The Best New Audiobooks for Kids Selected by AudioFile Magazine for The Children’s Book Review.
The Best New Audiobooks for Kids
This month, AudioFile’s editors have five audiobooks that make for great poolside or backyard listening. Fans of graphic novels will love getting to hear Christina Soontornvat’s fantastic memoir, THE TRYOUT, complete with a full cast and sound effects. Find new thrilling listens perfect for fans of fantasy and adventure in our list below.
Felice and the Wailing Woman: Los Monstruos
Story by Diana López
Read by Elena Rey
Listening Library | 7.5 hrs. | Ages 8+ | AudioFile Earphones Award
Elena Rey captivates listeners with her command of accents, which are intentionally comical or subtle, depending on the character she is portraying. Twelve-year-old Felice is an orphan living in Corpus Christi with her uncle; years ago, her mother died while crossing the river. Felice has heard that her mother became La Llorna, a wailing ghost who haunts the river, so she runs away to find her. Listeners will be delighted with Rey’s expressive narration, and her skill at the dialogue of young and old is impressive. Listeners will become immersed in the story. Review »
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The Tryout
Story by Christina Soontornvat
Read by Christina Soontornvat, Grace Li, Vaneh Assadourian, Marcha Kiatrungrit, Ashley Austin Morris, Brian Sounalath, and a Full Cast
Scholastic Audiobooks | 2 hrs. | Ages 8+ | AudioFile Earphones Award
Ringing school bells and squeaking sneakers augment a full cast as they dramatize the events of the author’s seventh-grade year in small-town Texas. It’s dominated by the cheer squad tryout, but typical middle-school concerns emerge. As Christina, Grace Li shines amid the stellar cast. She emits exasperated sighs at every mispronunciation of her surname and bursts into joyful giggles with her Iranian American best friend. For this adaptation of her graphic memoir, Soontornvat provided a gracefully expanded narrative that ensures an immersive stand-alone listening experience. Gimme a W . . . for WINNER! Review »
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Elf Dog and Owl Head
Story by M.T. Anderson
Read by Pete Cross
Dreamscape | 4.25 hrs. | Ages 8+ | AudioFile Earphones Award
Narrator Pete Cross makes magic of his own in Anderson’s newest fantasy for middle grade listeners. Cross imbues a teen named Clay with youthful sincerity and awe as he adopts a stray elf-hound who shows him how to cross over into a magical world of dukes and ladies, owl men, and wyrms. Cross gives each character a unique voice and energy level ranging from the rapid-fire speech of know-it-all sister DiRossi to the calm, sincere tone of the owl boy, Amos, who saves Clay’s life and returns him home safely. Review »
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Finally Seen
Story by Kelly Yang
Read by Cindy Kay and Kelly Yang [Note]
Simon & Schuster Audio | 7.5 hrs. | Ages 8+ | AudioFile Earphones Award
Cindy Kay shines in this heartfelt exploration of the immigrant experience. Ten-year-old Lina is ecstatic to reunite with her family in California after five years spent waiting in Beijing to come to America. However, the perfect life she pictured is not the reality of a family struggling in the wake of the Covid pandemic. Kay skillfully portrays Lina’s thoughts, a messy mixture of happiness at rejoining her family, sadness at having left her beloved grandmother, curiosity about her new home, and severe anxiety over her imperfect English. Review »
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The Labors of Hercules Beal
Story by Gary D. Schmidt
Read by Fred Berman
Harper Audio | 8.25 hrs. | Ages 8+ | AudioFile Earphones Award
Fred Berman’s narration of this audiobook has a driving force—as do its action-packed plot and its hero, seventh grader Hercules Beal. Berman captures Hercules’s mix of determination and resentment when his teacher assigns him the task of performing the 12 labors of his mythical namesake. His performance is peppered with Hercules’s wit, sarcasm, and sense of wonder. Berman’s narration keeps a fine balance between the action of Hercules’s tasks and his moments of introspection and reflection. Review »
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This list of audiobooks was curated by AudioFile. AudioFile is an independent source of audiobook reviews and recommendations with a clear focus on the performance and listening experience. AudioFile Earphones Awards are given to exceptional audiobooks. To learn more, visit audiofilemagazine.com, Twitter @AudioFileMag, Facebook @audiofilemagazine, and Instagram @AudioFileBehindTheMicPodcast.
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