As sure as the natural world blossoms in springtime, the number of spring audiobook titles continues to grow as well, due in part to the digital expansion in this segment of publishing that shows no signs of abating. The adult fiction and children’s/YA categories are particularly robust this season, boasting a number of author debuts and series starters. And in nonfiction, volumes that look in depth at the stories behind the news headlines on such topics as the Boston Marathon bombing and global warming sit alongside the usual steady flow of memoirs and humor titles. This listing singles out some of the highlights from publishers’ vast spring offerings. Happy Listening!
Doing Harm by Kelly Parsons, read by Robert Petkoff. This debut thriller takes listeners into the hospital to detail the politics and hierarchy among doctors, and offer a look at the life and death decisions made by flawed human beings every day. (Macmillan Audio, Feb.)
The Forever Girl by Alexander McCall Smith is a multigenerational love story set on Grand Cayman Island. (Recorded Books, Feb. download only)
The Bear by Claire Cameron. Five-year-old Anna narrates this tense tale who must fend for herself and her younger brother after a brutal bear attack during a family camping trip. (Hachette Audio, Feb., download only)
One More Thing by B.J. Novak, read by Novak and friends, is a debut collection of stories from this actor, writer and producer. (Random House Audio, Feb.)
Private: L.A. by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan, read by Jay Snyder. This series starter features investigator Jack Morgan on the case of the disappearance of a Hollywood A-list couple. (Hachette Audio, Feb.)
Runner by Patrick Lee, read by Paul Esparza. Sam, a retired special-forces officer out for a jog, literally runs into a young girl who is fleeing the men who have been keeping her in a secret government prison because she has a special, and dangerous, skill. (Macmillan Audio, Feb.)
Thirty Girls by Susan Minot, read by Robin Miles, weaves together the stories of Esther, a Ugandan teen forced to witness and commit atrocities, and Jane, an American journalist in Africa hoping to give a voice to children like Esther. (Blackstone Audio, Feb.)
That Part Was True by Deborah McKinlay, read by LJ Ganser and Katherine Kellgren. A lonely British woman’s letter to a popular American author sparks a relationship that changes both their lives. (Hachette Audio, Feb.)
Twisted Sisters by Jen Lancaster, read by the author. No matter how successful Reagan becomes, her younger sister Geri remains the family’s favorite daughter. (Penguin Audio, Feb.)
The Widow’s Guide to Sex and Dating by Carole Radziwill. When her husband dies in a freak accident, young Manhattan widow Claire sets about reinventing herself. (Brilliance Audio, Feb.)
The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman, read by Judith Light, Grace Gummer, and Zach Appelman. A Russian immigrant and a girl who stars in her father’s boardwalk freak show fall in love in early 20th-century New York City. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Feb.)
I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira, read by Mozhan Marnot imagines the great romance between painters Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas. (Penguin Audio, Feb.)
Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler, read by Scott Shepherd, Ari Fliakos, and Maggie Hoffman. Four longtime male friends are reunited in their small Wisconsin town for a wedding. (Macmillan Audio, Mar.)
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi recasts Snow White as a story about race set in 1950s and 60s America. (Recorded Books, Mar., download only)
Kicking the Sky by Anthony De Sa, read by Thomas Marsh is a coming-of-age story inspired by the real-life Toronto murder of Emanuel Jacques, “the Shoeshine Boy.” (HighBridge Audio, Mar.)
The Haunted Life: And Other Writings by Jack Kerouac, ed. by Todd F. Tietchen. A lost work by Kerouac set in the early 1940s is published and recorded in full for the first time. (Brilliance Audio, Mar.)
Hyde by Daniel Levine, read by John Curless, retells The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from the monster’s point of view. (Recorded Books, Mar. download only)
Cambridge by Suzanna Kaysen, read by Käthe Mazur. This novel draws on real-life experiences and is set among the academics and artists of 1950s Cambridge, Mass. (Tantor Audio, Mar.)
In Paradise by Peter Matthiessen chronicles the experiences of those attending a retreat at the site of a former Nazi concentration camp where people of diverse backgrounds have gathered to pray, meditate, and research. (Penguin Audio, Apr.)
