Audio

Fans of dark fantasy, adventure, suspense, and magic will enjoy Leigh Bardugo’s novel, Shadow and Bone. Narrator Amanda Dolan masterfully brings Alina’s world of magic and monsters to life. Be sure to read the starred review of the first audiobook in the author’s “Grisha Trilogy.”

Three friends who want to leave high school and move on describe their anguish in Emma Cameron’s novel, Out of This Place, written in verse. Three narrators tell the story from alternating points of view. Read this starred review

Oblivion, the final book in Anthony Horowitz’s “The Gatekeepers” series, is read by Simon Prebbles who masterfully conveys the terror of a dangerous dystopian world. Read the starred review of this suspense-filled audiobook.

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.