As a librarian, I have eclectic tastes in audiobooks. But my favorites to recommend to young people have one thing in common—the ability to transport the listener into the story. This is particularly challenging for fantasy novels, because listeners must use their imaginations to join a new world and believe in that world enough that they become a part of it. Four of my favorite recent audiobooks for middle-graders are fantasy novels whose story and production overwhelmed me in the best possible ways.
The print edition of Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell received rave reviews (including a Kirkus star), and the audio version (Listening Library, 8 hours and 55 minutes) deserves the same. From the moment British actor Samuel West reads “It was a very fine day, until something tried to eat him”—and then dramatically pauses—listeners will be hooked. The story follows two children, Christopher Forrester and Mal Arvorian, as they venture on a most dangerous journey to discover why the world’s magic is disappearing. Mal and Christopher are joined by four others on their quest, and West creates authentic, distinct voices for each character. Thanks to the vivid descriptions, listeners can imagine what each of the places and memorable creatures looks like, but the audiobook also comes with a downloadable bestiary PDF with drawings of each beast.
The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science (Hachette Audio, 4 hours and 54 minutes) is written and narrated by actor Kate McKinnon, and it’s an absolute delight. This adventure tale is about three sisters, their infamous and eccentric new teacher, Millicent Quibb, and a race to save the town from an evil cabal of mad scientists. Despite numerous pleas to the listener to “see the PDF” for pictures, this silly middle-grade debut stands on its own in audio format. McKinnon’s hilarious tongue-in-cheek delivery matches the material well—maybe even better than just reading the text. As she trails off with footnotes, jokes, poems, and plenty of fourth-wall breaking, I wonder if readers miss something when they can’t hear every one of McKinnon’s accents or songs sung in the most disagreeable pitch ever.
Narrator Kimberly Woods perfectly balances the whimsical and the creepy to bring The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling (Listening Library, 7 hours and 41 minutes) to life. Twelve-year-old Kess Pedrock is lonely. Her parents are away on a science expedition, and her only friend is a talking demon stuck in a jar. When a new girl arrives in town, Kess joins her in trying to uncover the secrets of Eelgrass Bog. The worldbuilding is excellent, and the deft unraveling of each secret makes the audiobook a memorable experience.
Nekia Renee Martin’s performance is undoubtedly dynamic in The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon (Listening Library, 9 hours and 56 minutes). Delilah’s mom wants her to grow up to be a respectable businesswoman so that she can one day take over the vast family business, but Dally wants to truly experience being a kid. When a letter from her grandfather leads her to the titular library of secrets, Dally decides to go on an adventure. With Martin’s narration, 11-year-old Dally is both naïve and brave, spoiled and willing to risk it all, and isolated and gregarious. The pacing is magnificent, and the plentiful time-traveling action will keep listeners engaged until the last second.
Kirby McCurtis is director of location services at Multnomah County Library in Oregon.
