Audiobooks by Margarita Engle

All the Love Under the Vast Sky

"Twelve short stories in verse by bestselling and award-winning authors that explore the highs and lows of love - romantic, platonic, familial, and self-love. Love can be many things - all-consuming, fleeting, vengeful, selfless, toxic, uplifting, and always, a core part of the teen experience that leaves an indelible mark. This enchanting, genre-crossing anthology delivers something for every reader with unique characters, global settings, and a dazzling mixture of myth, historical, speculative, and contemporary fiction. With the turn of a page, get swept away by unexpected love blooming between two princes from enemy Mesoamerican nations in the 15th century, who'd rather make music rather than war; cheer for a timid bearded lady who was shunned by her family and runs away to find belonging and safety at the circus during the 1800s experience the heartbreak of saying goodbye to a beloved pet; breathlessly watch a myth unfold as a siren bound to the water falls in love with a winged forest spirit, their love seemingly impossible from the start. Root for a girl who emerges from grief and battles with chronic pain to discover how to love herself and life again. Love is complicated, and this anthology embraces the messiness and the joy of all kinds of love. Contributors include: - Alexandra Alessandri - David Bowles - Melanie Crowder - Margarita Engle - Eric Gansworth - Robin Gow - Mariama J. Lockington - Laura Ruby - Padma Venkatraman - Jasmine Warga - Charles Waters - Kip Wilson"

Alexandra Alessandri, Charles Waters, David Bowles, Eric Gansworth, Jasmine Warga, Kip Wilson, Laura Ruby, Margarita Engle, Mariama Lockington, Melanie Crowder, Padma Venkatraman, Robin Gow (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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Wild Dreamers

"Longlisted for the National Book Award A Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Honor Book In this stirring young adult novel-in-verse from award-winning author Margarita Engle, love and conservation intertwine as two teens go on a "transformative journey celebrating the power of overcoming personal struggles to make a lasting impact" (Kirkus Reviews). Ana and her mother have been living out of their car ever since her militant father became one of the FBI's most wanted. Leandro has struggled with debilitating anxiety since his family fled Cuba on a perilous raft. One moonlit night, in a wilderness park in California, Ana and Leandro meet. Their connection is instant—a shared radiance that feels both scientific and magical. Then they discover they are not alone: a huge mountain lion stalks through the trees, one of many wild animals whose habitat has been threatened by humans. Determined to make a difference, Ana and Leandro start a rewilding club at their school, working with scientists to build wildlife crossings that can help mountain lions find one another. If pumas can find their way to a better tomorrow, surely Ana and Leandro can too."

Margarita Engle (Author), Alejandra Reynoso, Andre Bellido, Zac Aleman (Narrator)

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Wings in the Wild

"This gorgeously romantic contemporary novel-in-verse from award-winning author Margarita Engle tells the "inspiring and hopeful" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) love story of two teens fighting for climate action and human rights. Winged beings are meant to be free. And so are artists, but the Cuban government has criminalized any art that doesn't meet their approval. Soleida and her parents protest this injustice with their secret sculpture garden of chained birds. Then a hurricane exposes the illegal art, and her parents are arrested. Soleida escapes to Central America alone, joining the thousands of Cuban refugees stranded in Costa Rica while seeking asylum elsewhere. There she meets Dariel, a Cuban American boy whose enigmatic music enchants birds and animals—and Soleida. Together they work to protect the environment and bring attention to the imprisoned artists in Cuba. Soon they discover that love isn't about falling—it's about soaring together to new heights. But wings can be fragile, and Soleida and Dariel come from different worlds. They are fighting for a better future—and the chance to be together."

Margarita Engle (Author), Aida Reluzco, Andre Bellido (Narrator)

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Singing with Elephants

"A powerful novel in verse from Newbery and Pura Belpré Award-winning author Margarita Engle about the friendship between a young girl and the poet Gabriela Mistral that leads to healing and hope for both of them. Cuban-born eleven-year-old Oriol lives in Santa Barbara, California, where she struggles to belong. But most of the time that's okay, because she enjoys helping her parents care for the many injured animals at their veterinary clinic. Then Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American winner of a Nobel Prize in Literature moves to town, and aspiring writer Oriol finds herself opening up. And when she discovers that someone is threatening the life of a baby elephant at her parents' clinic, Oriol is determined to take action. As she begins to create a world of words for herself, Oriol learns it will take courage and strength to do what she thinks is right-even if it means keeping secrets from those she loves. A beautifully written, lyrically told story about the power of friendship-between generations, between humans and animals-and the potential of poetry to inspire action, justice, and acceptance. * 'Replete with lovely, nearly magical imagery...Brilliant, joyful, and deeply moving.' -Kirkus, starred review * 'Employing immersive free verse that conveys themes of compassion, friendship, justice, and vulnerability, Engle captures how inexplicable Oriol's grief feels, encasing it in a powerful, charitable, and brave young voice.' -Publishers Weekly, starred review * 'A novel written in verse that sings in your heart.' -Pura Belpré Award-winning author Marjorie Agosín"

Margarita Engle (Author), Carla Corvo (Narrator)

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All the Way to Havana

"So we purr, cara cara, and we glide, taka taka, and we zoom, zoom, ZOOM! Together, a boy and his parents drive to the city of Havana, Cuba, in their old family car. Along the way, they experience the sights and sounds of the streets—neighbors talking, musicians performing, and beautiful, colorful cars putt-putting and bumpety-bumping along. In the end, though, it’s their old car, Cara Cara, that the boy loves best. A joyful celebration of the Cuban people and their resourceful innovation."

Margarita Engle (Author), Gary Tiedemann (Narrator)

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Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln

"As a little girl, Teresa Carreño loved to let her hands dance across the beautiful keys of the piano. If she felt sad, music cheered her up, and when she was happy, the piano helped her share that joy. Soon she was writing her own songs and performing in grand cathedrals. Then a revolution in Venezuela forced her family to flee to the United States. Teresa felt lonely in this unfamiliar place, where few of the people she met spoke Spanish. Worst of all, there was fighting in her new home, too—the Civil War. Still, Teresa kept playing, and soon she grew famous as the talented Piano Girl who could play anything from a folk song to a sonata—so famous, in fact, that President Abraham Lincoln wanted her to play at the White House! Yet with the country torn apart by war, could Teresa’s music bring comfort to those who needed it most?"

Margarita Engle (Author), Almarie Guerra (Narrator)

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Dreams from Many Rivers: A Hispanic History of the United States Told in Poems

"From Juana Briones and Juan Ponce de León to eighteenth-century slaves and modern-day sixth graders, the many and varied people depicted here speak to the experiences and contributions of Latinos throughout the history of the United States, from the earliest known stories up to the present day. A portrait of a great, enormously varied, and enduring heritage, this is a compelling treatment of an important topic. Some voices are composite characters, not historical figures."

Margarita Engle (Author), Frankie Corzo, Timothy Andrés Pabon (Narrator)

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Miguel's Brave Knight

"This fictionalized first-person biography-in-verse of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra follows the early years of the child who grew up to pen Don Quixote, the first modern novel. The son of a gambling, vagabond barber-surgeon, Miguel looks to his own imagination for an escape from his family's troubles and finds comfort in his colorful daydreams. At a time when access to books was limited and imaginative books were considered evil, Miguel is inspired by storytellers and wandering actors who perform during festivals. He longs to tell stories of his own. When he is nineteen, four of his poems are published, launching the career of one of the greatest writers in the Spanish language."

Margarita Engle (Author), Thom Rivera (Narrator)

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