Audiobooks Narrated by Bahni Turpin

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices

The foremost diverse children's authors--including Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Kwame Alexander--share answers to the question, 'In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?' in this powerful collection, published in partnership with Just Us Books. Featuring poems, letters, personal essays, songs, and other works from such industry leaders as Jacqueline Woodson (Brown Girl Dreaming), Jason Reynolds (All American Boys), Kwame Alexander (The Crossover), Andrea Pippins (I Love My Hair), Sharon Draper (Out of My Mind), Rita Williams-Garcia (One Crazy Summer), Ellen Oh (cofounder of We Need Diverse Books), and more, this anthology empowers the nation's youth to listen, learn, and build a better tomorrow. Audiobook Table of Contents: Foreword by Ashley Bryan, read by Dominic Hoffman Introduction by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, read by the authors What Shall We Tell You? by Wade Hudson, read by the author The Golden Rule by Carole Boston Weatherford, read by Soneela Nankani A Thousand Winters by Kwame Alexander, read by Guy Lockard We, the People by Rita Williams-Garcia, read by January LaVoy Prayers of the Grandmothers by Sharon M. Draper, read by Adenrele Ojo You Are Here. by Denise Lewis Patrick, read by N'Jameh Camara Words Have Power by Ellen Oh, read by Jennifer Lim Kindness Is a Choice by Jacqueline Woodson, read by Adenrele Ojo To Find a Friend by Joseph Bruchac, read by Darrell Dennis Get on Board, introduction read by Cheryl Willis Hudson, song performed by Paul Robeson (courtesy of Concord Music Group) You Can Change the World by Bernette G. Ford, read by Bahni Turpin Next by Lesa Cline-Randsome, read by January LaVoy Drumbeat for Change by Kelly Starling Lyons, read by Bahni Turpin The Art of Mindfulness by Evelyn Coleman, read by N'Jameh Camara One Day Papí Drove Me to School by Tony Medina, read by Kyla Garcia It Helps to Look at Old Front Page Headlines by Marilyn Nelson, read by Jennifer Lim All Nations Are Neighbors and I Wonder by Margarita Engle, read by Kyla Garcia When I Think of You by Sharon G. Flake, read by Bahni Turpin a day of small things by Tonya Bolden, read by Adenrele Ojo Dark-Brown Skin Is Beautiful by Eleanora E. Tate, read by Bahni Turpin here is a poem of love and hope: by Arnold Adoff, read by Dominic Hoffman We've Got You by Pat Cummings, read by January LaVoy How to Pass the Test by Hena Khan, read by Soneela Nankani Where Are the Good People? by Tameka Fryer Brown, read by January LaVoy You Can Do It by Jabari Asim, read by Sullivan Jones Tell It in Your Own Way by Roy Boney Jr., read by Darrell Dennis "What Songs Will Our Children Sing?" music and lyrics by Curtis Hudson You Too Can Fly by Zetta Elliott, read by Bahni Turpin Advice . . . (I'm Old-School Like That) by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, read by N'Jameh Camara A Talkin'-To by Jason Reynolds, read by Guy Lockard

Cheryl Willis Hudson, Wade Hudson (Author), , Adenrele Ojo, Bahni Turpin, Darrell Dennis, Dominic Hoffman, Guy Lockard, January Lavoy, Jennifer Lim, Kyla Garcia, N'jameh Camara, Paul Robeson, Soneela Nankani, Sullivan Jones, Various (Narrator)

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Untwine

A haunting and mesmerizing story about sisterhood, family, love, and loss by literary luminary Edwidge Danticat. Giselle Boyer and her identical twin, Isabelle, are as close as sisters can be, even as their family seems to be unraveling. Then the Boyers are caught in a car crash that will shatter everyone's world forever. Giselle wakes up in the hospital, injured and unable to speak or move. Trapped in the prison of her own body, Giselle must revisit her past in order to understand how the people closest to her--her friends, her parents, and above all, Isabelle, her twin--have shaped and defined her. Will she allow her love for her family and friends to lead her to recovery? Or will she remain lost in a spiral of longing and regret? Untwine is a spellbinding tale, lyrical and filled with love, mystery, humor, and heartbreak. Award-winning author Edwidge Danticat brings her extraordinary talent to this graceful and unflinching examination of the bonds of friendship, romance, family, the horrors of loss, and the strength we must discover in ourselves when all seems hopeless.

