Best audio picks for the grown-ups

For the young folks in your life, audios make a perfect gift

Reviews by Sukey Howard

Santa's elves have retooled. No more Barbies, Barneys or Beanies -- this year the sleigh will be filled to overflowing with audios for everyone. Fortunately for us, part of Santa's audio gift list was leaked to the press by a red-nosed quadruped who shall remain nameless.

The house at Pooh Corner is overflowing with audios too, and don't pooh-pooh any of these charming recordings of A.A. Milne's classic stories about that bear for all seasons and his peerless companions, Christopher Robin, Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo. A new BBC presentation, "Winnie-the-Pooh: Audio Boxed Set," offers performances by Alan Bennett, Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal. The complete, unabridged "Winnie-the-Pooh" and "When We Were Very Young," packaged together and read by Peter Dennis will keep children and the adults who listen with them enchanted for hours. More unabridged Pooh can be heard with Charles Kuralt performing -- "Winnie-the-Pooh" and "The House at Pooh Corner" -- as well as "When We Were Very Young" and "Now We Are Six."

Slightly older kids will be delighted with Bruce Coville's "Aliens Ate My Homework." William Dufris reads this wacky adventure that combines the antics of interstellar villains and tiny space creatures with a young boy's real everyday problems.

Judy Blume's modern classic "Are You There God? It's Me Margaret" is the perfect gift for girls teetering on the edge of teenage angst. Blume, whose honesty and savvy have made her one of the most popular YA authors ever, knows how to offer help, with a helping of humor.


J.M. Barrie, Louisa May Alcott, Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson, Johann David Wyss, Frances Hodgson Burnett, L. Frank Baum and Anna Sewell are among the authors whose books make up the canon of juvenile literature. Now, a one-hour audio adaptation of each of their most renowned novels is available from the Everyman's Library of Children's Classics ($11 each) read by star performers including Lynn Redgrave, Mary Beth Hurt, Frank Langella and Kathleen Turner. Ideal gifts in packaging as classic as the contents.

"The Children's Book of Heroes" edited by William J. Bennett is the newest offering in his ongoing crusade to instill moral virtue in the younger set. This multi-voiced recording focuses on tales of real-life heroes and their valorous deeds.

For the grown-ups

Jackie Robinson is a real American hero: strong, independent, unwavering in his belief that ours must become a racially inclusive society. Much attention has been focused on him during this 50th anniversary of his first season as the first baseball player to break the color barrier, and nowhere is his life better celebrated than in Arnold Rampersad's superb biography, "Jackie Robinson". LeVar Burton's excellent reading and the actual, historic recording of Robinson's Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech makes this a very special audio presentation.


Tales of creatures great and small from James Herriot always make fine family fare and are especially appropriate for holiday giving and listening. Ten Yorkshire tales are included in "James Herriot's Animal Stories" read by Christopher Timothy who has become venerable voice of the venerable Dr. Herriot on many wonderful audio recordings.


The American James Herriot, Dr. John McCormack, has more tales of a country veterinarian to share with us too in "A Friend of the Flock." With warmth and humor, McCormack takes us into his life in Choctaw County, Alabama, into rural life in the South and introduces us to the animals and people he came to know and cherish.

Better than par for the course

For the golfers on your holiday hit list, two golfing classics by Michael Murphy -- one brand new, one originally published 25 years ago -- are now on cassette. "The Kingdom of Shivas Irons" and "Golf in the Kingdom," both read by John Hannah, deal with the more mystical side of golf, with the deep truths about the inner game that, once understood, shed light on our potential for growth and change on the green in life itself.


"Into the Twilight, Endlessly Grousing" by the numero uno of outdoor humorists, Patrick McManus, is truly a "guy thing," and a "guy present" par excellence. In this, his tenth collection, McManus is at his best, taking on everything from cereal crimes, Idaho style, to a man's love for a good fly rod. Terry Beaver reads and yes, that's his real name not a mischievous McManus nom de guerre.


A little romance . . .

Well, maybe a lot of romance. Best-selling author Nora Roberts' novels are always an entertaining mix of high romance and high drama, and her Dream trilogy is no exception. Now, all three volumes can be listened to in their entirety, read with unflagging compassion and vibrancy by Sandra Burr. "Daring to Dream" (11 hours), "Holding the Dream" (11 hours) and "Finding the Dream" (10 hours), follow Margo, Kate and Laura, who were brought up like sisters in comfort, wealth and privilege, but who each, in their different ways, have to make their own dreams and their own way as women.

From bestselling author Nora Roberts

For Windsor watchers, a peek behind the palace walls

Diana, Princess of Wales continues to fascinate millions. And audio tapes about her and the intricacies of her life will fascinate her fervent fans. Andrew Morton, with unprecedented access to Diana and her closest friends, wrote about her first 30 years, her upbringing, her "storybook" romance and marriage and her life and career after the breakup of that marriage. His two books, "Diana: Her True Story" read by Stephanie Beacham and "Diana: Her New Life" read by Lynn Redgrave make fascinating audios and allow more than a glimpse of Diana's real life, problems and triumphs. "Diana: Princess of Wales: A Tribute" is an audio portrait with extracts from interviews with Diana's friends and acquaintances and with Diana herself. It includes coverage of the Princess' tragic death and her funeral.

From biographer Andrew Morton:

Diana: Princess of Wales: A Tribute

Kitty Kelley's "The Royals" hit the top of the bestseller list immediately and will undoubtedly stay there for some time. Kelley combines years of research and hundreds of interviews with intimate observers of England's Royal Family with her unique talent for getting the gossip and the lowdown on the high and mighty to paint this warts-and-all picture of the members of the House of Windsor. Kelley dishes dirt on the Royals with the best, and you'll get a lot more than just the scandals of the "annus horribilis" and its sad aftermath.


The long and the short of it

Ernest J. Gaines' powerful, award-winning novel, "A Lesson Before Dying," is getting renewed and well-deserved attention as a selection for Oprah's Book Club. You can listen to it in an excellent three-hour adaptation performed by Lionel Mark Smith with Roger Guenveur or in an eight-hour, unabridged recording read by Jay Long.

A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines


Sukey Howard reports on spoken word audio each month. Don't miss her audio reviews on CNN's "Sunday Morning."

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