Hatched

A full cast, including the author and audio luminaries such as Jayne Entwistle, Kirby Heyborne, Scott Brick, Paul Boehmer, and Arthur Morey, joins narrators Matthew Frow and Jeremy Gumbs, enlarging the humor in this story. The featured character is a poetry-writing griffin named Gerald, whose anxiety often gets the better of him. The story is told by Gerald and his human friend, Brad, mostly in diary format. The variety of voices helps listeners identify each of the many characters. Themes of bullying and finding one's place in the world are common threads in Coville's writing, and the narrators do a good job keeping these weighty issues light and entertaining while driving home the need for kindness and compassion. S.G. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Presented with a full cast, this story is a delightful romp from Scotland to Connecticut via the Enchanted Realm with Angus Cairns, a curse-carrying brownie. Euan Morton, as the kind but fiery-tempered brownie, steals the show with his heavy Scots brogue and animated dialogue. Morton's comic timing is perfect for Angus's wry observations of his new life in the relatively unenchanted United States. Angus must work to break the curse with help of a brownie's worst nightmare--a slovenly girl named Alex, voiced by perky 13-year-old Nancy O'Connor. The diary entries of Alex and Angus comprise most of the book. Other cast members fill in as family, friends, and teachers, delivering dialogue or supplementary letters and messages. L.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine