Historical Audiobooks | LoveReading4Kids

Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It

From a bestselling and award-winning husband and wife team comes an innovative, beautifully illustrated novel that delivers a front-row seat to the groundbreaking moments in history that led to African Americans earning the right to vote. 'Right here, I'm sharing the honest-to-goodness.' -- Loretta 'I'm gon' reach back, and tell how it all went. I'm gon' speak on it. My way.' -- Roly 'I got more nerve than a bad tooth. But there's nothing bad about being bold.' -- Aggie B. Loretta, Roly, and Aggie B., members of the Little family, each present the vivid story of their young lives, spanning three generations. Their separate stories -- beginning in a cotton field in 1927 and ending at the presidential election of 1968 -- come together to create one unforgettable journey. Through an evocative mix of fictional first-person narratives, spoken-word poems, folk myths, gospel rhythms and blues influences, Loretta Little Looks Back weaves an immersive tapestry that illuminates the dignity of sharecroppers in the rural South. Inspired by storytelling's oral tradition, stirring vignettes are presented in a series of theatrical monologues that paint a gripping, multidimensional portrait of America's struggle for civil rights as seen through the eyes of the children who lived it. The novel's unique format invites us to walk in their shoes. Each encounters an unexpected mystical gift, passed down from one family member to the next, that ignites their experience what it means to reach for freedom.

Andrea Davis Pinkney (Author), Dashawn Barnes, Deborah Wilson, Ralph Harris (Narrator)

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Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy

From the bestselling author of the Don't Know Much About books comes a dramatic account of the origins of democracy, the history of authoritarianism, and the reigns of five of history's deadliest dictators. What makes a country fall to a dictator? How do authoritarian leaders-strongmen-capable of killing millions acquire their power? How are they able to defeat the ideal of democracy? And what can we do to make sure it doesn't happen again? By profiling five of the most notoriously ruthless dictators in history-Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein-Kenneth C. Davis seeks to answer these questions, examining the forces in these strongmen's personal lives and historical periods that shaped the leaders they'd become. Meticulously researched, Strongman provides insight into the lives of five leaders who callously transformed the world and serves as an invaluable resource in an era when democracy itself seems in peril. 'Strongman is a book that is both deeply researched and deeply felt, both an alarming warning and a galvanizing call to action, both daunting and necessary to read and discuss.' -Cynthia Levinson, author of Fault Lines in the Constitution

Kenneth C. Davis (Author), Cindy Kay, Kenneth C. Davis, Terrence Kidd (Narrator)

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Chance: Escape from the Holocaust: Memories of a Refugee Childhood

From a beloved voice in children’s literature comes this landmark memoir of hope amid harrowing times and an engaging and unusual Holocaust story. With backlist sales of over 2.3 million copies, Uri Shulevitz, one of FSG BYR’s most acclaimed picture-book creators, details the eight-year odyssey of how he and his Jewish family escaped the terrors of the Nazis by fleeing Warsaw for the Soviet Union in Chance. It was during those years, with threats at every turn, that the young Uri experienced his awakening as an artist, an experience that played a key role during this difficult time. By turns dreamlike and nightmarish, this heavily illustrated account of determination, courage, family loyalty, and the luck of coincidence is a true publishing event. A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Uri Shulevitz (Author), Fred Berman (Narrator)

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I Am Anne Frank

The 22nd book in the New York Times bestselling series of biographies about heroes tells the story of Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl who documented her life while hiding from the Nazis during World War II. This engaging biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of an icon in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers. This volume features Anne Frank, whose courage and hope during a time of terror are still an inspiration for people around the world today.

Brad Meltzer (Author), Brett Boles, Danny Campbell, Jade Wheeler, Jonathan Davis, Michael Braun, Natasha Soudek, Oliver Wyman, Robin Miles (Narrator)

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I am Benjamin Franklin

The 21st book in the New York Times bestselling series of biographies about heroes tells the story of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the U.S. who helped draft the Declaration of Independence while making important scientific contributions. This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of an icon in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero's childhood influences. This volume features Founding Father and scientist Benjamin Franklin.

Brad Meltzer (Author), Brett Boles, Danny Campbell, Jonathan Davis, Michael Braun, Natasha Soudek, Oliver Wyman, Robin Miles (Narrator)

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Who Was Benedict Arnold?

Find out how this one-time American hero became the country's most notorious traitor. As a young child, Benedict Arnold never shied away from a fight. So when the French and Indian War began in 1754, Benedict was eager to join the militia and fight for the British colonies in America. And when he was eighteen years old, he got his chance. Arnold had no idea that less than twenty years later, he would be fighting against the British in the Revolutionary War. Now the captain of his own militia, Benedict won the admiration of his troops and George Washington when he captured a major British fort. He continued fighting for the colonies and was even considered a patriotic war hero after being wounded in battle. But in 1780, Benedict made a decision that no one could anticipate. He betrayed his fellow Americans and joined the British army. Author James Buckley Jr. takes us through Benedict's life and explains the events that led him to switch sides and become the most famous turncoat in American history.

