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Title: Summer Begins

Subtitle: The Callahan Cousins, Book 1

Author: Elizabeth Doyle Carey

Narrator: Stina Nielsen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-20-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

Twelve-year-old cousins Phoebe, Hillary, Neeve, and Kate are spending the summer at their grandmother's beach house. They have heard stories about the Callahan-Bicket family rivalry. Now it's up to them to prove that the Callahans are the best family on the island! Fans of the American Girl books will love these spunky girls.

©2005 Elizabeth Doyle Carey; (P)2005 Recorded Books, LLC

Members Reviews:

Better for older kids

This was another book that I purchased for my 6-year old daughter. I am afraid that she never really got into it, and after about 1 hour she asked me to stop playing it. I don't thins that this book is really meant for younger children. I don't mean to say that it is inappropriate for younger children. I just think that the beginning starts a little slow for them and it is hard for them to become engaged with the story. Also, the main theme of the book for the first hour is a 12-year old girl coping with the emotional aftermath of her parents separation and recent divorce. Topics that are just a little heady for a 6-year old who has not yet contemplated, nor probably wants to, such a situation. The performance of the narrator is adequate, and the writing is actually not bad, the story was just not for my daughter. But I could see how older children, especially those who are coping with their own parents divorce, might actually really like this book.

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Title: Time Pieces

Subtitle: The Book of Times

Author: Virginia Hamilton

Narrator: Lisa Pitts

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-05-05

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

Eleven-year-old Valena, her family, and dog live in rural Ohio, where she and her cousin Melinda share experiences that include seeing the aurora borealis, surviving a tornado, and going to an amazing circus.

Yet Valena lives in both the present and the past as she struggles with racism in her daily life and listens to and learns from her mother's tales of her family's proud history. Moving backward and forward in time, these pieces of Valena's life blend to form an extraordinary portrait of the ties that bind her family together over generations.

Drawing from her own family history, Virginia Hamilton has deftly woven together moments in time, creating a seamless and poignant masterpiece.

Members Reviews:

An overwrought striving after profundity

There are novels that challenge the mind and heart, that take you deep into the individual experience and show you the world in a delightfully fresh, and yet startlingly familiar, way. The pretentiously named "Time Pieces: The Book of Times" is not one of these novels, although it clearly aspires to be. Probably the best thing I could say about this book is that I didn't realize until it was over just how much I'd disliked it.

I've read several of Virginia Hamilton's novels now, and I've given up hoping that I might ever see something resembling a plot in her fiction. That's fine; some of the finest fiction, particularly in the bildungsroman genre which seems to be Hamilton's specialty, is loosely plotted at best, focusing rather on the subtleties of character, and often a richly realized setting as well. Again, in this regard, "Time Pieces" falls short. I wanted to like Valena. I really did. But there was little to like about her in the beginning, and she became even more inconsistent, petulant, and neurotic as the novel progressed. In the first chapter, she's terrified of her mother's shadow. In the second chapter, she sees the aurora borealis and goes nearly catatonic, even after her uncle has explained that it is a harmless natural phenomenon. Small incidents in her life - a visit to an offensive teacher, a false accusation of stealing - are treated as though they were crucially important, then never resolved and never mentioned again. Midway through the summer she becomes clingy and decides she hates school, for no apparent reason other than that she witnessed her sister suffering an alarming, but not permanently damaging, eye injury. In the end, she starts to hide under the bed and shun human contact, and her teenage brother starts hitting her appropos of nothing (which their mother shrugs off as adolescent growing pains), because - horror of horrors - THE DOG DIED. Now, I am an animal-lover; I have lost dogs and cats that were dear to me, and I would be the last to scoff at someone's grief at the death of a cherished pet. I know, too, that people often mourn in ways that make little sense to outsiders.

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Title: Lily B. on the Brink of Cool

Author: Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

Narrator: Kaili Vernoff

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-14-04

Publisher: Listening Library

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

Lily's Dislikes: Family outings, people who make their own beds in hotels (like her mother), and most of the items in her closet.

Favorite Meal: Tacos and root beer.

Favorite Daydream: Winning the Congressional Medal of Honor by saving the President from attack dogs using only a raincoat and a hanger.

Lily is having the most boring summer EVER. Her best friend has abandoned her for Young Executives Camp, and there is nothing to do but go on family outings with her parents. Then Lily meets the coolest girl, Karma, and her incredibly cool parents. And guess what? They're her relatives! This summer is looking up, and Lily thinks she just might be on the brink of cool.

