I think others will never want to read it. I am closer to the never read it camp. It's a lot of emotion packed into one book.

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

I received this audiobook for free from Audiobook Jukebox for an honest review.

Audio Book Details...
Waiting for Augusta by Jessica Lawson
Read by Luke Daniels
Produced by Dreamscape Media
Number of Discs: 7
Total Time: 8 hours, 27 minutes
ISBN: 9781520004693

July Audiobook Update

I haven't stopped listening to audiobooks but I have taken a break from posting reviews. In a nutshell, here's what I've been reading over the past month ...

MVP #2 : The Soccer Surprise by David A. Kelly, read by Tonya Cornelisse
Five Kingdoms #4 : Death Weavers by Brandon Mull read by Keith Nobbs
The BFG by Roald Dahl, read by David Walliams
Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder? by Patricia Brennan Demuth, read by Kimberly Farr
Who Was Roald Dahl? by True Kelley, read by Rene Ruiz
When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin, read by Paul Griffin
The Writings of Paul Frees by Paul Frees, read by Paul Frees
Waiting for Augusta by Jessica Lawson, read by Luke Daniels

Review: The Gold Medal Mess

Author David A. Kelly has a new mystery series for young readers who are ready for chapter books! His first series, Ballpark Mysteries, focuses on mysteries located at different American ballparks (Fenway, Wrigley, etc.) His new series is MVP or Most Valuable Players. Book one is The Gold Medal Mess. Here is a brief write up from Kelly's blog:

I know of the Ballpark Mysteries, but I never read any of the books in the series. They are a popular series for young readers who enjoy sports and mysteries. I think the same readers will enjoy this new series. Kelly kicked off with a great theme of Olympics in the year of Summer Olympics in Rio. Well played, sir! The mystery could be followed and solved by the reader, so it shouldn't frustrate young readers. It's also a mystery that is solved by a group of friends (or teammates) rather than a couple of friends or an individual.

Tonya Cornelisse narrates The Gold Medal Mess. Cornelisse is a new narrator for these ears. She has a husky voice which works well with female and male characters. She also needs to shares the voices of elementary students, middle graders, and adults. The voices sounded believable. You can hear a sample of The Gold Medal Mess on Listening Library's website. You can also see the next MVP book that will be narrated by Cornelisse.

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

Audio Book Details...
The Gold Medal Mess by David A. Kelly
Series: 01, MVP (Most Valuable Players)
Read by Tonya Cornelisse
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 1
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Release Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 9780399569227 / 9780553513219

Review: The Case of the Girl in Grey

Lady Ada Byron and Miss Mary Godwin are back with their second Wollstonecraft Detective Agency adventure! The story picks up soon after book one, The Case of the Missing Moonstone, ends. Ada's sister, Allegra, and Mary's sister, Jane, have just joined the secret agency. The older girls are frustrated with the younger girls, but every brain is needed to undercover, The Case of the Girl in Grey. This story "involves a horrible hospital, a missing will, a hasty engagement, and a suspiciously slippery servant. But Mary has stumbled onto a mystery of her own. She spotted a ghostly girl in a grey gown dashing through the park. A girl who is the spitting image of their new client."

I did not laugh uproariously during book two, but I did chuckle quite a bit throughout the entire book. I looked forward to every drive while The Case of the Girl in Grey lived in my car's sound sytem. Author Stratford put together another amazing tale that weaves history, mystery, and adventure together. Again, he takes creative liberties, but he explains his decisions at the end of the book as well as historical notes. I cannot wait for the next installment of The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency. Unfortunately, I have not seen any news for the next book at this time. The waiting has begun. In the meantime, check out The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency website. Random House has put together information, activities, and education guides.

Nicola Barber returns to narrate The Case of the Girl in Grey. Huzzah! She maintains her voices from book one into book two while adding new characters. With book two, I felt like a knew the differences between all the voices and characters. I did enjoy all the female and male characters. I also really like how "clandestine" is always thrown about in the book. Whenever Barber reads it, I find myself saying it out loud as well. I hope Barber will return for future Wollstonecraft Detective Ageny books!

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

Audio Book Details...
The Case of the Girl in Grey by Jordan Stratford
Series: Book 2, The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency
Read by Nicola Barber
Produced by HighBridge Audio
Number of Discs: 3
Total Time: 3 Hours, 41 Minutes
Release Date: January 2016
ISBN: 9781622314270

Review: Appleblossom the Possum

Appleblossom the Possum is about a possum who names herself Appleblossom.