James Buckley (Author), James Buckley (Narrator)

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Premeditated Myrtle

TWELVE-YEAR-OLD MYRTLE HARDCASTLE has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father's law books and her mum's microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England. When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle is sure Miss Wodehouse has been murdered. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove the crime and find Miss Wodehouse's killer. With sparkling wit and a tight, twisty plot, Premeditated Myrtle, the first in a series from an award-winning author, introduces a brilliant young investigator. Myrtle is more than ready to take on hard cases and maddening Victorian rules for Young Ladies of Quality in order to earn her place among the most daring and acclaimed amateur detectives of her time ... or any other.

Elizabeth C. Bunce (Author), Bethan Rose Young, Bethan Rose Young (Narrator)

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A Hopeful Heart: Louisa May Alcott Before Little Women

How did Little Women-- the beloved literary classic and inspiration for Greta Gerwig's acclaimed feature film adaptation--come to be? This stunning biography explores the unique family and unusual circumstances of literary icon Louisa May Alcott. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. How did these cherished characters come to be? Louisa May Alcott, the author of one of the most famous 'girl' books of all time, was anything but a well-mannered young lady. A tomboy as well as a ravenous reader, Louisa took comfort in fictional characters that were as passionate and willful as she was--and whose wild imaginations were a match for her own. She was often found roaming the woods near her home in Concord, Massachusetts, or exploring the natural world in the company of the great Transcendentalist thinkers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Here is a beautiful portrait of Louisa May Alcott, a woman influenced by her father, a penniless philosopher, her mother, with whom she shared a great connection, and, of course, her three sisters. Deborah Noyes unveils how Louisa's natural spirit, loving family, and unconventional circumstances inspired the timeless masterpiece that is Little Women.

Deborah Noyes (Author), Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

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Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown

The dark truth behind the Johnstown Flood of 1889 -- one of the greatest calamities our country has ever experienced--is revealed in a beautiful, harrowing story, told in luminous verse. Before the flood, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was a working class industry town filled with immigrants, factory workers, shop owners, housewives, and schoolchildren, all with hopes and dreams for the future. Sixteen-year-old Joe Dixon opens a newsstand and aspires to make a name for himself like Andrew Carnegie; Monica Fagan longs to travel to her mother's native Ireland, while her younger brother Daniel just wants to hike the mountain and enjoy clean air; George Hoffman yearns for a job so he can relieve his family's burdens; William James works hard to be a poet; and little Gertrude Quinn is happy to collect treasures from her father's store. Above the soot-filled town, an elite hunting and fishing club built on a manmade lake draws America's wealthiest business barons -- Carnegie, Mellon, and Frick. Though repeatedly warned, they ignore the pleas to fix the deteriorating dam that holds the lake. And when heavy rains come, the dam bursts, and Johnstown is decimated. As great as the tragedy was the injustice: The club members eschewed any blame and claimed the flood was a natural disaster. Told in alternating voices -- some inspired by first-person accounts -- the chorus of these six children turns an unspeakable catastrophe into a transcendent and hopeful work of art in the tradition of such classics as Edgar Lee Master's Spoon River Anthology and Thornton Wilder's Our Town.

Ann E. Burg (Author), Bailey Carr, Christopher Gebauer, Dan Bittner, Josh Hurley, Robin Miles, Sean Welsh Brown, Taylor Meskimen, Taylor Meskimen (additional Tbd) (Narrator)

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Out of Hiding:A Holocaust Survivor's Journey to America

Ruth Gruener was a hidden child during the Holocaust. At the end of the war, she and her parents were overjoyed to be free. But their struggles as displaced people had just begun. In war-ravaged Europe, they waited for paperwork for a chance to come to America. Once they arrived in Brooklyn, they began to build a new life, but spoke little English. Ruth started at a new school and tried to make friends -- but continued to fight nightmares and flashbacks of her time during World War II. The family's perseverance is a classic story of the American dream, but also illustrates the difficulties that millions of immigrants face in the aftermath of trauma. This is a gripping and human account of a survivor's journey forward with timely connections to refugee and immigrant experiences worldwide today.With a foreword by Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee.

Ruth Gruener (Author), Natasha Soudek (Narrator)

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Mars' First Friends: Come on Over, Rovers!

In a solar system full of planets, Mars feels all alone. No one has time to play with him. Will he ever get a playmate?Mars' First Friends is a universal story about man's?and Mars'?best friends?our beloved pets. In this sweet solar system story, Mars is lonely and just wants someone to play with, but the planets are all too busy. That is until Earth sends her little brother Mars his first friends: the rovers Spirit and Opportunity! With its darling prose and charming plot, this book offers a new take on the Mars rovers stories, and also includes educational back matter with an abundance of information about the solar system, Mars, and his real-life pets?NASA's rovers! Could there be life on Mars? Listen on to find out!

Susanna Leonard Hill (Author), Full Cast (Narrator)

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In the Face of Danger

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

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