Critic Reviews:

"Funny, fast-moving." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

awesome

i love it its such a good story and its the best you amust all read it

Not too cool

This book didn't measure up to some of the other books that she had written. I found the character to be too rebellious and stubborn for her age group and it didn't make for a good listen. I got bored since I felt that the characters personality through the better part of the book had gotten monotonous.

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Title: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Author: Mark Twain

Narrator: Garrick Hagon

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-16-03

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

This is the classic story of a boy's adventures growing up in a small town on the banks of the Mississippi river over a hundred years ago. The cheerful, adventurous hero plays truant to form a pirate band and, together with his best friend, Huckleberry Finn, finds fun and excitement, and buried treasure, along the shores of the great river.

Members Reviews:

Great Bedtime Reader

All of the Illustrated Chosen Classics are great bedtime readers. My wife sits in the hall of the children's bedrooms and reads these stories to them at bedtime. The difference between these books and the traditional novels is that these stories move very fast. My son, in particular, will hear one of these abridged classic novels and, if he likes it, will then read the full unabridged version on his own. Kind of gives our kids a taste of the classics without having to start reading a really large and sometimes overwhelming looking book. My son is 10 and my daughter is 15. We have about 30 of these types of books in our library.

A Classic Still

Like many people of my age (62), I read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a child because at that time it was widely perceived to be a child's or young adult's book. This is unfortunate as it is not nor has it ever been directed at the young. In my rereading I discovered for the first time why it is still called the original great American novel. Huckleberry, like Twain, is opinionated and perceptive. His narration and point of view drive the novel forward. Rather than relegate this work to the children's shelves or castigate it as racist, folks should embrace this novel for what it is, a bildungsroman that shows the growth of a country as well as the growth of its young protagonist.

It captivated a classroom full of surly teens

I teach English, and the junior year in North Carolina is devoted to American literature. I approached Huck Finn with no small amount of trepidation because of Twain's use of vernacular. I ran into the same problem with "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and solved that by listening to Ruby Dee's audio recording, which students loved. I purchased this recording of Huck Finn, and it was to die for fabulous. Students read along in their books as we listened to the recording, and it helped bring the characters and the story alive for them. They laughed when I hoped they would laugh, and they understood the novel so much better by being able to listen to it. This recording was invaluable.

Reading this book as an adult is a whole different ...

Reading this book as an adult is a whole different experience. I'm fairly sure the versions I read as a child were watered down. I don't have any memory of murder and mayhem in the versions I read as a child. All the same it was highly entertaining and deserving of being a classic.

Friendship and mischieviousness.

I grew up reading this book, a story about Huckleberry Finn and his adventurous life on the Mississippi River as a boy. He would be considered a hoodlum in this day and age, at the time it was written he was an orphan and had no one to help him grow with morals however he is a rather a good boy with pretty good morals and this story is a classic. The story is also about friendship.

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Title: The Big Screen Drive-In Theater

Author: Donald Davis

Narrator: Donald Davis

Format: Abridged

Length: 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-00

Publisher: August House

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

For Ages 10 to Adult

Editorial Reviews:

Donald Davis spent three happy summers working at the local drive-in movie theater. His most memorable co-worker was "Mrs. Mease, who could tell by looking at a car's suspension how many people were in it." Daviss gleeful delivery says it all - literally and figuratively. Another co-worker, Mr. Yant, the projectionist, "had the most wonderful and profane vocabulary," which left Donald continually hoping that the man would become irritated. Davis's delivery, with his Southern drawl, presents listeners with an audible picture of a man who "sleeps all day." Even those who've never seen an outdoor movie theater will feel they've missed something special.

Critic Reviews:

"Donald Davis has refined the craft of storytelling into a perfect blend of the oral tradition and creative fiction." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Love this

Donald Davis is my favorite story teller. Brings me back to so many memories of my childhood, a forgotten time. Funny, human and I love it

Another hilarious romp by Donald Davis

What fun! The setting for the title story is--you guessed it--a big screen drive in theater from the '60s, where Donald and his friends worked while in high school. I was laughing out loud as I listened, and my husband had to come check on me. After I got him to listen, he was laughing out loud, too! "Dr. Franklin," the story on the flip side, is a little more serious, but still funny in places. Highly recommended!

Greatest Storyteller!

Donald Davis is one of the best storytellers around!! If you haven't you need to check him out!

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Title: The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop

Author: Clare Balding

Narrator: Clare Balding

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-22-16

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Ratings: 1 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

Puffin presents the unabridged downloadable audiobook edition of The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop, written and read by Clare Balding.