She comes from a large family of siblings who all have names beginning with A. They are first batch babes of Mama Possum. Mama Possum teaches her young possums about the theatre of life! They need to take center stage to survive from monsters (cars, people, and dogs) and find food to eat each night. They need to find a place to rest when the sky turns the color of plums

Appleblossom the Possum is the fifth story from Holly Goldberg Sloan. (Perhaps you are familiar with her previous popular novel, Counting by 7s.) Sloan throws together fact and fiction when sharing the story of Appleblossom. Theatre studies also played a large roll in Sloan's story. The possums were anthropomorphic. When they interacted with "peoples," they did keep their squeaks rather than English conversation, which I appreciated.

Sloan's novel is on the 2016 Audie Finalist list for Young Listeners. Well-known actor, Dustin Hoffman, narrates Sloan's story. He can read well and bring fun dynamics to Appleblossom the Possum. I think my favorite character voices were Big Poss (Papa Possum) and Amlet. In addition to an Academy Award winning actor, Listening Library added sound effects and music throughout the story. It's is original music by Ry Cooder. Excellent addition to the story. The music brought a country, outdoor tone while the sounds effects gave it some umph and whimsy. I can hear that a lot of work went into this audiobook.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Appleblossom the Possum by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Read by Dustin Hoffman
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 3
Total Time: 3 hours, 39 minutes
Release Date: August 2015
ISBN: 9780739360538

Review: The Door by the Staircase

Mysterious Madam Z arrives at the Buffalo Asylum for Young Ladies. Mary Hayes jumps at the chance for adoption to leave that terrible place. But does that mean jumping from the frying pan into the fire?

Katherine Marsh has woven together a very mysterious (at time frightening) tale. It's a retelling of a
Russian fairy tale / folk tale - Baba Yaga. Being unfamiliar with such tales, I walked into a whole new territory. The village is called Iris (narrator pronounced it "ear is"). The village was described as an occult town, which threw me for the loop, but I stayed with it. Iris is a tourist town that features magicians, illusionists, con men, charlatans, and such. Madam Z lives near Iris, but has her own kingdom where she lives and takes Mary home. Mary meets a young magician, Jacob, in the town and they discover the magic in Iris. Some magic is truly just tricks, but other magic is real and connected to Madam Z's world. They join forces to uncover if Madam Z is safe or harmful for Mary's future.

I appreciated the play between magic tricks and fantastical magic. I loved that Mary had a copy of Household Tales (fairy tales around the time of the Grimm brothers) that she read throughout the book. The Russian food described during the book was also very interesting. If you like Russian literature, folktales/fairy tales, or scary books, this would be one for you! I picked it up because it was a fantasy story, but it was a bit unsettling, or dark, for me.

A silly side note... In my imagination the door by the staircase, was never by a staircase. The mysterious door was next to the fireplace. There were no staircases in my imagined home of Madame Z. It's just fascinating how all minds are different and each reader will create their own Baba Yaga home when they listen or read this story.

Laurel Merlington read The Door by the Staircase. I liked her narration from the beginning. Mary sounded young and Madam Z sounds elderly and Russian which was how those characters were described. Jacob and Koshchey, the male main characters, sounded masculine to me. Yulik the cat was the hardest voice to hear for me. It was close to her natural narration voice, but Yulik doesn't speak until later in the book. This is the first book I've heard with Merlington and I would listen to her again.

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

Audio Book Details...
The Door by the Staircase by Katherine Marsh
Read by Laural Merlington
Produced by Dreamscape Media
Number of Discs: 6
Total Time: 7 hours, 15 minutes
Release Date: January 2016
ISBN: 9781682628034

Review: Stella by Starlight

Several years ago, I read about Deza Malone from The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis. Stella Mills from Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper brought Deza to mind. I think Deza and Stella could have been friends if they lived closer to each other. Both girls grow up fast, but grew up strong and caring.

Stella's story is a family story from author Draper. She draws from her grandma and her father. Her grandmother was a writer. She wrote down her life in a diary and only one has survived. Her father grew up on stories from the elders and walked along the roads of North Carolina.

The Mills family lives in (fictional) Bumblebee, North Carolina. One evening in the moonlight, Stella and her little brother Jojo see a burning cross and men in white costumes. The town was already segregated, but a fresh wave of change is here.

It's a story of change and a story of living. Stella gives the listener (or reader) a glimpse of life during the segregated South. It's a story that makes you think. It's a story about finding similarities between you and strangers. It's a story about writing and a story about community. As I stated earlier, this is a great book to read along with The Mighty Miss Malone. Both books are historical keepers. I would recommend them to older elementary students, middle graders, or families who listen together.

Heather Alicia Simms read Stella by Starlight. What a smooth voice to hear! Simms has a gentle quality, even when the events of the story were intense. I would definitely listen to Simms again. She could differentiate between women, men, boys, and girls during her reading. There were songs as well which she sang a capella. Well done!

