Simply The Best Audiobooks in Kids, Ages 8-10 to Listen Online

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Title: Fairview Felines

Author: Michele Corriel

Narrator: Jerry Fischer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-24-14

Publisher: Ambush Books

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

Fairview is a quiet town. Nothing strange ever happens. Certainly nothing so weird and sinister as the disappearance, one by one, of its cats. But it is happening, and Thomas Weston, eight-grade wannabe reporter and inveterte snoop, is going to find out why.

If, that is, he doesn't get grounded for bringing home a string of grades that give new meaning to the term D-.

It's not that Thomas is stupid; he's just not interested in anything that doesn't pertain to getting a story. But in addition to solving the mystery of Fairview's disappearing cats, Thomas has a new ambition - one that dosn't go with a GPA that can be expressed in negative numbers (one of many mathematical concepts Thomas doesn't get) he wants to launch a school newspaper - and he's got good reason to expect that, without a B average at least, he'll never be made its editor.

At least Thomas isn't alone in his problems. He has Quinn, his ultra-smart science nerd girl friend (not girlfriend) and Leland, the closest thing to Thelonious Monk any eighth-grade class has ever had, to help him find the cats and maybe even bring up his grades.

Together the three consider a roster of of very suspect suspects: Mr. Klim, the cat-hating neighbor; Mrs. Adams, the mad science teacher with an army of flesh-eating beetles at her command; - and is there a sinister gang of burglars using the cats as bait for watchdogs?

The answer, when it comes, is a twist as surprising as a good Agatha Christie story's, and solving it gets Thomas the inside track on the editorship he wants so much. If he can just keep his grades up...

Members Reviews:

I loved the characters and flow of the mystery

This was an energetic and enjoyable read! I loved the characters and flow of the mystery. Thomas reminds me of some of my students with an incredible curiosity and thirst to realize his dreams. The descriptive writing was excellent and made me feel like I was a part of the story. I look forward to reading the second book!

A Great Mystery for Readers of All Ages

An excellent book usually has an excellent opening. Here are the opening lines from Fairview Felines: Dead people, corrupt politicians, stupid burglars and your basic mischief and mayhem are what newspapers are all about. And to tell the truth, I wanted in on it. What a swell opening. It hooks the reader, introduces us to the crux of the main character, and sets the tone for the story we're about to read. That's quite an accomplishment for two sentences.

In this case, `I' refers to Thomas Weston, an eighth grader in Fairview, Montana, who dreams of one day writing for a real newspaper. His mother runs the local paper and she lets him write for her on occasion, but Thomas wants to start a school paper. The trouble is he can't find the same the same enthusiasm he has for journalism for homework and his parents won't let him work on his passion until his grades improve. Good for them and good for Thomas.

What's more, the principal, nicknamed Lurch, decides Thomas is right. Their school should have a paper. But Lurch isn't going to appoint Thomas editor just because it was his idea. He holds a contest: whoever writes the best article wins the job.

Before we go any further, I'd just like to point out what an excellent choice for detective Thomas Weston is.

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Title: Anthem for Jackson Dawes

Author: Celia Bryce

Narrator: Julie McKay

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-03-14

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

When Megan arrives on the cancer ward for her first treatment, she's frustrated to be on the pediatric unit. There's only one other teen there: Jackson Dawes. He's cute, rebelliousand obnoxiously charming. Megan can't stand the way he meets his illness with such positive energy. But when her own friends are scared off by her illness, Megan finds she doesn't really mind Jackson's playful antics. As they begin the tentative stirrings of first love, they also start the most aggressive round of treatments on their tumors. Can the power of first love overcome the heartbreak of cancer? Fans of Lurlene McDaniel will flock to this emotional debut.

Members Reviews:

Survival

This is a story about a boy, Jackson, who is 16 and a girl, Megan who is nearly 14. They are normal teenagers and have all the usual angst and baggage. But these teenagers also have cancer.

