Health & Family Audiobooks

The Orange Houses

Meet Tamika Sykes.Mik to her friends (if she had any). She's hearing impaired and way too smart for her West Bronx high school. She copes by reading lips and selling homework answers, and looks forward to the time each day when she can be alone in her room drawing. She's a tough girl who never gets close to anyone, until she meets Fatima, a teenage refugee who sells newspapers on Mik's block. Both Mik and Fatima unite in their efforts to befriend Jimmi, a homeless vet who is shunned by the rest of the community. The events that follow when these three outcasts converge will break open their close-knit community and change the lives of those living in the Orange Houses in explosive and unexpected ways.

Paul Griffin (Author), Robin Miles (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Orphan Band of Springdale

When she arrives at her grandmother's orphanage with little more than a French horn and all that's left of a broken wish, eleven-year-old Augusta "Gusta" Neubronner steps right into what her German-born father likes to call the clear light of trouble. Papa is a fugitive from the law, times are too tough in New York for her mother to keep her, and the Second World War is already looming on the horizon. Gusta has to learn to bravely stand up to classmates suspicious of her un-American last name, to eye charts, and even to the villainous owner of the local mill. When she stumbles onto family secrets, Gusta must try her best to put things right - and to convince her grandma that music can be "real as jam." Sometimes it takes a whole orphan band to help a girl find her voice and her place in the world. Acclaimed author Anne Nesbet deftly combines music, magic, family, and history in an unforgettable read.

Anne Nesbet (Author), Kate Rudd (Narrator)

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The Orphan of Ellis Island: A Time-Travel Adventure

Dominic Cantori is ashamed that he is an orphan, afraid to expose his terrible secret. But one day, accidentally locked in a deserted museum on Ellis Island, the voice of an old Italian immigrant speaks to him from a display, transporting him to Italy in 1908, where he will unlock the secrets of his past.

Elvira Woodruff (Author), Lloyd James (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Other Half of Happy

Quijana is a girl in pieces. One-half Guatemalan, one-half American: When Quijana's Guatemalan cousins move to town, her dad seems ashamed that she doesn't know more about her family's heritage. One-half crush, one-half buddy: When Quijana meets Zuri and Jayden, she knows she's found true friends. But she can't help the growing feelings she has for Jayden. One-half kid, one-half grown-up: Quijana spends her nights Skyping with her ailing grandma and trying to figure out what's going on with her increasingly hard-to-reach brother. In the course of this immersive and beautifully written novel, Quijana must figure out which parts of herself are most important, and which pieces come together to make her whole. This lyrical debut from Rebecca Balcárcel is a heartfelt poetic portrayal of a girl growing up, fitting in, and learning what it means to belong.

Rebecca Balcárcel (Author), Ariana Cordero (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Other Half of My Heart

The close relationship of a pair of biracial twins is tested when their grandmother enters them in a pageant for African American girls in this new story from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner Sundee T. Frazier. When Minerva and Keira King were born, they made headlines: Keira is black like Mama, but Minni is white like Daddy. Together the family might look like part of a chessboard row, but they are first and foremost the close-knit Kings. Then Grandmother Johnson calls, to invite the twins down South to compete for the title of Miss Black Pearl Preteen of America. Minni dreads the spotlight, but Keira assures her that together they'll get through their stay with Grandmother Johnson. But when grandmother's bias against Keira reveals itself, Keira pulls away from her twin. Minni has always believed that no matter how different she and Keira are, they share a deep bond of the heart. Now she'll find out the truth.

