AudioFile Magazine curated this audiobook list exclusively for The Children’s Book Review.
Best New Audiobooks for Middle-Grade Listeners
A single, well-matched voice narrates each of these audiobooks, and the narrators all give intimate, personal performances. This helps connect the listener to the stories (and one memoir), which touch on relatable subjects like family, mental illness, and disability. Listeners will find themselves in Boston during the American Revolution, or discovering what it’s like to see through someone else’s eyes. And for anyone who’s not quite ready to dive into the flurry of summer activities, there’s a fantastical escape to a mysterious autumnal forest.
Dara Rosenberg excels at narrating this emotional audiobook, which begins as seventh-grader Becky is dressing for her older sister Sara’s funeral. Rosenberg leads listeners from the sad “Now” chapter to the lighter “Before” chapters, when Becky secretly “borrows” her mother’s credit card to get her beloved older brother a gift. The theme of secrets is introduced against the backdrop of a loving Jewish family, and Rosenberg warmly invites listeners into their traditions. Review»
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Listeners are presented with the roiling and realistic emotions of 13-year-old Elspeth Culpepper, who finds herself in the middle of the 1776 Siege of Boston. Narrator Phoebe Strole does a masterful job presenting the characters and their difficulties. The narrative, which Elspeth tells directly to listeners, incorporates historical quotes and relatable events, such as Boston’s becoming an inoculation center against a raging smallpox epidemic. Strole provides voices that reflect the characters’ ages, genders, and emotions in the dangerous times. Review»
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Imran Sheikh’s narration captures the interiority of 13-year-old Mohammad (Mo) Mirza, who works hard to stay cheerful despite his father’s rages. Sheikh delivers the humor, intelligence, gift for storytelling, and sarcasm that buoy Mo as he deals with his father’s paranoid schizophrenia; the absence of his mother, who has chosen to work in a distant refugee camp; and being thrown into a new life in Texas with an aunt and cousin he hardly knows. This compelling listen is filled with heart and humor. Review»
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Author and narrator James Robinson combines his documentary filmmaking skills and familiarity with audiobooks to render his experience with serious visual disability in audio. Sound effects immerse the listener in Robinson’s memories, like the ticking of the school clock as impatient classmates wait while he struggles to read. He sometimes inserts the confused conversations of friends and family who are puzzling out images of the world as he sees it. Robinson’s caring outlook and advice on society, specifically the disability community, is, unsurprisingly, visionary. Review»
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Narrator Marisa Calin has a voice made for children’s audiobooks. Full of wonder, Calin addresses listeners directly, introducing the cast, adding backstory, and warning when things might get a little dark. Clare is the undead fox that guides souls to the afterlife. Calin voices him with meticulous articulation and a disgruntled air. With subtle sound effects added, listeners will find themselves immersed in the eternal autumn of Deadwood. Review»
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The article 5 Relatable Audiobooks Perfect 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, BlueSky @audiofilemagazine.bsky.social, Facebook @audiofilemagazine, and Instagram @AudioFileMagazine
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