Most of the book is set on a paediatric cancer ward, where it is normal to see sick, bald, sometimes dying children, with the ubiquitous IVs, attended by strung out parents, usually mothers.

Jackson and Megan find themselves here, too old to be "children", yet clearly not adults. As a nurse herself, Bryce knows this world well and her portrayal of the nursing staff plus the general "gestalt" of the ward is absolutely dead on. The nurses are kind and caring, but they also have work to do and there are rules to be obeyed. Jackson and Megan are in hospital, they are not "free" and Jackson especially, struggles with this.

At one of their first encounters, Jackson informs a horrified Megan that her friends won't visit her. He was right. They both have to undergo chemotherapy and surgery and they are cut-off, as if isolated on an island, unable to escape these treatments.

This is a short review, because I don't want to introduce any more "spoilers". In some ways it's a teenage version of "Tuesdays With Morrie", but there are few philosophical meandering here, a source of criticism maybe, but not from me, because teenagers don't do that. This book is presented through the eyes and mind of Megan, a teenager, who "reacts", sometimes wrongly and who sometimes has to just figure it out for herself.

It is a beautifully written story. Bryce handles two big challenges here; Understanding the teenage mind; and creating a metaphorical "island" where Jackson and Megan must somehow survive. She has risen to both. There is real sadness here, tears were shed, but it is never a soap opera. This is a real world for many children and to suffer through it, whilst already in the turmoil of adolescence, must be quite terrible. It made me think and it will stay with me.

An excellent first novel, which I highly recommend. I have given it 5 stars.

3.5/5-a review from Bookworm1858

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book called to me because of its genre: contemporary aka my favorite genre! I assume I knew it featured a protagonist with cancer when I requested the title as it says so in the synopsis and I had read a few other reviews but when I opened the book, I found that a bit unclear at first although it is soon emphatically clear.

For me, the big failing for this book was my inability to form a connection to any of the characters. You might think that main character and narrator Megan would have clicked with me somehow.

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Title: Slay the Zombies or Fart Trying

Subtitle: Zombie Avengers, Volume 1

Author: Earl Edwards

Narrator: Andrew L. Barnes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-13

Publisher: Earl A Edwards

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

All Dave ever wanted was to be a regular kid with regular-kid problems. All he wanted was a cure for his little farting problem, but little did he know that the search for that cure would end up changing his life forever. Little did he know that he would become the greatest zombie fighting machine that the world has ever seen.

Members Reviews:

Grossly Funny!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

My 9 year old son definitely would!! He LOVED it! What's not to love? Farting, diareah and Zombies! Everything a growing boy needs.

If youve listened to books by Earl Edwards before, how does this one compare?

This is our first, I don't know if I can handle another.

What about Andrew L. Barness performance did you like?

He was cute, he sounded like Erkel. haha

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I think this title says it all.

Any additional comments?

As you can probably figure out, this book wasn't for me. But young pre-teen boys will love it.

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Title: Kevin Chandler and the Case of the Missing Dogs

Author: A. L. Jambor

Narrator: Fred Wolinsky

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-10-13

Publisher: A.L. Jambor

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

Kevin Chandler lives next door to Bill the butcher - the meanest man in town. Bill's son, Dylan, bullies Kevin and his friend, Ben. One night, on his way home from Ben's house, Kevin sees Dylan going into the ramshackle garage behind the Butcher house and he thinks he hears a dog whimpering. The Butchers don't own a dog and everyone knows Dylan hurts dogs, so Kevin decides he must find out what's happening in that garage.

He asks Ben to help him, and when his sister, Emma, finds out, she wants to help, too.

Members Reviews:

great read

This book and all the other dog books he wrote are great. They are very interesting and some parts are funny. The description he gives of what happens in his story is great. I enjoyed all his books that I have purchased. They are light hearted reading and very relaxing stories of animals, the beautiful part is the animals always seem to be the winners.

