Health & Family Audiobooks

Sweet Home Alaska

This exciting pioneering story, based on actual events, introduces readers to a fascinating chapter in American history, when FDR set up a New Deal colony in Alaska to give loans and land to families struggling during the Great Depression. Terpsichore cant wait to follow in Laura Ingalls Wilders footsteps . . . now she just has to convince her mom. Its 1934, and times are tough for their family. To make a fresh start, Terpsichores father signs up for President Roosevelts Palmer Colony project, uprooting them from Wisconsin to become pioneers in Alaska. Their new home is a bit of a shock - its a town still under construction in the middle of the wilderness, where the residents live in tents and share a community outhouse. But Terpsichores not about to let first impressions get in the way of this grand adventure. Tackling its many unique challenges with her can-do attitude, she starts making things happen to make Alaska seem more like home. Soon, she and her family are able to start settling in and enjoying their new surroundings - everyone except her mother, that is. So, in order to stay, Terpsichore hatches a plan to convince her that its a wonderful - and civilized - place to live . . . a plan thats going to take all the love, energy, and Farmer Boy expertise Terpsichore can muster.From the Hardcover edition.

Carole Estby Dagg (Author), Susan Denaker (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ida B...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World

Who is Ida B. Applewood? She is a fourth grader like no other, living a life like no other, with a voice like no other, and a family like no other, and her story will resonate long after this audiobook has ended. How does Ida B. cope when outside forces--life, really--attempt to derail her and her family and her future? She enters her Black Period, and it is not pretty. But then, with the help of a patient teacher, a loyal cat and dog, her beloved apple trees, and parents who believe in the same things she does (even if they sometimes act as though they don't), the resilience that is the very essence of Ida B. triumphs . . . and Ida B. Applewood takes the hand that is extended and starts to grow up. This first novel is both very funny and extraordinarily moving, and it introduces two shining stars, author Katherine Hanningan and Ida B. Applewood.

Katherine Hannigan (Author), Lili Taylor (Narrator)

Audiobook

Keeping Score

Both Maggie Fortini and her brother, Joey-Mick, were named for baseball great Joe DiMaggio. Unlike Joey-Mick, Maggie doesn't play baseball—but at almost ten years old, she is a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Maggie can recite all the players' statistics and understands the subtleties of the game. Unfortunately, Jim Maine is a Giants fan, but it's Jim who teaches Maggie the fine art of scoring a baseball game. Not only can she revisit every play of every inning, but by keeping score she feels she's more than just a fan: she's helping her team. Jim is drafted into the army and sent to Korea, and although Maggie writes to him often, his silence is just one of a string of disappointments—being a Brooklyn Dodgers fan in the early 1950s meant season after season of near misses and year after year of dashed hopes. But Maggie goes on trying to help the Dodgers, and when she finds out that Jim needs help, too, she's determined to provide it. Against a background of major league baseball and the Korean War on the home front, Maggie looks for, and finds, a way to make a difference. Even those listeners who think they don't care about baseball will be drawn into the world of the true and ardent fan. Linda Sue Park's captivating story will, of course, delight those who are already keeping score.

Linda Sue Park (Author), Julie Pearl (Narrator)

Audiobook

Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

Nate knows he's meant for big things. REALLY big things. But life doesn't always go your way just because you're awesome. Trouble always seems to find him, but Nate keeps his cool no matter what. He knows he's great. A fortune cookie told him so. For fans of the hilarious Diary of a Wimpy Kid series: Here comes BIG NATE, accidental mischief maker and definitely NOT the teacher's pet. "Big Nate is funny, big time."-Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Lincoln Peirce (Author), Fred Berman (Narrator)

Audiobook

World Cup

Soccer. No other sport in the world captivates a bigger audience -- and no other competition electrifies its fans like the World Cup. Now, just in time for the next World Cup competition, comes a book just for kids, jam-packed with information about each and every World Cup ever played. Want to know who was behind the biggest surprise defeat of the 1950 tournament? It's in here. Curious about what happened to the Jules Rimet trophy when it was in England? Turn to the chapter on World Cup 1966. Wondering what the term Total Football means? You'll find the answer here -- along with much, much more, including a bonus chapter on the Women's World Cup and lists of winners, runners-up, and scores of past Cups. And because it all comes from Matt Christopher, young readers know they're getting the best sports writing on the shelf.

Matt Christopher (Author), Joshua Swanson (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Last Little Blue Envelope

Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny's backpack'and the last little blue envelope inside'she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end. Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he's found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure'one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time, there are no instructions.