Sundee T. Frazier (Author), Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

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The Other Normals

Given the chance, fifteen-year-old Peregrine "Perry" Eckert would dedicate every waking moment to Creatures & Caverns, an epic role-playing game rich with magical creatures, spell casting, and deadly weapons. The world of C&C is where he feels most comfortable in his own skin. But that isn't happening-not if his parents have anything to do with it. Concerned their son lacks social skills, they ship him off to summer camp to become a man. They want him to be outdoors playing with kids his own age and meeting girls-rather than indoors alone, with only his gaming alter ego for company. Perry knows he's in for the worst summer of his life. Everything changes, however, when Perry gets to camp and stumbles into the World of the Other Normals. There he meets Mortin Enaw, one of the creators of C&C, and other mythical creatures from the game, including the alluring Ada Ember, whom Perry finds more beautiful than any human girl he's ever met. Perry's new otherworldly friends need his help to save their princess and prevent mass violence. As they embark on their quest, Perry realizes that his nerdy childhood has uniquely prepared him to be a great warrior in this world, and maybe even a hero. But to save the princess, Perry will have to learn how to make real connections in the human world as well. Bestselling author Ned Vizzini delivers a compulsively readable and wildly original story about the winding and often hilarious path to manhood.

Ned Vizzini (Author), Andrew Eiden (Narrator)

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The Other Side of Dark

Thirteen-year-old Stacy is sunbathing in the backyard when she hears a strange noise from inside the house. Turning to look, she sees a man with a gun burst through the door; then everything goes black. She wakes up in a hospital bed to learn that she has spent the last four years in a catatonic state. Suddenly 17, she finds herself struggling to adjust and fighting to remember what happened to her. She is the only witness to the shooting that injured her and killed her mother. Her memory is hazy, but slowly more details of that awful day come back. She knows that it was someone familiar to her, but she can't quite see his face yet. Can Stacy remember in time to keep him from finishing what he started? Young adult mystery lovers will be enthralled by the nonstop suspense and believable characters of The Other Side of Dark. Narrator Christina Moore's reading builds the tension to a fever pitch as Stacy races against time to stop a killer.

Joan Lowery Nixon (Author), Christina Moore (Narrator)

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The Other Side of Luck

A twist of fate. A newfound friend. A place to finally call home. Ever since her mother's death, Una has suffered through years of loneliness in the royal palace, where girls are treated as an afterthought. She yearns for a different life but is unsure how to make anyone notice her. Then her father announces a special contest: whoever finds the rare silva flower can present it to Una for her twelfth birthday and receive a reward. Frustrated by her father's grand but empty gesture, Una decides to take her fate into her own hands. Julien, a young pauper, has tried his whole life to make something of nothing, alongside his hardworking Baba. When Baba is unjustly arrested, Julien's only hope to save his father is to win the palace contest-to find the elusive silva flower. Little does he know that Una has decided to embark on a journey to find the prize as well. As Una and Julien search for the flower, their destinies intertwine and offer a reward greater than anything either could have ever hoped for: the feeling of belonging.

Ginger Johnson (Author), Eddie Lopez, Soneela Nankani (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Other Side of the Wall

In this new adventure with Tess and Max, internationally bestselling author Amy Ephron takes readers to London at Christmastime, where a new fantastical journey awaits. It's Christmas break and Tess and Max are in London, staying at the posh Sanborn House with their Aunt Evie. As they wait for their parents to arrive, there is an unusual snowstorm that makes the city seem as if it's caught in a snow globe. Perfect weather for an adventure in Hyde Park. But when Max, Tess, and Aunt Evie leave to search for a cab, they find a horse and carriage and driver curiously waiting for them at the curb. And that's just the beginning... Soon Tess is charmed by a mysterious boy named Colin who lives at the hotel all year round--on the 8th floor. But Max is sure the elevator only had 7 floors the day before. And how come everyone at the hotel seems to ignore Colin? Things seem to get stranger and stranger. There's a 1920s costume party in Colin's parents' apartment. A marble that seems to be more than it appears. And a shadow that passes mysteriously by Tess and Max's hotel window. Tess wants to figure out what's going on, but finds only more questions: Is it just a coincidence that Colin's last name is Sanborn, the same as the hotel? Why does the cat's-eye marble look eerily similar to the crystal at the top of their hotel room key? And, most importantly, what happened in that hotel one Christmas long, long ago? In this mysterious story sprinkled with holiday enchantment, Amy Ephron transports readers into the magic of London at wintertime, where it's just possible that what seems imaginary is real, and your wishes might come true. Praise for The Other Side of the Wall: 'The story is both charming and vaguely creepy.' --School Library Journal

