Playing the Cards You’re Dealt by Varian Johnson, Read by Dion Graham

Every Monday through Friday, AudioFile’s editors recommend the best in audiobook listening. We keep our daily episodes short and sweet, with audiobook clips to give you a sample of our featured listens.

Dion Graham makes every audiobook he narrates into a special event, and his charisma just overflows in Playing the Cards You’re Dealt, a book Ant, a 10-year-old boy from South Carolina. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Varian Johnson’s newest middle-grade audiobook about Ant’s obsession with winning the community’s spades tournament—and getting his father’s hard-won approval despite changes at home. When Ant’s best friend and spades partner is grounded, he finds an unexpected partner in Shirley, the new girl in school. Graham imbues each character with personality, but the standout is his vivid portrayal of the omniscient narrator watching Ant’s struggles.

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