Incredibly Penelope

Gr 4-6–As a modernized version of The Little Princess, this audiobook has some hits and misses. References to updated technology, modern clothing brands, and reality TV shows fight against stereotypes of old-fashioned girls at a strict and punishing boarding school. Relegating Penelope to the basement rather than the attic isn’t much of an update, and her excitement at getting a moon rock seems like something a kid in the 1980s may have felt. Modern kids probably wouldn’t be so afraid to help Penelope and almost certainly would talk about her mistreatment in their Zoom calls with ­parents. Keating has a pleasant voice, and most of the characters she narrates feel realistic, but the headmistress at this ­Georgia boarding school has a vaguely hysterical British accent that makes the text feel dated. Unfortunately, Tate, Penelope’s bunkmate, sounds like Bobby Hill from King of the Hill. Also, the mispronunciation of “­wanly” as “wainly” is troubling. At eight hours and 23 minutes, this feels too long.