Amy Ephron (Author), Laraine Newman (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Other, Better Me

From the critically acclaimed author of Mascot comes this heartfelt novel, perfect for fans of John David Anderson and Cammie McGovern, about a girl searching for the meaning of family. Lola and Momma have always been a team of two. It hasn't always been easy for Lola, being one of the only kids she knows with just one parent around. And lately she's been feeling incomplete, like there's a part of herself that she can't know until she knows her dad. But what will happen-to Lola, to Momma, to their team of two-if she finds him?

Antony John (Author), Bailey Carr (Narrator)

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The Otis Collection: Includes Otis, Otis and the Tornado, Otis Loves to Play, Otis and the Puppy, an

Listen to Trace Adkins read five of New York Times bestselling character Otis's stories, including Otis, Otis and the Tornado, Otis Loves to Play, Otis and the Puppy, and An Otis Christmas. OTIS In a wonderful new palette, and in the tradition of classics like Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and The Story of Ferdinand, Loren Long has crafted an unforgettable new story, and character, celebrating the power of friendship and perseverance. OTIS AND THE TORNADO Otis and all his farm friends are enjoying a summer's day, but the bull has no interest in playing and stays in his pen. Suddenly the day turns frightening and stormy: it's a tornado! Otis takes all of the animals to safety, but the bull is still locked in his pen! Quick as his tires will take him, Otis putt puff puttedy chuffs back to the farm to save the day. OTIS LOVES TO PLAY In this new story, the beloved tractor loves to play with his friends--the calf, the cows, the horses, and of course, the ducks. Together, they jump, they play, they chase, and they march. And they always have fun--young readers will, too! OTIS AND THE PUPPY Otis and his farm friends love to play hide-and-seek. Otis especially loves to be 'It,' finding his friends as they hide. Yet when the newest addition to the farm, a bounding puppy who can't sit still and has a habit of licking faces, tries to hide, he finds his attention wandering and is soon lost in the forest. Night falls and Otis, knowing his new friend is afraid of the dark, sets out to find him. There's just one problem: Otis is also afraid of the dark. His friend is alone and in need, though, so Otis takes a deep breath, counts to ten, and sets off on a different game of hide-and-seek. AN OTIS CHRISTMAS It's Christmas eve on the farm where Otis and all of his friends live. The farmer has given Otis his first real Christmas present--a shiny new horn! A tree has been decorated, a big snowstorm is on its way, and all of the animals are excited. Best of all, one of the horses on the farm is about to give birth to a foal! Yet in the middle of the night the horse begins neighing in pain and when the farmer says, 'We'd better get Doc Baker out here or we'll lose 'em both,' Otis knows the horse is in trouble. Snow has been falling hard for hours and the roads are unpassable. How will they got Doc? Otis to the rescue! He knows a shortcut through the woods and he arrives at the doc's house flashing his headlights and revving his engine. When Doc fails to awake, Otis uses his new horn. Then, with Doc in tow, he races back to the farm just in time for a Christmas miracle . . . and the arrival of a new friend to play with.

Loren Long (Author), Trace Adkins (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

E. L. Konigsburg revisits the town of Epiphany to tell the story of Margaret Rose Kane, Connor's older half-sister. It's about the summer when Margaret Rose turned twelve--the same year that Cabbage Patch dolls were popular, that Sally Ride became the first woman to go into space, that El Niño turned the world upside-down. Margaret Rose begins her summer with a miserable experience at camp; from which she's rescued by her beloved, eccentric uncles. Little does she know that her uncles, in turn, need rescuing themselves--from a tyrannical city council determined to tear down her uncles' life work--three spectacularly beautiful towers that her uncles have been building since before Margaret was a baby. THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE is a rousing audiobook about intelligence, art, and the fierce preservation of individuality.

E. L. Konigsburg, E.L. Konigsburg (Author), Molly Ringwald (Narrator)

Audiobook