Edwidge Danticat (Author), Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

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Unstoppable Octobia May

Bestselling and award-winning author Sharon G. Flake delivers a mystery set in the 1950s that eerily blends history, race, culture, and family. Octobia May is a girl filled with questions. Her heart condition makes her special--and, some folks would argue, gives this ten-year-old powers that make her a "wise soul." Thank goodness for Auntie, who convinces Octobia's parents to let her live in her boarding house that is filled with old folks. That's when trouble, and excitement, and wonder begin. Auntie is nontraditional. She's unmarried and has plans to purchase other boarding homes and hotels. At a time when children, and especially girls, are "seen, not heard," Auntie allows Octobia May the freedom and expression of an adult. When Octobia starts to question the folks in her world, an adventure and a mystery unfold that beg some troubling questions: Who is black and who is "passing" for white? What happens when a vibrant African American community must face its own racism? And, perhaps most important: Do vampires really exist? In her most unusual and probing novel yet, Sharon G. Flake takes us on a heart-pumping journey.

Sharon Flake (Author), Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

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Unbound: A Novel in Verse

From the award-winning author of ALL THE BROKEN PIECES and SERAFINA'S PROMISE comes a new novel-in-verse that is a gripping, transcendent story about a little-known piece of slave history. Grace has grown up in slavery. As difficult as life on the Virginia plantation is, at least she has her family: Momma, her younger brothers, Thomas and Willy, Aunt Sara, and Uncle Jim. When she overhears Master and Mistress plotting to sell her brothers, she and her family decide to run away that same night. But without time to plan their escape and go north along the Underground Railroad, their only choice is to head deep into the woods of the Dismal Swamp--a remote wilderness, filled with wild animals; daily searches for food, water, and shelter; and the ever present anxiety of being caught. Historians have recently discovered evidence of the Dismal Swamp, and a community of slaves who sought refuge there. Ann Burg's unflinching story, written in her signature luminous verse, sheds light on this little-known story and the courage of a people who risked everything for the chance to be free.

Ann E. Burg (Author), Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

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Turning Point

When being yourself isn't good enough, who should you be? Told in dual perspectives, this provocative and timely novel for middle-school readers by Paula Chase, the acclaimed author of So Done and Dough Boys, will resonate with fans of Jason Reynolds, Rebecca Stead, and Renée Watson. Best friends Rasheeda and Monique are both good girls. For Sheeda, that means keeping her friends close and following her deeply religious and strict aunt’s every rule. For Mo, that means not making waves in the prestigious and mostly White ballet intensive she’s been accepted to. But what happens when Sheeda catches the eye of Mo’s older brother, and the invisible racial barriers to Mo’s success as a ballerina turn out to be not so invisible? What happens when you discover that being yourself isn’t good enough? How do you fight back? Paula Chase explores the complex and emotional issues that affect many young teens in this novel set in the same neighborhood as her acclaimed So Done and Dough Boys. Friendship, family, finding yourself, and standing your ground are the themes of this universal story that is perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds, Rebecca Stead, and Renée Watson.

Paula Chase (Author), Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

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Tunnel of Bones

The thrilling sequel to Victoria Schwab's New York Times bestselling City of Ghosts! Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual. She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show about the world's most haunted cities. Sure, it's fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there's true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs. When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter -- and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger. And if Cass fails, the force she's unleashed could haunt the city forever. #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Schwab returns to the spooky and heart-pounding world of City of Ghosts, delivering thrilling new adventures and an unforgettable spin on friendship. (Because sometimes, even psychic ghost best friends have secrets. . .)

