Biography & Memoir Audiobooks

This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth

A deeply moving story about community and resilience, from the point-of-view of the Callery pear tree that survived the attacks on September 11, from Eisner Award-nominated author-illustrator Sean Rubin. 'A resonant, beautifully rendered testament to life and renewal.' —Kirkus, starred review In the 1970s, nestled between the newly completed Twin Towers in New York City, a Callery pear tree was planted. Over the years, the tree provided shade for people looking for a place to rest and a home for birds, along with the first blooms of spring. On September 11, 2001, everything changed. The tree’s home was destroyed, and it was buried under the rubble. But a month after tragedy struck, a shocking discovery was made at Ground Zero: the tree had survived. Dubbed the “Survivor Tree,” it was moved to the Bronx to recover. And in the thoughtful care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the Callery pear was nursed back to health. Almost a decade later, the Survivor Tree returned home and was planted in the 9/11 Memorial to provide beauty and comfort…and also hope. This is the story of that tree—and of a nation in recovery. Told from the tree’s perspective, This Very Tree is a touching tribute to first responders, the resilience of America, and the restorative power of community. A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company

Sean Rubin (Author), Jennifer Ceci (Narrator)

Audiobook

Thinking Like Edison: Flashbacks

Highlights presents Thinking Like Edison by Harry T. Roman. An inventor of robots tells how he got his start.

Harry T. Roman (Author), Highlights For Children (Narrator)

Audiobook

They Had a Dream: The Civil Rights Struggle from Frederick Douglass...MalcolmX

Traces the progression of the civil rights movement and its effect on history through biographical sketches of four prominent and influential African Americans: Frederick Douglass, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X.

Jules Archer (Author), Roscoe Orman (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist

Nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks intended to go places and do things like anybody else.So when she heard grown-ups talk about wiping out Birmingham's segregation laws, she spoke up. As she listened to the preacher's words, smooth as glass, she sat up tall. And when she heard the plan-picket those white stores! March to protest those unfair laws! Fill the jails!-she stepped right up and said, I'll do it! She was going to j-a-a-il!Audrey Faye Hendricks was confident and bold and brave as can be, and hers is the remarkable and inspiring story of one child's role in the Civil Rights Movement.

Cynthia Levinson (Author), Tyla Collier (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving Into History

A hilarious nonfiction look at two of history's most epic 'failures': the Wright brothers, whose countless crashes ultimately led to groundbreaking success. Although Orville and Wilbur Wright are celebrated today as heroes for their revolutionary contributions to science and engineering?they are acknowledged as the first men to successfully achieve powered, piloted flight?their success was hard-earned. (Spoiler alert: there were a lot of nosedives involved.) In fact, it took the self-taught engineers years of work and dozens of crashes before they managed a single twelve-second flight! In this first installment of the brand new Epic Fails series, Ben Thompson and Erik Slader take readers through the Wright brothers' many mishaps and misadventures as they paved the way for modern aviation. The Epic Fails series takes a humorous and unexpected view of history, exploring the surprising stories behind a variety of groundbreaking discoveries, voyages, experiments, and innovations, illustrating how many of mankind's biggest successes are in fact the result of some pretty epic failures.

Ben Thompson, Erik Slader (Author), L.J. Ganser (Narrator)

Audiobook

The World's Greatest Elephant

It's unbelievable but true! Born on the same day in the same small, German circus town, young Bram and his elephant, Modoc, had a lifelong friendship that spanned over eight decades. But it was never easy. From the breakup of the circus to the shipwreck in the Indian Ocean that nearly cost them their lives, the bond between the boy and the elephant survived the most unimaginable trials. This true story of their adventures together, and eventual rise to circus stardom in the Ringling Brothers Circus, will be a treasure for animal lovers everywhere.

Ralph Helfer (Author), Pierce Cravens (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Wonders We Seek: Thirty Incredible Muslims Who Helped Shape the World Unabr

In this biographical collection, authors Saadia Faruqi and Aneesa Mumtaz highlight some of the talented Muslim physicians, musicians, athletes, poets, and more who helped make the world we know today. A brilliant surgeon heals patients in the first millennium. A female king rules the Indian subcontinent. A poet pours his joy and grief into the world’s best-selling verses. An iconic leader fights for civil rights. And many, many more. Throughout history—from the golden age of the empires of Arabia, Iraq, Persia, and India, up to modern day—Muslims have shaped our world in essential ways, with achievements in music, medicine, politics, human rights, literature, sports, technology, and more. Give this book to readers who are excited to learn about the great figures and thinkers in history! The authors introduce their book with a personal letter to the reader, setting out their motivations and hopes for the stories they are telling. The backmatter includes a glossary and bibliography for readers’ further research and learning. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook. 

