The Long Kingdom

Billy Bartram is excited when his father invites him to join an epic expedition across 1750s North America. But Billy gets more than he bargained for when the party encounters Native Americans, rival explorers, and a bear-wolf. Narrator McWade makes the journey a smooth one for listeners, and his passionate delivery ensures a memorable trip. McWade’s subtle performance may fool listeners at first—he offers only slight shifts in tone and pacing to interpret most of Kirby’s colorful characters. But the narrator has plenty of surprises up his sleeve, throwing in several over-the-top character renditions. The result is an entertaining listening experience that will whisk listeners to another time and place where danger lurks at every corner and mystery abounds. Ages 8-12. A Scholastic hardcover. (Aug.)