Charlie Bass is a horse-mad nine-year-old who dreams of owning her own pony. So when her eccentric parents announce that they are going to buy a racehorse, Charlie is thrilled.

The horse they buy, Noble Warrior, looks the part: strong, fit and healthy. There's just one problem - he won't gallop. In fact he won't even trot round the field without his best friend, Percy, a naughty palomino pony, at his side. But Charlie is convinced that Noble Warrior has what it takes to be a champion - he just needs the right motivation....

A classic, funny animal story perfect for fans of Dick King-Smith and My Family and Other Animals.

Members Reviews:

I had goose bumps following the race

what a great humbling story. loved it very much . couldn't put it down

So excited to share this with my class!

We are using this book as a class read! My Year Three class are going to love this! Clare Balding did a Stirling job with the audio! Even my mum has asked to listen to it as well! There were many funny moments!! Well done on a great book!

Fantastic Book

Fantastic story with great narration by Claire. Made me cry but happy tears. Would totally recommend this book.

Extraordinary book!

I loved this book because the author really thought about writing an interesting and engaging story. This book will appeal to anyone who loves horses and horse racing. Review by Oliver , aged 7.

Surprise

I bought this book after hearing Claire talk about it on the radio, a children's book I thought but could be OK. Well, what a surprise! It was wonderful, the story is brilliant making me (a grown woman of rather mature years) laugh and cry in equal measure. Claire is fabulous as the narrator and her joy in her writing as well as her knowledge shines through. If you want a good time read, whether you love horses, dogs , cows or not, this is most definitely one to listen too.

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Title: An Enemy at Green Knowe

Subtitle: The Green Knowe Chronicles, Book Five

Author: L.M. Boston

Narrator: Simon Vance

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 04-23-07

Publisher: Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

The fifth book in the series finally brings together our two main protagonists: the house's blood relative Tolly and the Chinese refugee Ping, both of whom have featured in the previous books, but never together.

Critic Reviews:

"Magic and mystery combine....Boston is an effortless stylist and her magic seems as simple as breathing." (The Washington Post)

Members Reviews:

The Green Knowe series is a must-read for all children, and adults

I first read these in grade school, and checked the same books out from the library over the years from time to time. They are bittersweet fantasy, sweet and beautifully written. Tolly's and Ping's and Ida's and Oskar's adventures are timeless, set in the same timeless English manor house the author lived in. I consider these a necessary series of fantasy literature, good for children of all ages.

Really Great Read

The Green Knowe series is absolutely excellent! You just can't put these books down once you start reading them. Very entertaining, great character development and lots of excitement. I recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who likes to lose themselves in a magical fantasy world that seems so real.

Great books for kids

I read these when I was a kid and loved them. My mum sent me one of the books recently and I read it and wanted to get the whole series for my grandchildren. Each book is great. If you like the Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe and or The railway children you will love these books.

"What's Thought Cannot be Unthought"

The fifth book in Lucy Boston's "Green Knowe" series finally brings together our two main protagonists: the house's blood relative Tolly and the Chinese refugee Ping, both of whom have featured in the previous books, but never together. Unfortunatly we do not see their meeting, but instead join the story half-way through the summer, by which time the two are already best friends.

As always, the mysterious Green Knowe is filled with ancient and semi-magical artefacts (all of which are actually real relics that belong in the author's home on which she based the books) and Grandmother Oldknow tells the children stories concerning the past inhabitants of the house. Now for the first time, she tells them a story that holds a more sinister edge to it. In the 17th century a young boy had a tutor that was said to dabble in alchemical practices, and have a number of magical books with which he created his spells. An author with astonishing vision for her time, Boston highlights the unfairness of such a man being thought of as noble and intelligent for following such a practice, whilst harmless women were often prosecuted for dabbling in herblore. Grandmother Oldknow tells the children that Doctor Vogel eventually burnt all his equipment with the help of the local minister (whose testimony was found in "The River of Green Knowe", but only now translated), but it is rumoured that one book of dark spells may have escaped the flames.

In typical Green Knowe fashion, in which the past regularly surges up to greet the present, it is not just a coincidence that directly after this storytelling a new neighbour comes to call: Melanie Powers, whose interest in the house and in the legend of Dr Vogel hints at her true intentions.

