Little Miss Stoneybrook...and Dawn

Stephanie Einstein’s narration is the secret sauce that makes *Little Miss Stoneybrook...and Dawn* sizzle. She nails Dawn’s California cadence—bright, breezy, with an undercurrent of “I don’t *need* this pageant but I’ll show them anyway”—while nailing the Pike girls’ stuck-between-worlds whine with surgical precision. Her vocal range sells every cringe-worthy “ta-DA!” moment, from the cringe of a poorly timed pirouette to the triumph of a second-place ribbon that somehow still feels like a win. The pacing is brisk enough to keep middle-grade listeners hooked, though I wish the contest climax had a touch more dramatic oomph; the audiobook rushes through the big reveal like a parent yanking a kid offstage after a botched recital. Still, Einstein’s performance elevates what could’ve been a forgettable pageant plot into something sharper—a story about jealousy, reinvention, and the guts it takes to stand in your own spotlight. Minor critique: the audio levels dip slightly during outdoor scenes, a pet peeve in a story that’s supposed to feel like summer in Stoneybrook. But if you’ve ever watched a child light up under a spotlight they didn’t ask for, this audiobook will hit like a well-aimed paper airplane to the heart. Dawn’s journey from outsider to “almost winner” is messy, funny, and weirdly reassuring—exactly the kind of audiobook that turns listeners into lifelong fans.