The Dragon Business by Kevin J. Anderson, read by James Langton, is a medieval fantasy romp in the vein of Monty Python. (Brilliance Audio, Apr.)
The Other Story by Tatiana De Rosnay, read by Simon Vance. A young writer finds the key to his future when he digs into his family’s secrets. (Macmillan Audio, Apr.)
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, read by Scott Brick. When a mysterious package arrives at his failing island bookstore, depressed A.J. Fikry gets the chance to start his life anew. (HighBridge Audio, Apr.)
Frog Music by Emma Donoghue, read by Khristine Hvam. According to producer Michele McGonigle, within the novel, set in colorful 1870’s San Francisco, “there are a lot of songs, some of which will be sung in the audio edition. Emma has been consulted on these and has provided us with amazing documents, including sheet music so we can get it right.” (Hachette Audio, Apr.)
Madam Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, read by Juliet Stevenson. “It has always been a book I have really wanted to record,” says Stevenson of the classic story about a woman’s suffocating marriage. “It can be just as relevant for women now as it was in the 19th century when Flaubert wrote it.” (Naxos AudioBooks, Apr.)
The Garden of Burning Sand by Corban Addison, read by Robin Miles. A human rights attorney and a Zambian policeman partner in bringing to justice the perpetrator of a violent assault. (Recorded Books, May)
Delicious! by Ruth Reichl, read by the author. Food, as well as family ties, are at the heart of this culinary writer’s first novel. (Random House Audio, May)
Invisible City by Julia Dahl, read by Andi Arndt. Journalist Rebekah is drawn into her mother’s tight-knit world when she investigates the murder of a Hasidic Jew in this debut. (Macmillan Audio, May)
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes, is a debut thriller that begins with a shocking murder near Ground Zero in New York City. (Simon & Schuster Audio, May)
The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg, read by Simon Vance. In this psychological thriller, a Nazi medal, a blood-stained baby shirt and decades-old diaries are among a dead woman’s hidden possessions. (HighBridge Audio, May)
To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris explores some of the absurdities of the modern world. (Hachette Audio, May)
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. In this suspenseful story, a retired cop tries to stop an obsessed lone killer from blowing up thousands. (Simon & Schuster Audio, June)
The Farm by Tom Rob Smith, read by James Langton and Suzanne Toren is a psychological thriller that snares Daniel in between his recently retired parents who each come to him with frighteningly urgent stories about the other. (Hachette Audio, June)
FaceOff by various authors, ed. by David Baldacci. Such bestselling thriller writers as Michael Connelly and Jeffrey Deaver pair their popular series characters in 11 original stories. (Simon & Schuster Audio, June)
The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank, read by Robin Miles. Two enterprising girls decide to rent out part of their elegant living quarters for soirees, just one of many secrets they keep from their parents. (HarperAudio, June)
Thorn Jack by Katherine Harbor launches the Night and Nothing series that features mystery, romance, and faery folk. (Brilliance Audio, June)
The Patron Saint of Ugly by Marie Manilla. Garnett, born with port-wine stains over her body, is unprepared when pilgrims start camping outside her home, believing she is the saint of healing skin ailments. (Blackstone Audio, June)
Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch. The reputation of a high-profile doctor to the stars is on the line when a procedure goes wrong and an actor dies. (Brilliance Audio, June)
The Girls of August by Anne River Siddons. The lives of four best friends are forever changed by the events of one summer. (Hachette Audio, July)
The Last Kind Words Saloon by Larry McMurtry features legendary lawman Wyatt Earp. (Recorded Books, June, download only)
Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian. A recently orphaned and homeless teenage runaway narrates this tale about trying to escape her past. (Random House Audio, July)
Tempting Fate by Jane Green, read by the author (Macmillan Audio, Mar.); Trouble in Mind by Jeffrey Deaver, read by a full cast (Hachette Audio, Mar.); All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner (Simon & Schuster Audio, Apr.); The Corsican Caper by Peter Mayle (Random House Audio, May); Earth Awakens by Orson Scott Card, read by Stefan Rudnicki and a full cast (Macmillan Audio, June); The Long Childhood by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter, read by Michael Fenton Stevens (HarperAudio, June)
E.E. Cummings: A Life by Susan Cheever, read by Stefan Rudnicki. In this biography, Cheever traces the development of the poet and his work. (Blackstone Audio, Feb.)