Perfect Boys' Book

Confession--I only read this book because I had read A.L.'s Pello Island series and fell in love with her writing style. Now, I can't believe I'm about to start raving about a kids' book but I am:

Kevin Chandler is a twelve-year-old boy who thinks he's caught his neighbor in the act of being cruel to an animal. What follows is a completely believable story of a young man's courage, honor and integrity. I don't want to give too much away but your sons (or grandsons) will find Kevin completely relatable and YOU will appreciate the fact that the adults in the story aren't paper-thin characters who appear and disappear whenever it's convenient to the plot.

Writing for kids is always tricky and I can't think of a harder age to satisfy than the tween market. Ms. Jambor has woven a tale that is simple enough for even young readers yet complex enough for kids who are a bit older. While I certainly think girls will also like the book, I have to speak as a mother who remembers how hard it was to find boy-friendly books when my son was this age.

Too bad I didn't have Kevin Chandler on my bookshelf back then.

Great Young Adult Mystery

This is a very good mystery novel for young adults. It has no superheroes who can do impossible tasks. It just has ordinary kids (and adults) who want to solve a mystery. The beginning of the novel did not pique my interest, but after a few pages, the pace picked up. The characters were well written and well developed. I especially liked the way the author handled the "bad guys." I think this is a great novel for pre-teens and young teens.

A good story

A good story , held my interest. Saw the good and bad in people. SHort read good for traveling, beach, or just relaxing.

Fun read

I didn't realize this was a child's book when I ordered it for my kindle. It reads very quick, tells a wonderful story about friendship, not making judgements, and loving and caring for animals. Even adults will enjoy reading this story.

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Title: Giselle

Author: David Angus

Narrator: Jenny Agutter

Format: Original Recording

Length: 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-05-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from the Ballet Stories collection.

The magic of ballet is evoked in these enchanting stories presented with many musical excerpts from the works themselves. Jenny Agutter, who before turning to acting was a dancer, presents the stories of two French ballets - Giselle and Coppelia - and the three great ballets by Tchaikovsky, in engaging style.

These are tales of princes and princesses, of good fairies and bad witches, and, in Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, the brave soldier and Clara - but does it happen, or is it a dream?

And there is the music - the lovely melody from Swan Lake, The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the waltzes and richly atmospheric passages painting, in sound, castles, forests, mists and lakes.

A perfect introduction to the ballet.

Editorial Reviews:

David Angus adapts Jules-Henri Verrnoy de Saint-Georges and Theophile Gautier's ballet, which follows the tragic love story between a beautiful peasant girl and a prince. Albrecht is smitten with Giselle, but since his noble standing will not allow him to marry someone of such low class, he disguises himself as a fellow villager. Albrecht and Giselle quickly fall in love; much to the chagrin of Hillarion, who is also in love with Giselle, and who exposes Albrecht's true identity. Jenny Agutter employs a reserved composure that grounds Giselle, giving it weight as the musical score flits from joy to sorrow.

Critic Reviews:

"The lively text is rich with detail and imagery." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Great teaching material

Have used in ballet class to demonstrate how the ballet story develops - holds students' attention.

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Title: Aunt Morbelia and the Screaming Skulls

Author: Joan Carris

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-22-13

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

The peaceful life of a boy with dyslexia is interrupted when his great-aunt, who has a morbid fascination with ghosts and death omens, moves in. Ever since his great aunt first appeared on his familys doorstep, Todds life has been turned upside down.

His schoolwork is getting harder, and Morbelias eerie stories are giving him nightmares. Surprisingly, it may take someone as weird as Morbelia to help Todd deal with his dyslexia - and just maybe, someone like Todd can help Morbelia learn to be less gloomy.

An award-winning author of childrens books and a long-time tutor of English, Joan Carris brings her own experiences to Todds struggle with dyslexia. Cloaked with Aunt Morbelias creepy ghostlore, this story of family interdependence is not only heartwarming and educational - but also spine-tingling fun!

