Audiobooks by Valerie Houston

LoveReading4Kids Top 10

1. The Tindims and the Floating Moon

   The tiny Tindims are like the Borrowers-on-Sea, who turn our everyday rubbish into treasure. Mother-and-daughter duo, prizewinning Sally Gardner and Lydia Corry, create a fun new world of characters and adventures in their empowering new series for 5-8 year olds inspiring conservation and inventive ways to recycle. In the fourth Tindim adventure, a glow-in-the-dark squid, drawn by the light of the moon, has wandered far from its friends on the ocean bed to the lake on Rubbish Island. The Tindims are puzzled by their new shiny lake, but with the help of Spokes, Barnacle Bow and a rather special invention, they discover the squid and try to help it on its way home again.

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2. Wind in the Willows

   Since publication in 1908, The Wind in the Willows has established itself as one of the most popular children's books ever written. Rat, Toad, Mole, Badger are emotional, vibrant and fully realized characters with their own share of flaws and virtues. They become loyal friends and meet strange and wonderful characters along their journey. The magical fantasy starts on the river bank and goes to the heights of Toad Hall, a truly fine mansion of many secret passages. All children will delight and be taken away on the wings of imagination. Table of Contents: Chapter 01: The River Bank Chapter 02: The Open Road Chapter 03: The Wild Wood Chapter 04: Mr. Badger Chapter 05: Dulce Domum Chapter 06: Mr. Toad Chapter 07: The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn Chapter 08: Toad'S Adventures Chapter 09: Wayfarers All Chapter 10: The Further Adventures Of Toad Chapter 11: ""Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears"" Chapter 12: The Return Of Ulysses AUTHOR Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932) was a children's novelist and bank executive, with a long a successful career at the Bank of England. Grahame was born in Scotland, but after the death of his mother when he was five, went to live with his grandmother in a charming country village in Berkshire, England. Grahame and his siblings had an idyllic childhood, their surroundings inspired the setting for The Wind in the Willows. Grahame's writing career was inspired by the stories he told his beloved only child, who suffered poor health his very short life. COMMENTARY Reviews for Alcazar AudioWorks' production of The Wind in the Willows Made a school assignment EASY! In our homeschool, The Wind in the WIllows is to be read to a second grader. With our style of schooling I end up doing a lot of reading to the children. These chapters are long and my voice was dying. Audibles to the rescue!! My 7 year old and I enjoyed curling up on the couch and listening to this story as we followed along in the book and enjoyed the illustrations. David Thorn does an amazing job with the voices. They just seem so right. You can picture the characters by his voice. So if your voice is tired, snuggle up with a youngster and a copy of the book and share the love as you listen to David Thorn reading to both of you. You won't regret it! Listener Review - Audible.com "

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3. Timmy Failure: The Cat Stole My Pants

   Timmy is in Key West, Florida, ostensibly for the honeymoon of his mother and Doorman Dave... if they even got married, which Timmy doubts. Unfortunately for Timmy, crime doesn't take a vacation. And because Total has fled to Cuba seeking political asylum, Timmy must rely on a new partner for help: Doorman Dave's nephew, Emilio. And as if things couldn't get more hectic, Timmy's pants have been stolen by a six-toed cat.

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4. You Are a Champion: How to Be the Best You Can Be

   It’s hard to know what is possible until you start. You have to be able to dream big and be prepared to work towards your dreams. I’ve achieved a lot so far, but it didn’t come in one go; big things rarely happen overnight, and good things rarely happen as if by magic . . . Marcus Rashford is famous worldwide for his skills both on and off the pitch – but before he was a Manchester United and England footballer, and long before he started his inspiring campaign to end child food poverty, he was just an average kid from Wythenshawe, South Manchester. Now, Marcus Rashford MBE wants to show YOU how to achieve your dreams, in this positive and inspiring guide for life. No matter who you are and no matter where you come from, every single person in the world has the potential to be a champion. In You Are a Champion, the nation’s favourite footballer gives you the tools you need to reach your full potential, showing you how to be the very BEST version of yourself you can be. Written with journalist Carl Anka, this empowering guide is packed full of stories from Marcus’s own life, brilliant advice and top-tips from performance psychologist Katie Warriner. Perfect for readers who need to hear that they already are champions – they just might not know it yet. It shows kids how to: - Be comfortable with who you are – you can't be a champion until you're happy being you! - Dream big - Practise like a champion – good things take hard work and time - Get out of your comfort zone and learn from your mistakes - Navigate adversity in a positive way - Find your team - Use your voice and stand up for others - Never stop learning With an afterword by Tim S. Grover.

