Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park

Julia Song is a Korean-American middle schooler who lives in a Midwestern American town. With her friend Patrick she is trying to come up with a farm project for a club she belongs to. When her mother suggests raising silkworms, she is unenthusiastic as it is too "Korean" and she longs to be an all-American girl. But Patrick is enthusiastic and she can't come up with any other ideas, so after a solving a couple of problems they begin to raise their worms. The book is interspersed with conversations between Julia and the author, Linda Sue Park, discussing the writing process. In the audiobook, it worked quite well as the narrator and Linda Sue Park herself traded comments. The book has several subplots including Patrick and Julia learning about sustainable farming and making friends with an older African-American man who has the mulberry tree they need to feed the silkworm caterpillers. In the end Julia has to make a difficult choice when she learns how the silk is harvested. Overall it was an enjoyable, interesting story. Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park. Random House Listening Library, 2005.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

A charming story set in the same enchanting world as Ella Enchanted, this story tells the tale of Aza, a innkeeper's daughter from Ayortha. She was abandoned at birth at the inn and raised with love by the innkeeper and his wife, but her appearance is unusual and she thinks herself ugly. However, she is blessed with a powerful, lovely voice that she can project like a ventriloquist. When she befriends a duchess who frequents the inn, she is hired to accompany her to the Royal Wedding, where she meets the new queen. The Queen is not from Ayortha, where singing is a prominent part of life, and when she accidently discovers Aza's ability she threatens her and her family unless Aza becomes her lady in waiting and uses her gift to allow her to lipsync at important functions. Meanwhile, Aza has befriended the Prince and is enjoying his company. Complications ensue and Aza is discovered. She has to flee and faces ogre attacks, murder attempts and learns about her possible heritage. The book features many songs that were written by Levine, and the full cast audio book sets them to music. Charming and lively with a powerful message about becoming comfortable with oneself, this is a great story. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. Full Cast Audio, 2007.