Audio

Hero on a Bicycle is set in Italy in 1944 presents the story of a 13-year-old boy and his encounters with the Partisans in Nazi occupied Florence during World War II. Narrator Simon Vance's incomparable vocal style is a perfect fit for this intense and suspenseful work of historical fiction. Check out the starred review of this audiobook.

In Janie Face to Face, Caroline B. Cooney wraps up her popular thriller romance series that debuted more than 20 years ago about a young girl who discovers her face on a milk carton, setting in motion a series of rollercoaster events that affected many lives. Read the review of the audiobook narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan.

In Orphan Train Rider: One Boy’s True Story, Andrea Warren tells about the amazing and often tragic westward journey of more than 200,000 children between 1854 and 1930 in search of families. Be sure to read the review of the audiobook narrated by Laura Hicks.

With another school year on the horizon, the focus of August’s Listen In column is on the relationships that children and teens make—with other kids and with adults—to help them navigate the stormy waters of growing up. The ten audiobooks featured are excellent for group listening and for generating discussions about what’s happening to the young people in the stories, from the poignant depiction of friendship in The Other Side to the real drama wrought by abuse in Eleanor and Park.

Darius and Twig both dream of leaving their poor neighborhood for better and safer lives. Narrator Brandon Gill does a great job differentiating between the two boys as they make their way through the obstacles set before them. Be sure to read the review of the audiobook version of Walter Dean Myers’s novel.

Gravity, quasars, the formation of black holes, and the meaning of event horizon are just some of the ideas covered in the impressive scope of Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano's A Black Hole Is NOT a Hole. Be sure to read the review of the audiobook version.

The London Symphony Orchestra, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Moscow, the Toronto Chamber Orchestra, and several other professional groups give instrumental voice to a wide variety of birds in excerpts from 20 classical pieces in Listen to the Birds. Read the starred review.

The Bari Koral Family Rock Band offers a delightful collection of 10 child-friendly songs in Anna and the Cupcakes. Be sure to read the starred review.

Find out what happens when Joshua, a sixth grader, becomes “gyfted” with the power of spontaneous combustion in Joshua Dread, a starred audiobook review. Narrator Maxwell Glick perfectly captures the comic antics of author Lee Bacon’s superheroes and villains.