Victoria Schwab (Author), Bahni Turpin, Reba Buhr (Narrator)

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The True Meaning of Smekday

It all starts with a school essay. Twelve-year-old Gratuity "Tip" Tucci is assigned to write five pages on "The True Meaning of Smekday" for the National Time Capsule contest, and she's not sure where to begin: when her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended to Earth, and aliens-called the Boov-abducted her mother? Or when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it "Smekland" (in honor of glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod? Gratuity's story is much, much bigger than the assignment. It involves her unlikely friendship with a renegade Boov mechanic named J.Lo, a futile journey south to find Gratuity's mother at the Happy Mouse Kingdom, a cross-country road trip in a hovercar called Slushious, and an outrageous plan to save Earth from yet another alien invasion.

Adam Rex (Author), Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

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The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep: Voices from the Donner Party

In powerful, vivid verse, the master behind The Watch That Ends the Night recounts one of history’s most harrowing—and chilling—tales of survival. In 1846, a group of emigrants bound for California face a choice: continue on their planned route or take a shortcut into the wilderness. Eighty-nine of them opt for the untested trail, a decision that plunges them into danger and desperation and, finally, the unthinkable. From extraordinary poet and novelist Allan Wolf comes a riveting retelling of the ill-fated journey of the Donner party across the Sierra Nevadas during the winter of 1846–1847. Brilliantly narrated by multiple voices, including world-weary, taunting, and all-knowing Hunger itself, this novel-in-verse examines a notorious chapter in history from various perspectives, among them caravan leaders George Donner and James Reed, Donner’s scholarly wife, two Miwok Indian guides, the Reed children, a sixteen-year-old orphan, and even a pair of oxen. Comprehensive back matter includes an author’s note, select character biographies, statistics, a time line of events, and more. Unprecedented in its detail and sweep, this haunting epic raises stirring questions about moral ambiguity, hope and resilience, and hunger of all kinds.

Allan Wolf (Author), Bahni Turpin, Eric G. Dove, Lauren Ezzo, Ramón De Ocampo, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Teri Schnaubelt, Tim Gerard Reynolds, Whitney Dykhouse (Narrator)

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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 Mighty Miss Malone

We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful' is the motto of Deza Malone's family. Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression has hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie's beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.From the Hardcover edition.

Christopher Paul Curtis (Author), Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

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The Key to Every Thing

Tash doesn't want to go to camp, doesn't want to spend the summer with a bunch of strangers, doesn't want to be separated from the only two people she has ever been able to count on: her uncle Kevin, who saved her from foster care, and Cap'n Jackie, who lives next door. As it happens, camp is actually pretty fun, and making a new friend isn't as hard as Tash thought it would be. But when she returns home, Cap'n Jackie is gone. Tash needs her - and the made-up stories of dolphin-dragons, the warm cookies that make everything all right after a fight, the key that Cap'n Jackie insists has magic in it. The Captain has always said that all Tash has to do is hold it tight and the magic will come. Is it true? And can Tash use it to get her back?

Pat Schmatz (Author), Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

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The Harlem Charade

Chasing Vermeer comes to Harlem in this clever mystery about art, artifice, and the power of community. WATCHER. SHADOW. FUGITIVE. Harlem is home to all kinds of kids. Jin sees life passing her by from the window of her family's bodega. Alex wants to help the needy one shelter at a time, but can't tell anyone who she really is. Elvin's living on Harlem's cold, lonely streets, surviving on his own after his grandfather was mysteriously attacked. When these three strangers join forces to find out what happened to Elvin's grandfather, their digging leads them to an enigmatic artist whose missing masterpieces are worth a fortune-one that might save the neighborhood from development by an ambitious politician who wants to turn it into Harlem World, a ludicrous historic theme park. But if they don't find the paintings soon, nothing in their beloved neighborhood will ever be the same . . . In this remarkable tale of daring and danger, debut novelist Natasha Tarpley explores the way a community defines itself, the power of art to show truth, and what it really means to be home.

Natasha Tarpley (Author), Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

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