Members Reviews:

Aunt Morbelia and the Screaming Skulls

ISBN 0671747843 - Whatever you expect from this book when you look at the cover, forget about it. The depiction of an old lady who looks a little crazy with skulls all over the place almost belittles the story inside.

Todd has two parents, a dog, a crazy cat, a great group of friends... and dyslexia. Into this mix, he is told, is coming his father's great-aunt Morbelia. Todd's parents laugh over her superstitious ways, which makes Todd more than a little nervous about her arrival. This isn't helped by the fact that even his parents don't really seem to want her there. The family is welcoming and polite, but it is difficult for everyone to fit Morbelia into the family's life.

Morbelia is sad over the death of her sister - she wears black all the time, has an almost endless list of things that are bad omens, doesn't like Todd's cat OR the cat's name (Banshee) and isn't really thrilled about packing up her old life to start a new one, either. Especially since she's aware that she is, in a way, intruding. On the other hand, she's a great baker, a huge help to Todd in dealing with his learning disability and everyone (except Todd) seems to love hearing her scary stories. How the family learns to accept one another, to communicate openly and honestly, and to consider each other's feelings is superbly done - but do they learn these lessons in time? Or will Morbelia leave, believing that she is still unwanted?

I enjoyed the times that Morbelia got creative in helping Todd to learn things that he had trouble learning in more traditional ways. It was appropriate and in the background, but it was also nice that Todd's friend Rocky should slowly "become" a girl - they're 11 and it's about the right time for her to begin to spend time with other girls. More than that, I was really and truly shocked by how well Carris handled the end of the story: Todd becoming more sensitive to her age and much more aware of her feelings, and Morbelia herself helping him to do that, was a stunningly adult resolution of a book that had, to that point, seemed like just another kids' book.

More than almost any other book I've read in a long time, Aunt Morbelia is a realistic, touching story about growing up. Kids will read it for other reasons, but I think adults will find it makes them tear up a little when Todd and Morbelia connect at the end.

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Title: Tawny

Author: Chas Carner

Narrator: Rebecca Tuttle

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-03-13

Publisher: Carner Co

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

Twelve-year-old Trey Landry, adjusting to the death of his twin brother, adopts and cares for an injured doe.

Called, "...beautiful and breathtaking...moving and true...written with love, and its language is beautiful..." by Barbara Wersba of the New York Times.

Members Reviews:

I can't wait to rediscover this classic!

I just ordered Tawny for my Kindle. I still have the hardbackI bought all those years ago.

Tawny is a story about a boy's coming of age. It is also about what a terrible and beautiful place nature is. And how the world and everything in it can break your heart. But also save you with its beauty.

Chas Carner is a really fine writer. Every single word counts. But he never hits you over the head --Tawny is simple and simply gorgeous. I can't wait to read it again.

Tawny is a Wonderful Book

Tawny is a wonderful book for the young adult. The winters long, the loneliness palpable and the lessons for our young hero resonate deeply in hearts young and old. Set in the NH countryside, the description of wildlife is beautiful and filled with the rich metaphor of great storytelling. Profoundly moving, this wonderful tale, speaks to all, who yearning to hold onto a loved one, in fulfilling the true nature of love, must eventually let them go.

Quick response time to my order

I had ordered a book that has been out of print for many years. I got the copy and it was in decent shape for an old book. It is about my town, so I wanted to have it for historical fictional reasons.

The seller got it to me in a timely fashion and in good shape.

I brought it to Wales to read it to my 5 year old grandson, but after realizing that the brother dies early on, I had to edit it. It is still a good book. Not the best literary style, but a good book.

Tawny, revisited

I recently re-read Tawny, a book that has graced my family's library for many years, wanting to revisit the evocative world of it's New England farm setting. This beautifully written slim novel tells the story of Trey Landry, an eleven year old boy in grief over the death of his twin brother. When Trey rescues an injured yearling doe and nurses her back to health, his supportive family embraces her as well.

