Children’s Audio

Harris, currently starring in the TV sitcom How I Met Your Mother, but better known to many as Doogie Howser, M.D., turns in a energized and heartfelt reading of Grogan’s adaptation for young people of his bestseller, Marley and Me. In this version, the story of Marley, the incorrigible yellow Labrador retriever who could eat the sheetrock right off the wall while retaining his heart of gold remains largely the same, sans the more adult subject matter: marriage, miscarriages, sex and crime. Harris’s voice is crisp, sharp and precise, yet filled with warmth, a verbal approach that parallels Grogan’s writing style. Trained as a journalist, Grogan naturally balances removed observation with deep emotions. Here, author and narrator make a strong team; this presentation is a great family listen. Ages 8-up. (May)

The world of Atherton consists of three distinct, interconnected lands stacked atop each other like a layer cake. At the top are the Highlands, home to Atherton’s rich and oppressive ruling class; the middle layer is the Flatlands, populated by Atherton’s subservient working class; the bottom layer is The Wastelands where none dare venture, for the few that have done so have never been heard from again. When the three worlds inexplicably begin to collapse into each other, and the Highlands and Flatlands prepare for war, it may well be young, insatiably curious Edgar who holds the key to Atherton’s survival. With soft, well-articulated vocalizations, Davis portrays a wide range of characters here, and his intimate delivery proves perfect for pulling the listener into the heart of this complex fantasy. The augmentation of his performance with strategically placed music and sound effects only serves to enhance his storytelling. Ages 8-up. (May)

Meyers’s honeyed, youthful voice gives Martin’s latest, the first in the Main Street series for middle-graders, the easygoing pace one might expect from the series’ title. Eleven-year-old Flora and her younger sister Ruby are orphaned when their parents are killed in a car accident. Five months after the tragedy, the siblings move with their grandmother Min to her home in the sleepy small town of Camden Falls, Mass. As the family grieves and adjusts to new circumstances—“getting their life back in order”—listeners are taken along to meet interesting friends and neighbors in Camden Falls. Kind-hearted Min co-owns a sewing shop, Needle and Thread, and lives in one of eight connected row houses in a historic building—all fodder for the sort of diverse community interactions, budding friendships and dramas that are the stuff of many of the author’s popular works. Unfortunately, Meyers’s characterizations are uneven, in contrast to her solid, straight narrative passages. Ruby’s voice is too babyish and whiny, and the girls’ energetic new pal Olivia is given an affected child characterization that is equally grating. Her takes on some of the older town residents, as well as a boy with Down Syndrome are slightly more successful. A bonus author interview, in which she discusses her characters, series and career is included. Ages 9-up. (June)

Reading with particular care to detail, though never stooping to primness, Meyers conveys a distinct aura of fun during nasty-natured twins Edgar and Ellen’s third adventure. Throughout the latest tale featuring this comic-gothic duo, Meyers gives Ellen a high-pitched squeal for her speaking voice and Edgar receives a growly tough-kid purr. This time out, the notorious troublemaking pair find their best pranks being copied by a mysterious stranger, and seek the mastermind behind the new round of capers. As a fun bonus, Meyers gamely tackles the songs included in the story, her jaunty singing a worthy sidekick to Ogden’s humorous lyrics. Multifaceted Meyers sings both parts of the songs, Edgar joining Ellen in brief, sunny duets. Ages 9-up. (May)

Morton’s bristly Scottish brogue emphasizes the fish-out-of-water stature of Colfer’s protagonist Benny, an Irish lad who finds himself transplanted, along with his family, to Tunisia. Benny is forced to leave his favorite game of hurling behind, and must struggle with a new school very different from what he knew; he takes solace in meeting Omar, a new friend who helps him adjust to the lay of the land in his new home. Morton reads with a sincerity that helps him serve up Colfer’s smooth prose with aplomb. Fans of the author’s Artemis Fowl fantasy series will find an entertaining change of pace in this contemporary, more character-driven text, though still plenty of adventure. Ages 10-up. (June)

Johnstone brings to life one of the most endearing characters to come along in some time. Holling Hoodhood is starting seventh grade in 1967. It is a time of change, not just for Holling as he begins his journey into adolescence, but for the world around him as well. The war in Vietnam is raging and the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy hang heavy on the American consciousness by the end of the school year. And for Holling, the world of nascent relationships lies before him, not to mention, baseball, camping and the constant excitement, wonder and terror of being 11 at such a volatile time.

Johnstone’s first-person narration perfectly captures Holling’s progression from an angst-filled yet innocent boy, to a wiser, self-aware young man. His reading is touching, funny and insightful; he manages to bring the listener back to a time—real or nostalgically re-imagined, at least—when the crack of a bat against a ball in Yankee Stadium or sharing a Coke with a girl at the Woolworth’s counter was all any boy could want. This is a lovely, heartfelt novel, read with as much care as the author used to create it. Ages 10-up. (June)

The tale of Mary, an 18th-century London street urchin who dresses as a boy, renames herself “Jacky” and goes to sea as a ship’s boy, soars to new heights in the audio format. Mary’s distinctive Cockney dialect is tailor-made for reading aloud. And with award-winning narrator Kellgren at the helm, the result is pure magic. She creates authentic character voices, switching effortlessly among Mary’s Cockney, the melodic Irish lilt of sailor Liam, the educated American voice of schoolmaster Tilden, the chillingly sinister, leering tone of Jacob Sloat and many other voices without missing a beat. Her acting is also first-rate: her tone of pride as Mary boasts of her achievements, her tenderness as she speaks of Jaimy, the boy she secretly falls in love with, and the sheer terror in her voice during scenes of violence and danger will have listeners on the edge of their seats. For tweens and teens caught up in this summer’s Pirate Fever, Bloody Jackis the perfect audiobook to make those long family car trips fly by. Ages 12-up. (May)

This Buffy-esque YA novel does not translate well to the audio medium, and part of the problem lies in the story’s pacing. Teenager Clary discovers she can see supernatural beings that no one else can, gets drawn into the world of the “Shadowhunters” (teens who kill demons and monsters) and learns that her mother is somehow mysteriously connected to all the strange happenings around her. As a result, a good chunk of the novel consists of long explanatory passages, as various characters fill Clary in on supernatural creatures, the history and rules of the Shadowhunters and her mother’s entanglements—all of which come across as tedious lectures. In addition, narrator Graynor makes almost no attempt to differentiate the various teen characters’ voices. Only the minor character Dorothea, played as a faux witch with a gravelly New York accent, is memorable. Graynor also frequently ignores the author’s explicit textual directives, such as “[Simon] came back, sounding worried” or “The tone of arrogant superiority was back in [Jace’s] voice,” for her performance, making this a program with an intriguing premise and cast but disappointing execution. Ages 14-up. (May)