Booklist Editors' Choice: Media

The narrator of previous Artemis Fowl series titles, Parker fluidly changes accents (British, Irish, American) to portray teenage criminal mastermind Artemis and a huge cast of characters, including elves, dwarfs, and pixies.

In a convincing, albeit over-the-top, western twang, Sands reads this action-packed western, which opens with 12-year-old P. K. Pinkerton discovering that his foster parents have been murdered.

This audio depicting the horror of WWII, as seen through the eyes of two friends, double-agent Verity (one of many names she goes by) and fearless British pilot Maddie (code name Kitty Hawk), is masterfully voiced by Christie and Gaskell (portraying Verity and Maddie, respectively) in authentic accents, dialects, and expressions of emotion. Produced by Bolinda, the audio is distributed by Brilliance Audio. (Top of the List winner–Audio.)

Guidall’s calm, assured reading of Christensen’s rhythmic verses recounting the story of jazz musician Django Reinhardt, lovely background music, and authentic sound effects combine in this exceptional read-along.

Andoh brings joy to this fun mystery in which young Precious Ramotswe solves her first case when cake and other treats go missing from school lunches. Andoh’s British-laced reading, tinged with an African dialect, authentically denotes the Botswana setting.

Veteran storyteller, songwriter, singer, and funnyman Bill Harley’s album featuring both songs and stories begins with a hilarious story-song about a nine-year-old boy who tries to jump off the high dive in order to impress a pretty teenage lifeguard.

Meeting in a cancer survivor group, teens Hazel Grace and Augustus fall in love and willingly “ride all the way up” on the roller coaster of life. Rudd expresses the teens’ humorous, sad, sarcastic, and realistic dialogue with deadpan precision in this moving, exceptional story.

NPR reporter Norris’ soothing voice bridges 26 NPR interviews (with Rosa Parks and others), stories, and accounts in this riveting collection of defining moments of the civil rights movement.

Timson tackles Dickens’ sprawling novel, filled with an eccentric cast of British characters, in a splendid performance that radiates warmth and humor.

Ian sings the lyrics that open each chapter of this mesmerizing memoir, which transports us back in time as we listen to Ian recollecting her personal and professional life and singing snippets of “At Seventeen” and “Jesse,” among other originals.