As the reader moves through the seasons of one year and the many activities of farm life, Trey bonds with the doe he has named Tawny; she has become his beloved companion. A series of events remind Trey and his family that Tawny is different from the domesticated animals on the farm. She is a wild creature and, with Trey's understanding of this, he embarks to train her to return to her natural life.

Tawny is a story of love, loss and healing. A timeless classic, it is perfect for the young adult reader, though should not be limited to this genre.

A classic read

I first read Tawny when I was 11 years old. Now, nearly 30 years later, my own 10-year-old daughter is reading it and loving it as much as I did. It is a beautiful story, rich in language and timeless life lessons. The truth in the story is about finding oneself, and finding meaning in tragedy; it is the recognition that while life can be cruel and hard, if we look closely, we can find beauty in the simplest moments and actions. I love this book for many reasons, and it was heartwarming and grounding to read it again after all these years.

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Title: Billy Bones

Subtitle: Beyond the Grave

Author: David H. Burton

Narrator: R.C. Bray

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-04-13

Publisher: Stonehenge Press

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

Meet Billy Bones.

He's dead.

Literally.

Finding himself in the Afterlife, ten year old Billy must wait to be recycled back into the Livingworld. Meanwhile, he's stuck trying to figure out how he's supposed to survive in this backwards existence where sunlight burns, the dead are living, and the memories of his past lives are stored in a secret book.

The problem is that Billy's has been stolen, and now he has to find it and discover why the dreaded Reaper is after him.

Members Reviews:

A Fun Choose-Your-Own-Adventure

For some reason Amazon wouldn't allow my daughter to post her own review (using my account), so I'll tell you (as her mom) what I thought of the book. I found it to be a great, quick read. It was funny, endearing, and mysterious.

Billy Bones picked his nose and died. Now he's in a world of the living dead, waiting to have his number called again. He can barely remember much of his past, and is given a book that he's instructed to read... typical kid, he doesn't read it and it gets stolen. Now his past is a mystery! Who was he? Why is someone coming after him and why did they steal his book?

Well... choose your own adventure and maybe you'll find out. Or... maybe you'll end up dead, the choice is yours but beware.

Both of my children, aged 11 and 8, enjoyed Billy Bones. They liked the fact they could choose which direction Billy was going to take and even got caught a few times themselves. I definitely recommend this book for 2nd graders and older, and intend on getting a copy for my daughter's classroom - she enjoyed it that much.

Here was Sonya's review:

This book is a lot of fun to read. I have been waiting for this book for a very long time and so happy it's finally here. Your kids will like this book a lot. This book lets you pick what happens and sometimes you can die! So be really careful what you pick. Me and my brother read it with our mom and she let us pick what happened. It took us four tries to get to the end, and we can't wait to see if there will be more books like this. I really like Goliath!

Such Fun For Kindle!

This book was labeled children's when I got it...but it's far from a kids book! I had so much fun reading the delightful, enchanting story...and feeling lost, as when I hit the wrong choice in the Kindle Fire I would find myself jumping around with reading percentages...never quite knowing how close I was to the end. And was actually sad when I did finish the story! Looking forward to the next installment! Fell in love with the Billy Bones and friends and the level of creativity amazed and delighted me! I'm actually loaning my Kindle to my 22yr old daughter so she can enjoy this delightful read! (I don't do that!)

I just like it.

You can change the story, but they kept on stopping me from reading the story. It's a pretty good story.

Sincerely,

Natalea

(Dictated by my 7 year old daughter....she wants you to know her birthday is December 25th :-D)

Couldn't finish

I might have gotten through 2 or 3 chapters before I gave it up. It didn't hold my interest at all. Maybe it's written for kids? Somehow I can't see my kids liking it either. Sorry!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

I had so much fun reading this fantasy children's story, and could not have been more impressed by how it worked. Billy Bones: Beyond the Grave, A Choose-Your-Own-Demise Novel, was like nothing I have ever read before.