Aneesa Mumtaz, Saadia Faruqi (Author), Dalia Ramahi (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner

The gripping story of Lise Meitner, the physicist who discovered nuclear fission As a female Jewish physicist in Berlin during the early twentieth century, Lise Meitner had to fight for an education, a job, and equal treatment in her field. Meitner made groundbreaking strides in the study of radiation, but when Hitler came to power in Germany, she had to face not only sexism but life-threatening anti-Semitism as well. Nevertheless, she persevered and one day made a discovery that rocked the world: the splitting of the atom. While her male lab partner was awarded a Nobel Prize for the achievement, the committee refused to credit her. Suddenly, the race to build the atomic bomb was on—although Meitner, a pacifist, was horrified to be associated with such a weapon. “A physicist who never lost her humanity,” Meitner wanted only to figure out how the world works. The Woman Who Split the Atom is a fascinating look at Meitner’s fierce passion, integrity, and her lifelong struggle to have her contributions to physics recognized.

Marissa Moss (Author), Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Wizard and the Future King

Once there was a boy named Arthur who had a wizard for a teacher. Arthur wanted to be a knight like his brother. Arthur tried to learn how to be kind and humble and clever... but sometimes he forgot. He did not know he would ride to war when enemies invaded his country. He did not know he would one day pull a sacred sword from a stone. He did not know one day he would be king. This is the story of the first part of Arthur's life. Did you know some Arthurian legends have roots in historical events? Did you know some legends of King Arthur are over 1,000 years old and the story is still being embellished today? Join your young reader on a beautiful retelling of the boy who would one day become a legendary king of Britain and dive deeper with historical tie-ins and educational text along the way.

Elizabeth Hauris, Stephanie Hanson (Author), Caleb Hauris, Elizabeth Hauris (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Warrior's Heart: Becoming a Man of Compassion and Courage

In The Warrior's Heart, an adaptation of his bestselling memoir, The Heart and the Fist, former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens brings his adventures to life, sharing stories of friendship, struggle, and hard-earned wisdom. As a humanitarian, he helped aid workers heal orphaned children in Rwanda and lived in camps alongside Bosnian refugees. As a warrior, he excelled at the hardest military training in the world and teamed up with fellow SEALs to hunt al Qaeda terrorists in Iraq. In The Warrior's Heart, an adaptation of his bestselling memoir, The Heart and the Fist, Eric Greitens brings his adventures to life, sharing stories of friendship, struggle, and hard-earned wisdom. This remarkable book will inspire listeners to live every day with compassion and courage.

Eric Greitens (Author), Corey M. Snow (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights

Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award, The Voice That Challenged a Nation is an inspiring biography. In the 1930s, black singer Marian Anderson was not allowed to perform at Constitution Hall. But with help from Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson staged an amazing concert at the Lincoln Memorial and became an activist for civil rights.

Russell Freedman (Author), Sharon Washington (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights

2005 Sibert Medal Winner A 2005 Newbery Honor Book  "A voice like yours," celebrated conductor Arturo Toscanini told contralto Marian Anderson, "is heard once in a hundred years." This insightful account of the great African American vocalist considers her life and musical career in the context of the history of civil rights in this country. Drawing on Anderson's own writings and other contemporary accounts, Russell Freedman shows readers a singer pursuing her art despite the social constraints that limited the careers of black performers in the 1920s and 1930s. Though not a crusader or a spokesperson by nature, Marian Anderson came to stand for all black artists -- and for all Americans of color -- when, with the help of such prominent figures as Eleanor Roosevelt, she gave her landmark 1939 performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, which signaled the end of segregation in the arts. Carefully researched, expertly told, and profusely illustrated with contemporary photographs, this Newbery Honor and Sibert Medal-winning book is a moving account of the life of a talented and determined artist who left her mark on musical and social history. Through her story, Newbery Medal-winning author Russell Freedman, one of today's leading authors of nonfiction for young readers, illuminates the social and political climate of the day and an important chapter in American history. Notes, bibliography, discography, index.

Russell Freedman (Author), Je Nie Fleming (Narrator)

Audiobook