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5. Fearless Fairy Tales: Fairy tales vibrantly updated for the 21st century by Blue Peter legend Konnie

   A hilarious and anarchic collection of classic bedtime stories for young readers, all utterly updated for a new generation. Meet Trumplestiltskin, a vain and gold-obsessed little man who will stop at nothing to become richer and richer. There's Sleeping Brainy, the princess whose only dream is to become Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Gingerbread Kid, who escapes persecution in his home country but struggles to fit in in his new one. You won't forget the lingering stench of Mouldysocks - a boy obsessed with staring at his iPad but rather less obsessed with personal hygiene - and you'll be rooting for Rap-Unzel when she gets the chance of fame by appearing on Kingdom's Got Talent . . . but at what cost? Packed with stories about boys who aren't afraid to cry and rhymes about girls who refuse to kiss frogs, FEARLESS FAIRY TALES shakes up dusty, old-fashioned (and, to be honest, rather sexist) bedtime stories and totally reinvents them for the twenty-first century. From fake news to female footballers, environmental pollution to equal pay, nothing is off limits in this anthology of laugh-out-loud fairy tales with thoroughly modern morals. Told in the fresh, vibrant and unique voice of Blue Peter favourite Konnie Huq, writing with James Kay, FEARLESS FAIRY TALES is the perfect gift for young readers (and older readers fed up with serving their kids the same old boring bedtime stories).

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6. 100 Events That Made History: Memorable Moments That Shaped the Modern World

   From the Silk Road to the Space Race and beyond, this audiobook for kids captures key turning points in human history. This audiobook brings history alive, exploring major moments of the past in an unforgettable way. You will find out how the Indus Valley civilization came up with the world's first sewage system, the ideals behind the ancient Olympics Games, and what led to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Pioneering activists are also featured, such as Dr Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Rosa Parks - incredible people who bravely fought for equality in the society. The audiobook details the deadliest wars, including Roman conquests and World War II. It also follows the story of human exploration and some of the greatest scientific discoveries, such as Newton's laws of motion. Also included are some of the terrible events of human history, such as the sinking of the Titanic, the partition of India, South African Apartheid, and 9/11. Packed with all the key social, political, economical, and technological events that have shaped our modern world, 100 Events That Made History is the book for young history buffs everywhere. © 2016 Dorling Kindersley Ltd © 2020 DK Audio

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7. The Explorer

   From Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner Katherine Rundell comes an exciting new novel about a group of kids who must survive in the Amazon after their plane crashes. Fred, Con, Lila, and Max are on their way back to England from Manaus when the plane they're on crashes and the pilot dies upon landing. For days they survive alone, until Fred finds a map that leads them to a ruined city, and to a secret.

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8. The Boy Who Made the World Disappear

   Following the breakout success of his instant festive classic, The Night I Met Father Christmas, get ready for the brilliant new novel from comedian, actor and bestselling author, Ben Miller! 'Stories are often about a good person who does a Bad Thing, and this is no exception…' Harrison tries his best to be good. He doesn't steal, he always shares with his sister and he never cheats at board games, but Harrison also has a BIG flaw … He can't control his temper! So when he's given a black hole instead of a balloon at a party, Harrison jumps at the chance to get rid of everything that makes him cross. But when it's not just things he hates that are disappearing into the black hole but things he loves, too, Harrison starts to realise that sometimes you should be careful what you wish for... An out-of-this-world adventure about twists of fate, time travel and troublesome black holes. Praise for The Night I Met Father Christmas: 'A gorgeous tale brimming with the magic of Christmas. A sheer delight for all kids both big AND small.' Ruth Jones, award-winning writer and comedian 'Enchanting, funny and intriguing in equal measure' Philip Ardagh, bestselling author  'Bubbles with warmth and mischievous humour ... irresistible' Alexander Armstrong, presenter, comedian and writer 'A fire-side gem of a story' Abi Elphinstone, bestselling author 

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9. Booked

   In this middle grade novel-in-verse by the Newbery Medal-winning and Coretta Scott King Honor Award-winning author of "The Crossover," soccer, family, love, and friendship take center stage as twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams.

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10. The Crossing

    A critically acclaimed tearjerker from a master storyteller: On one side of the border is brutality and heartache; on the other side--a new life. 14yo Manny is an orphan in Juarez, Mexico. He competes with his bigger, meaner rivals for the coins American tourists throw off the bridge between Texas and his town. Across that heavily guarded bridge await a different world and a better existence. On the night when Manny dares the crossing--through the muddy shallows of the Rio Grande, past the searchlights and the border patrol--the young man encounters an old stranger who could prove to be an ally or an enemy. Manny can't tell for certain. But if he is to achieve his dream, then he must be willing to risk everything--even his life.

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