Stories from the Secret War by Terrence M. Burke, read by Michael Pearl. Burke, recipient of the CIA Intelligence Star for Valor, shares stories of efforts by the North Vietnamese to capture him. (Brook Forest Voices, Feb.)
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert, read by Anne Twomey presents a look at the future world by examining stories about the various disappearances happening all around us. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Feb.)
Romance Is My Day Job by Patience Bloom, read by the author. A Harlequin editor who had almost given up on love offers a look inside the real-life romance that finally came her way. (Brilliance, Feb.)
Table of Plenty: Good Food for Body and Spirit (Stories, Reflections, Recipes) by Susan Muto, read by the author, explores how listeners can experience the goodness of God through the food they eat and the company they share. (Franciscan Media, Feb.)
Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan, read by the author. The memoirist reflects on the true meaning of motherhood. (Random House Audio, Feb.)
Wondrous Beauty: The Life and Adventures of Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte by Carol Berkin presents the true story of the Baltimore woman whose marriage to Jerome Bonaparte infuriated his older brother Napoleon. (Recorded Books, Feb., download only)
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Vol. I) by Edward Gibbon, read by David Timson. This massive work of ancient Roman history will be released in six volumes throughout 2014. (Naxos AudioBooks, Feb.)
Suspicion Nation by Lisa Bloom, read by the author. Bloom, a reporter and legal analyst who covered the trial, offers a look into the Trayvon Martin case and the American legal system. (Brilliance Audio, Mar.)
Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming by McKenzie Funk, read by Sean Runnette investigates how people around the globe are cashing in on a warming world. (HighBridge Audio, Feb.)
You Must Remember This by Robert J. Wagner with Scott Eyman, read by Wagner. The actor offers a look back at Hollywood’s golden age. (Penguin Audio, Mar.)
A Sliver of Light by Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal, and Sarah Shourd, presents the story of these three American hikers who were imprisoned in Iran in 2009. (Blackstone Audio, Mar.)
The Tyranny of Experts: Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor by William Easterly, read by Jonathan Yen offers an examination of the historical failure to find a lasting solution to global poverty. (Recorded Books, Mar., download only)
The Splendid Things We Planned: A Family Portrait by Blake Bailey. The biographer offers a look at his own family’s dysfunction in this memoir. (Blackstone Audio, Mar.)
I Don’t Know What You Know Me From by Judy Greer, read by the author. Essays from this comedic actress focus on both her ordinary real-life experiences and tales of celebrity friends. (Random House Audio, Apr.)
My Accidental Jihad by Krista Bremer, read by Xe Sands explores tolerance and what it means to be truly open to another culture. (HighBridge Audio, Apr.)
Untitled by Edward Klein. The former editor-in-chief of the New York Times Magazine reports on President Obama’s activist agenda for his second term. (HarperAudio, Apr.)
The Stranger: Barack Obama in the White House by Chuck Todd is the White House correspondent’s fly-on-the-wall account of the President’s struggle to succeed in Washington. (Hachette Audio, Apr.)
Hope Runs by Claire Diaz Ortiz and Samuel Ikua Gachagua. An American tourist on a journey around the world meets a boy in a Kenyan orphanage and both of their lives are changed forever. (eChristian, Apr.)
Long Mile Home by Scott Helman and Jenna Russell is an account of the Boston Marathon bombing and the subsequent manhunt for the Tsarnaev brothers from Boston Globe reporters. (Penguin Audio, Apr.)
Love Life by Rob Lowe, read by the author. The actor provides personal stories about everything from father-son relationships to addiction and recovery in this memoir. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Apr.)
Everybody’s Got Something by Robin Roberts, read by the author, is an inspirational memoir by the Good Morning America host who has struggled with illness in recent years. (Hachette Audio, Apr.)
Shining Star: Braving the Elements of Earth, Wind & Fire by Philip Bailey with Keith and Kent Zimmerman, read by the author, is a memoir from the lead singer of this legendary group. (Tantor Audio, Apr.)