Maureen Johnson (Author), Emily Durante (Narrator)

Audiobook

Beautiful Days: A Bright Young Things Novel

For the bright young things of 1929, the beautiful days seem endless, filled with romance and heartbreak, adventure and intrigue, friendship and rivalry. After a month in New York, Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur are small-town girls no longer. They spend their afternoons with Astrid Donal at the Greys' lush Long Island estate and their nights in Manhattan's bustling metropolis. But Letty's not content to be a mere socialite. She is ready at last to chase her Broadway dreams'no matter the cost. Cordelia is still reeling from the death of her father at the hands of Thom Hale, the man she thought she loved. Now she is set to honor Darius Grey's legacy . . . and take her revenge. Promised to Cordelia's half brother, Astrid is caught up in a world of dazzling jewels and glittering nights'and the sparkle is blinding. Charlie Grey is a gangster playing a dangerous game; and for Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty, the stakes could be deadly. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes the second book in an epic series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.

Anna Godbersen (Author), Caitlin Davies (Narrator)

Audiobook

Rebel Heart

Nothing is certain and no one is safe in the second book in the highly praised Dust Lands trilogy, which MTV's Hollywood Crush blog called "better than The Hunger Games." It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba's world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh's freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise. What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion.

Moira Young (Author), Heather Lind (Narrator)

Audiobook

Elvis and the Underdogs

Benji Wendell Barnsworth is a small ten-year-old boy with a big personality. Born premature, Benji is sickly and accident prone and has a tendency to faint-a lot. He's at the hospital so often, he even has his own punch card. That is, until the day Benji wakes up from a particularly bad spell. Concerned for Benji's health, the doctor offers him two options: wear the world's ugliest padded helmet or get a therapy dog. Benji chooses the dog, of course. But when a massive crate arrives at Benji's house, out walks a two hundred-pound Newfoundland. And that isn't even the strangest thing about the dog. He announces that his name is Parker Elvis Pembroke IV. That's right, this dog can talk! And boy, is he bossy. Having a bossy dog can come in handy, though. Elvis brings out the dog lover in the most surprising people and shows Benji that making new friends may not be as scary as he once thought. From a fresh new voice comes the hilarious and poignant story about the importance of finding your own pack.

Jenny Lee (Author), Patrick Lawlor (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Beginning of Everything

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them,a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: In one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra's knee, his athletic career, and his social life. No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra's ever met,achingly effortless and fiercely intelligent. Together, Ezra and Cassidy discover flash mobs, buried treasure, and a poodle that might just be the reincarnation of Jay Gatsby. But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: If one's singular tragedy has already hit, what happens when more misfortune strikes? Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings. Robyn Schneider is a writer, actor, and online personality who misspent her youth in a town coincidentally similar to Eastwood. Robyn is a graduate of Columbia University, where she studied creative writing, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where she studied medical ethics. She lives in Los Angeles, California, but also on the internet. You can watch her vlogs at youtube.com/robynisrarelyfunny and follow her on the networks below.

Robyn Schneider (Author), Dan John Miller (Narrator)

Audiobook

Raging Star

When the star reader, Auriel Tai, challenged Saba to seize her destiny and defeat DeMalo and the Tonton, Saba was so confident in her purpose. Then she met DeMalo and he confounded all expectations with his seductive vision of a healed earth, a New Eden. DeMalo and Saba had an intense and passionate encounter - physical, emotional and psychic - that changed her life, and now he wants Saba to join him, in life and work, to create and build a healthy, stable, sustainable world…for the chosen few. Jack’s choice is clear: to fight DeMalo and try to stop his dangerous New Eden project. Still uncertain, her connection with DeMalo a secret, Saba commits herself to the fight. Joined by her brother Lugh, anxious for the land in New Eden, Saba leads an inexperienced guerilla band against the powerfully charismatic DeMalo, in command of his settlers and the Tonton militia. What chance do they have? Saba must act. And be willing to pay the price.

Moira Young (Author), Heather Lind, Heather Lynn (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher

Fans of Beverly Cleary's Quimbys, Judy Blume's Hatchers, and, more recently, Jeanne Birdsall's Penderwicks will fervently hope that more Fletcher misadventures are yet to come. School Library Journal, Starred The start of the school year is not going as the Fletcher brothers hoped. Each boy finds his plans for success veering off in unexpected and sometimes diastrous directions. And at home, their miserable new neighbor complains about everything. As the year continues, the boys learn the hard and often hilarious lesson that sometimes what you least expect is what you come to care about the most.Praise for The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher A Junior Library Guild Selection [set star] Their banter is realistic, and the disorder of their everyday lives, convincing. The Fletcher family rules! Kirkus Reviews, Starred Dana Alison Levy has gloriously reimagined the classic family story into a thoroughly modern mold, and it works perfectly. Bruce Coville, bestselling author of My Teacher Is an Alien and the Unicorn Chronicles [set star] With its semi-episodic structure, laugh-out-loud humor, and mix of zaniness and love, Levy's debut offers something truly significant: a middle-grade family story featuring gay parents and interracial families that is never about either issue. School Library Journal, Starred Levy provides a compelling, compassionate, and frequently hilarious look at their daily concerns. By book's end readers will want to be part of (or at least friends with) this delightful family. The Horn BookFrom the Hardcover edition.

Dana Alison Levy (Author), Dan Woren (Narrator)

Audiobook