"We owe a permanent debt of gratitude to Jeanne Birdsall. Her words are the refiner’s fire that helped turn our leaden hearts to gold."

In her Books in the Home column, "The Penderwicks on Hayward Street," from the May/June 2013 issue of The Horn Book Magazine, librarian and mom Rachael Stein writes eloquently about how the audiobook editions of Birdsall's middle-grade series provided her young daughter the emotional ballast she needed during a difficult time for their family. This is a beautiful ode to the power of story to provide solace and strength — and to how much serendipity plays a part in the love connection between reader and the right book at the right time.

For more about audiobooks and Family Reading, read Suzanne Nelson's post, "Surviving Road Trips with Audiobooks," and stay tuned for Wednesday's post from Kristy Pasquariello about how audiobooks helped resolve the nightly go-to-bed (melo)drama in her house.