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Title: The Unbelievable FIB 2

Subtitle: Over the Underworld

Author: Adam Shaughnessy

Narrator: Jennifer Grace

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-06-16

Publisher: Recorded Books

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

ABE and Pru team up with Mr. Fox and Ratatosk, the insult squirrel, for a new adventure among the gods and lands of Norse mythology as they race to stop the chain of events foretold to lead to Ragnarok - the war that ends the world.

It's been a year since friends ABE and Pru joined Mister Fox's Fantasy Investigation Bureau - otherwise known as the Unbelievable FIB - to save their hometown from an invasion of Viking gods and giants. Life has been incredibly ordinary ever since. But that's all about to change when the Norse Allfather, Odin, appears with terrible news: Baldur, his favorite son, has been murdered. It's the first step in a fated chain of events that leads to Ragnarok - the end of the world.

Fans of Thor, Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase, and classic Norse myths will cheer as ABE and Pru outrun trolls, explore Asgard and the Viking underworld, and try to outsmart the Queen of the Dead herself to change fate, save the world - and survive seventh grade.

Members Reviews:

A warm and funny adventure!

I absolutely loved this book. It was warm and funny with characters I cared about and a compelling plot that hurried me to the end. I am so anxious to read the next book!

It's ABE's Turn

This is the second Fantasy Investigation Bureau book, and follows the action of the first book by about a year. While the first book was mostly written from Pru's point of view this one features quiet and studious ABE.You don't have to have read Book One in order to get this book, since the author makes a decent effort to recap the premise, but it would certainly help in understanding the motives and personalities of the characters.

I very much liked and admired the first book and this one strikes me as a worthy sequel. I think ABE is a more complex and interesting character, so it was good to see him getting the lion's share of page time instead of playing the sidekick.

For what it's worth, I've never been a fan of that "Fantasy Investigation Bureau" subtitle. It suggests a younger reader book, with a club and an overly simple and undemanding plot. Or, you know, something zany with an underground high-tech headquarters and Middle School international spies. That's not what you get here, and that certainly isn't the basis of the series' appeal.

Our heroes are trying to prevent or at least forestall Ragnarok, the mythical Norse end of the world. They deal with murder, deceit, treachery, danger and death. Norse gods are not warm and fluffy, and they have been toned down, but not sanitized, for this series. The result is that, while there are some funny scenes and some clever and light-hearted wordplay, this book introduces serious issues and touches on serious concerns. It struck me as still within the Middle Grade range, just darker and more demanding than your usual light fantasy adventure.

And that's all good. Norse mythology, the characters, and even the idea of fantasy adventure and questing, are all treated with energy and respect in this book. It is fast placed, well crafted, ambitious, and very respectful of its reading audience. A nice choice.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review.

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Title: Return to Finkleton

Subtitle: Finkleton, Book 2

Author: K. C. Hilton

Narrator: Jonathan Evans

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-11-12

Publisher: Katrina Chilton

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

When the Finkle children discovered magical secrets in Uncle Harry's shop, they vowed to keep them safe. Two years later Jack, Lizzy, and Robert realized that the perfect weather wasn't the only secret waiting to be discovered in the mysterious shop. Things aren't always what they seem to be!

There were people who would stop at nothing to acquire land in Finkleton. Of course, there were also those determined to protect the little village from greedy outsiders. Will selfish desires destroy the village of Finkleton?

It was only a matter of time before those who cared about Finkleton and those who cared only for themselves would come into conflict. The result of this outcome would likewise depend on a matter of time.

Once again Jack, Lizzy, and Robert must learn to work together to protect the magical secrets of Finkleton. Come along to Finkleton. A new, magical adventure is about to begin!

Members Reviews:

The story continues

Any additional comments?

The story continues from book 1 adding more magic, fun and mischief. Robert does a lot of growing up here and finds out many more secrets about Finkleton. Once again, Jonathan Evans does a grand job narrating.Magic, time travel, lightning, book of truths, redeeming ones careless actions, discovery and fun.

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Title: White Fang

Author: Jack London

Narrator: Garrick Hagon

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-27-00

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

Born in the wild, the wolf-dog White Fang quickly learns the law of nature: eat or be eaten. Captured by Indians, bullied by another dog, and then turned into a killer, he becomes vicious and fiercely independent. Rarely has the raw realism of life on the edge of civilization been so vividly captured. But in this classic animal novel, Jack London also has other points to make - that animals and human beings alike are deeply affected by the way they are treated.

Members Reviews:

Entertaining

I found the overall quality of this to be a little on the low side. The story was interesting but to short to fully develope the story as I remember. I would give this an ok and good to fill in during those times you need something quick and light.