To listen to the whole archive of Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine, subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever else you find your favorite podcasts. Portico, voiced by Nile Bullock, loves living in his apartment building, but every time he catches his parents arguing, he feels “the frets.” So, he and his best friend Zola, voiced by Angel Pean, come up with his superhero alter ego who can help save his parents AND defeat their bully neighbor. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the newest audiobook from Reynolds, whose funny, smart, and empathetic writing meets kids where they are.

With endless energy, verve, and style, Guy Lockard is a total superstar narrating Jason Reynolds’ Stuntboy, in the Meantime, a middle-grade novel about Portico Reeves, aka Stuntboy, supported by a full cast and a dynamic production. Raúl the Third is the illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Stuntboy, in the Meantime, by Jason Reynolds.He’s also a three-time Pura Belpré Award winner for ¡VamosLet’s Go to The Market and his Lowrider picture book series written by Cathy Camper, the first of which, Lowriders in Space, also won the Texas Bluebonnet. We keep our daily episodes short and sweet, with audiobook clips to give you a sample of our featured listens.

I bought this book because I have a student who could have been the model for this story, including his own superhero identity. Every Monday through Friday, AudioFile’s editors recommend the best in audiobook listening. In true Jason Reynolds’s style, Stuntboy captures the essence of a slightly over-the-top, definitely ADHD, young man finding his way through family turmoil.

Stuntboy reynolds