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Titel: Die Chaosschwestern sind unschlagbar! (Die Chaosschwestern 2)

Autor:: Dagmar H. Mueller

Erzähler: Mary Muhsal, Merete Brettschneider, Simona Pahl

Format: Abridged

Spieldauer: 4 hrs and 45 mins

Sprache: Deutsch

Veröffentlichungsdatum: 08-07-13

Herausgeber: Der Hörverlag

Kategorien: Kids, Ages 8-10

Zusammenfassung des Herausgebers:

In den witzigen Lesungen erhalten die vier grundverschiedenen Schwestern endlich Stimmen und können selbst von ihren verrückten Abenteuern erzählen.

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Title: Manolito Four-Eyes

Subtitle: The 3rd Volume of the Great Encyclopedia of My Life

Author: Elvira Lindo

Narrator: Luci Christian Bell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-22-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10

Publisher's Summary:

"Nobody knows me as Manolito Garca Moreno, not even Big Ears Lopez, and he's my best friend; even though sometimes he can be a dog and a traitor (and other times, a dog traitor), he's still my best friend and he's a whole lotta cool. In Carabanchel-that's the name of my neighborhood in Madrid, in case I haven't told you-everyone knows me as Manolito Four-Eyes."

"Don't try to be different," says Manolito's mother. But he can't help it - he doesn't have to try. Whether he's fighting over the One-and-Only Susana; trying not to fight with Ozzy the Bully; telling his entire life story to the school psychologist; or discovering the true meaning of World Peace-10-year-old Manolito is a real original. As he'd say, in the worldwide world, there's nobody like him! And for the first time, this best-selling phenomenon from Spain is available in English.

Members Reviews:

This Volume Of Manolito Four-Eyes Is Every Bit As Good As The First Two Volumes Of "The Great Encyclopedia Of My Life" ...

Elvira Lindo continues her wonderful series in âManolito Four-Eyes - The 3rd Volume of the Great Encyclopedia of My Lifeâ. The consummate everyman, Manolito is maturing and growing slightly more responsible throughout this book. His acerbic wit, self-deprecating humor, and outlook on life make this third book in the Manolito series every bit as enjoyable â for both younger readers and adults - as the first two books. Manolitoâs observations with respect to his family, neighbors, and friends will evoke smiles and laughter from readers who may recognize themselves or others as sharing similar experiences.

âManolito Four-Eyes - The 3rd Volume of the Great Encyclopedia of My Lifeâ focuses on Manolitoâs summer. His family is unable to leave their hometown â Carabanchel â on vacation because they must ââ make payments on my dadâs truck ââ. His friends have all left town, so Manolito, his little brother âThe Bozoâ, and his beloved grandfather fill their days with swimming, going to Hangmanâs Park every afternoon, and eating super-duper ice cream cones. Manolito discovers a new life-long friend, Mustard, when walking with The Bozo and giving him advice on the best way to eat a super-duper ice cream cone at 4 pm. Other adventures and mishaps involving friends and family are funny and, at times, touching.

The love and respect Manolito has for his parents, his grandfather, and The Bozo are evident throughout the book. When the new school year starts, Manolitoâs taking The Bozo under his wing evidence his growing maturity. His realization that overlooking Mustard almost resulted in missing a fulfilling friendship shows young readers that sometimes that overlooked individual may be someone with who they have similar interests.

Elvira Lindo writes with humor and a style that adults as well as those in the target age range of 9 â 12 years old can appreciate. Language is inoffensive and appropriate for young readers; it is sufficiently sophisticated so that adult readers will not become bored. Actions taken by the characters and the situations in which they find themselves are consistent with the personalities of Manolito, his friends, and his family.