The only other music in the story was the intro and exit music which folded into the story very well. The intro music was one voice humming a song and the exit music was a choir singing the song. (I could share the song title, but I want to save that treasure for the next listener.)

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper
Read by Heather Alicia Simms
Produced by Simon & Schuster Audio
Number of Discs: 6
Total Time: 6 hours, 46 minutes
Release Date: January 2015
ISBN: 9781442380394

Review: The Adventures of Bella and Harry, Vol. 2

The Adventures of Bella and Harry is a picture book series about two chihuahuas that travel around the world with their family. Volume two is an audiobook that includes three of the book titles: Let's Visit Venice!, Let's Visit Cairo!, and Let's Visit Rio de Janeiro! 

The books are very similar to the previous three titles in volume one. Bella and Harry briefly cover top tourist spots in Venice, Cairo, and Rio de Janeiro. Bella is the main narrator of the stories, but Harry chimes in with questions and comments. I think Harry has more talking parts in volume two versus volume one. Two out of the three titles included a dictionary section of foreign words (Cairo was excluded). A fun feature for an audiobook travel series.

Gabrielle de Cuir returned to narrate all three titles in The Adventures of Bella & Harry, Vol. 2. She maintained her voices for Bella and Harry very well. She continued to use a range of accents and tones as well as maintained her energy throughout three additional titles. I would listen to her again in another Bella and Harry book.

In addition to a fun narration, the producers also added music and sound effects. The music was added as a highlight and changed during each trip. The music also had the flavor of the country they were visiting which I appreciated.  The sound effects were nicely placed throughout each story. A timely placed elephant trumpet gave me a little jump during the Venice trip. My favorite sound effect was the running, cartoon scramble when Harry went to chase pigeons and later racing Bella in Venice. I also like the echo effect when Bella and Harry visited the sites in Egypt. It was the perfect touch. I also appreciated the photo shutter sound when Bella shared different landmarks at the end of the book. Since I didn't have a physical book, I could picture a photo album being created in my mind. Well done!

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

Audio Book Details...

The Adventures of Bella & Harry, Vol. 2: Let’s Visit Venice!, Let’s Visit Cairo!, and Let's Visit Rio de Janeiro! by Lisa Manzione
Series: The Adventures of Bella & Harry
Read by Gabrielle de Cuir
Produced by Skyboat Media
Number of Discs: MP3 download (3 parts)
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Release Date: December 2015
ISBN: 9781504670760

Review: Echo

Echo weaves together four stories into one. Pam Munoz Ryan begins Echo by taking the reader to an enchanted forest where Otto gets lost and then found. Fast forward and meet Friedrich in Germany at the beginning of World War I, fast forward again to meet Mike in Pennsylvania between the great wars, and finally fast forward to meet Ivy in California during World War II. How can all these people relate to one another? It through music and a little bit of magic.

Every character is facing troubles. They are seeking a way out and a plan to save someone they care about. A light in the darkness is the beauty of music they find in a harmonica. Music can bring people together and hush away horror for a while. Otto's story started the whole musical journey. Frederick's story made me want to stop listening or throw it out the window. Mike's story had me rooting for the underdog. Ivy's story had me wishing for better understanding. Oh my heart! What an amazing book! If you like music, history, or a little magic, this is a story for you. If you appreciate a memorable story, you need to hear this story.

It's definitely a book to hear rather than read. It was nominated for an Audie for good reason! Each main character is read by a different narrator: Otto by Mark Bramhall, Frederick by David de Vries, Mike by MacLeod Andrews, and Ivy by Rebecca Soler. I appreciated the extra production information from Scholastic that shared the names of the narrators and musicians who played a roll in Echo. Each CD begins with a narrator David de Vries telling the listener which numbered disc is being played.

The music, the ever encouraging music is throughout the entire book. It's also specially created for this story by Corky Siegel. No stock music or generic tracks here. Sometimes the music is underneath singing and other times it is by itself.  Each song has a special meaning for the characters and the music is played with feeling the harmonica, cello, and piano. The final selection brings it all together! (I'm not going to spoiling it here.) The final song arranged by S. Peace Nistades is also played in its as the final track on CD nine.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
Read by Mark Bramhall, David de Vries, MacLeod Andrews, and Rebecca Soler
Music by Corky Siegel
Produced by Scholastic Audiobooks
Number of Discs: 1
Total Time: 10 Hours, 22 Minutes
Release Date: March 2015
ISBN: 9780545788366

Reviews from other listeners ...
AudioFile Magazine
Common Sense Media