AudioFile Magazine curated this audiobook list exclusively for The Children’s Book Review.
The Best New Audiobooks for Middle-Grade Listeners
When a narrator gets a voice just right, it makes all the difference for capturing the interest and attention of young listeners. Our recommendations this month feature five magical matches of audiobook and narrator (and one where a chorus of voices is integral to bringing the story’s message home). These five audiobooks are exciting, funny, timely, and real, and listeners won’t want to press pause.
Narrator JD Jackson’s enchanting gravelly voice is an inspired match for this roller-coaster ride of an audio. As a young medium in a family of magic workers, Theo Tatterly considers himself up to any ghostly challenge. But when a terrifying hag appears during a field trip and his aunt has a premonition of doom, Theo finds himself tested to his limits and fighting for his life. Jackson’s narration strikes the perfect note for a preteen boy who is equally prepared for exorcisms and pickup basketball games. Review»
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In Soledad, Texas, in 1952, 12-year-old Pineda encounters a young alien when she crash-lands on his family’s farm. Giordan Diaz gives a winning performance as Pineda, communicating his humor and kindness and switching easily between English and Spanish. P.J. Morgan gives the alien an appropriately nervous, hesitant voice as she slowly learns some English. As Pineda and his friends try to reunite her with her parents, the chorus of voices for other characters who chime in during the story’s climax reinforces the message about the power of community. Warm, funny, and timely. Review»
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The cavernous voice of narrator Allan Corduner is the listener’s first clue that this enchanted story is more expansive than the tiny, spartan attic room where Marta and her mother live above The Hotel Balzaar. While Marta’s mother toils as the hotel’s maid, Marta’s job is to be unseen and unheard. Corduner’s narration entrances the listener and transports them far from the strict confines of the hotel. Review»
Listen to Kate DiCamillo talk about The Hotel Balzaar on The Growing Readers Podcast.
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Jesse Bernstein brings Percy Jackson to life in this seventh installment in the series. Percy is tasked with house-sitting for the goddess Hecate and her two pets, a polecat and a hellhound. When the house is destroyed and the pets escape, Percy and his friends Annabeth and Grover must fix things before Hecate returns. Bernstein is so talented that he can infuse three door knockers with three distinct personalities and make listeners chuckle in the midst of worrying about what will happen next. Review»
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Narrator Alejandro Antonio Ruiz dazzles listeners with their vocal range and agility. Eighth-grader Elio Solis has become more aware of his body, emotions, and female classmates. He feels his world has become radiantly ultraviolet when his classmate Camelia agrees to be his girlfriend. Elio’s loving family encourages his emotional maturity, teaching him about puberty, toxic masculinity, consent, and life in general while embracing their Mexican American heritage. Review»
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The article Best New Audiobooks for Middle-Grade Listeners 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 @AudioFileMagazine
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