Dirty Daddy: The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian by Bob Saget reveals often raunchy tales from a life in the entertainment business. (HarperAudio, Apr.)
You Hide That You Hate Me and I Hide That I Know by Philip Gourevitch. These stories of life in Rwanda 20 years after the genocide that occurred there incorporate investigative reporting and personal narratives. (Penguin Audio, Apr.)
Forcing the Spring by Jo Becker explores various sides of the nationwide civil rights movement surrounding the gay community’s fight to win the rights of marriage and full citizenship. (Penguin Audio, Apr.)
Stronger: Fighting Back After the Boston Marathon Bombing by Jeff Bauman with Brett Witter presents the experiences of a 27-year-old survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing who lost both his legs in the attack. (Hachette Audio, Apr.)
Enduring Courage by Jeff Ross, read by Edward Herrmann, is the true story of American ace pilot and renowned racecar driver Eddie Rickenbacker. (Macmillan Audio, May)
Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies by Lawrence Goldstone offers a history of manned flight in the early 20th century. (Recorded Books, May, download only)
The Ghosts of Hero Street by Carlos Harrison, read by Robert Fass. The author conducted more than 100 hours of interviews with those who knew the men of “Hero Street,” the name for the road in an Illinois railroad town from which 22 Mexican-American families sent 57 of their children to fight in WWII and Korea. (Tantor Audio, May)
No Place to Hide by W. Lee Warren presents intense stories of life and death as experienced by a brain surgeon stationed at the biggest Air Force theater hospital of the Iraq War. (Zondervan on Brilliance Audio, May)
Untitled by Hillary Rodham Clinton. A memoir from this former First Lady, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State. (Simon & Schuster Audio, June)
Carsick by John Waters, read by the author. Listeners join the eccentric filmmaker on a cross-country hitchhiking journey. (Macmillan Audio, June)
Dear Luke, We Need to Talk, Darth by John Moe is inspired by Moe’s McSweeney’s columns featuring letters to and from favorite pop culture icons. (Random House Audio, June)
American Catch: The Fight for Our Local Seafood by Paul Greenberg presents the surprising story of why Americans no longer eat from local waters. (Brilliance Audio, June)
Prepared for a Purpose: The Inspiring True Story How One Woman Saved an Atlanta School Under Siege by Antoinette Tuff and Alex Tresniowski, read by Robin Miles (eChristian, Feb.); Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World by Tish Oxenreider (Thomas Nelson on Brilliance Audio); Women of Duck Commander by Kay Robertson, Korie Robertson and others, read by the authors (Simon & Schuster Audio, Apr.); Handbook for an Unpredictable Life by Rosie Perez (Random House Audio, Feb.); Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde by Jennie Garth and Emily Heckman (Penguin Audio, Apr.); Mookie by Mookie Wilson and Erik Sherman (Penguin Audio, Apr.); Alex’s Wake: A Voyage of Betrayal and a Journey of Remembrance by Martin Goldsmith (HighBridge Audio, Apr.); Think Like a Freak by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (HarperAudio, May); Brunette Ambition by Lea Michele (Random House Audio, May); Diary of a Mad Diva by Joan Rivers, read by the author (Penguin Audio, July)
The Tyrant’s Daughter by J.C. Carleson, read by Carleson, Meera Simhan, and Cheryl Benard. When her powerful dictator-like father is killed in their home country, Laila and her mother and brother flee to a suburb of Washington, D.C., where Laila must assimilate as a “nobody,” in a new life. (Listening Library, Feb.)
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin, read by a full cast, offers portraits of the six transgender or gender-neutral teens Kuklin interviewed for this book. (Brilliance Audio, Feb.)
Tilt by Ellen Hopkins, read by a full cast, tells three teens’ very different, yet interconnected love stories. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Feb.)
Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord. Lucy uses her camera to see her new home and new neighbors, but worries she’ll never be as good at it as her famous photographer father. (Recorded Books, Feb., download only)
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith. In their small Iowa town, Austin and his best friend Robby have accidentally unleashed an unstoppable army of six-foot-tall praying mantises. (Penguin Audio, Feb.)
Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy, read by Andrew Eiden, launches a YA trilogy about what happens when the States are no longer United in a near-future world. (Scholastic Audio, Feb., download only)
Half Bad by Sally Green begins a trilogy about 16-year-old Nathan who is half good witch and half evil witch in modern-day England. (Penguin Audio, Mar.)
Panic by Lauren Oliver, read by Sarah Drew. A group of teens enters a high-stakes game with the hope of winning a chance at a better life. (HarperAudio, Mar., download only)
Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne is a look at the effects war has on a family. (Macmillan Young Listeners, Mar.)
The Blood Guard by Carter Roy, read by Nick Podehl is the first title in the Blood Guard fantasy-adventure series featuring an ancient order of knights. (Amazon Children’s Publishing, Mar.)
Don’t Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski, read by Erin Spencer. A group of teenage girls with newly acquired telepathic powers can hear what everyone is thinking—and they use it to their advantage. (Listening Library, Mar.)
Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull, launches a new fantasy adventure series. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Mar.)
The Finisher by David Baldacci, read by Nicola Barber. This action-fantasy introduces 14-year-old heroine Vega Jane, who discovers the sinister truth about her home village. (Scholastic Audio, Mar.)
The Last Wild by Piers Torday. A flock of bossy pigeons and a bossy cockroach appear and rescue Kester from a home for troubled children in this story of a world where animals no longer exist. (Penguin Audio, Mar.)
Middle School Cool by Maiya Williams, read by Paul Boehmer, features Kaboom Academy, an alternative school for “misfits” who’ve fallen out of love with learning. (Listening Library, Mar.)
The Mirk and the Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson, read by Dorothy Dillingham Blue, is a gothic thriller set in Civil War-era Mississippi and based on the fairy tale “Tam Lin.” (Listening Library, Mar.)
The Riverman by Aaron Starmer. Alistair is asked to write the biography of a classmate who fears she will be the next victim of the soul-snatching creature called the Riverman. (Recorded Books, Mar., download only)
Gilded by Christina Farley. This fantasy debut stars a Korean American girl with a black belt who has bigger worries than fitting in at school when she moves to L.A. with her dad and discovers a family secret. (Brilliance Audio, Mar. download only)
The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson, read by Kim Mai Guest. Piper tries to return a lost girl to the Dragonfly Territories in this story set in a magical world. (Listening Library, Mar.)
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd, read by Cassandra Morris. Twelve-year-old Felicity wants to return the cursed Midnight Gulch to its magical glory. (Scholastic Audio, Mar.)
Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale is the first volume in a series (in partnership with Mattel) set at a high school attended by the offspring of fairytale characters. (Hachette Audio, Mar., download only)
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton. In this debut novel, 16-year-old Ava, born with the wings of a bird, just wants to fit in. (Brilliance Audio, Mar.)
Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina by Rodman Philbrick, read by Jerry Dixon. A 12-year-old boy and his dog become trapped in New Orleans during the horrors of Hurricane Katrina. (Scholastic Audio, Mar.)
Tease by Amanda Maciel. A teenage girl faces criminal bullying charges after a classmate commits suicide. (HarperAudio, Apr., download only)
The Art of Secrets by James Klise. Saba’s family’s apartment burns down and her high school rallies support. But when a piece of art donated to the fund-raising effort turns out to be a valuable item, everything turns upside down again. (HighBridge Audio, Apr.)
Seeing Red by Kathryn Erskine. When Red’s father dies in 1972, he’s determined to hang on to the family’s car repair business. (Recorded Books, Apr., download only)
Exile by Kevin Emerson. Seventeen-year-old Summer discovers an eerie connection between the band she manages and the mystery surrounding a famous rocker’s death years ago. (HarperAudio, Apr., download only)
The Here and Now by Ann Brashares. Seventeen-year-old Prenna arrives from the future and tries to keep her secrets, but then she falls in love. (Listening Library, Apr.)
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page. Oz has turned into a savage dystopia under Dorothy’s rule and a new girl from Kansas comes to take her down. (HarperAudio, Apr., download only)
The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina is a debut novel that asks what happens when children develop unexplainable ability and the government sees them as a threat. (Brilliance Audio, Apr.)
Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira. Laurel reveals things about her life when she finds herself deeply immersed in a class assignment to write letters to people no longer living. (Brilliance Audio, Apr.)
Noggin by John Corey Whaley. This coming-of-age story involves Travis’s fuzzy account of how he came to life for a second time with his head attached to another guy’s body. (Simon & Schuster, Apr.)
Welcome to Dog Beach by Lisa Greenwald. A girl hatches a plan to bring all of her summertime friends closer together in this first volume in a new series. (Brilliance Audio, Apr.)
The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer is the first volume in a steampunk adventure series set in an alternate 19th-century North America. (Penguin Audio, Apr.)
The Chance You Won’t Return by Annie Cardi. Navigating high school becomes even more stressful When Alex’s mother disconnects, believing she is Amelia Earhart. (Brilliance Audio, Apr.)
Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Greek by Maya Van Wagenen. A 15-year-old writer serves up a memoir about her quest to climb the social ladder by following a 1950s popularity guide. (Penguin Audio, Apr.)
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. Laura’s secret stash of love letters she has written to all the boys she’s loved gets accidentally mailed. (Recorded Books, Apr., download only)
File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents by Lemony Snicket. Thirteen friends of Snicket—including Jon Scieszka, Terry Gross, Sarah Vowell, and Ira Glass—will read one mini-mystery each. (Hachette Audio, Apr.)
The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods. Biracial Violet wants to get to know the family of her African American dad who died before she was born. (Recorded Books, Apr., download only)
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is a tale of suspense featuring a girl from a privileged family who has suffered an accident and thinks she knows what happened to her. (Listening Library, May)
Defy by Sara B. Larson, read by Rebecca Mozo. In this debut novel, Alexa disguises herself as a boy to serve in the king’s army and is taken prisoner by a powerful sorcerer. (Scholastic Audio, May, download only)
Killer Instinct by S.E. Green. Lane is a typical teenager, except for her secret obsession: studying serial killers. And she may just be one herself. (Blackstone Audio, May)
Fat Boy versus the Cheerleaders by Geoff Herbach pits fat boy Gabe against the high school cheerleading team in a battle over control of the school’s soda machine. (Brilliance Audio, May)
Mouseheart by Lisa Fiedler kicks off an animal adventure series set in the subway tunnels beneath the streets of Brooklyn. (Simon & Schuster Audio, May, download only)
One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva. During summer school, Alek meets free-spirited cool guy Ethan, who expands Alek’s world, and may want to be more than just friends. (Macmillan Young Listeners, May)
The Door by Andy Marino. A girl’s mother’s murder leads her from her mysterious lighthouse home to a hidden door and a mission into an alternate world. (Scholastic Audio, May)
Hexed by Michelle Krys. A snarky 16-year-old cheerleader is forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers. (Listening Library, June)
Unicorne Files Book #1: A Dark Inheritance by Chris d’Lacey is an action-adventure paranormal mystery starring a boy with a supernatural ability to alter reality. (Scholastic Audio, June)
Pills and Starships by Lydia Millet. Two teens struggle to survive as their civilization collapses in the face of climate change. (Recorded Books, June, download only)
Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth, delivers the backstory of key character Tobias (“Four”) in Roth’s popular Divergent series. (HarperAudio, June)
Conversion by Katherine Howe. A chilling mystery about the strange illness plaguing the students of St. Joan’s Academy; inspired by true events. (Penguin Audio, July).
Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War by Helen Frost. Two 12-year-olds from different cultures try to remain friends as hostilities between their peoples escalate during the War of 1812. (Recorded Books, July, download only)
Other Notable Kids and YA
Lord and Lady Bunny: Almost Royalty by Polly Horvath, read by the author (Listening Library, Feb.); Quantum League #1: Spell Robbers by Matthew J. Kirby, read by Dan Bittner (Scholastic Audio, Feb. download only); Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue by Tom Angelberger, read by full cast (Recorded Books, Mar., download only); The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure by Doreen Cronin (Recorded Books, May, download only); Stubby the War Dog: The True Story of World War I’s Bravest Dog by Ann Bausum (Recorded Books, May, download only); The Young World by Chris Weitz (Hachette Audio, July, download only)
