Audiobooks Narrated by Channie Waites

Becoming Billie Holiday

"In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 7, 1915, Sadie Fagan gave birth to a daughter. She named her Eleanora. The world, however, would know her as Billie Holiday, possibly the greatest jazz singer of all time. Eleanora's journey into legend took her through pain, poverty, and run-ins with the law. By the time she was fifteen, she knew she possessed something that could possibly change her life—a voice. Eleanora could sing. That remarkable voice led her to Harlem nightclubs, the Apollo Theater, and a place in the spotlight with some of the era's hottest big bands. Billie Holiday sang from somewhere inside her that made it seem as if she had lived each lyric, and in many ways she had. This unique talent is what made Billie Holiday more than a singer. She was an artist. Through a sequence of raw and poignant poems that form the singer's fictional memoir, award-winning poet Carole Boston Weatherford chronicles Eleanora Fagan's metamorphosis into Billie Holiday. We hear the intimate voice of the artist as she examines her young life, her fight for survival, and the dream she pursued with passion."

Carole Boston Weatherford (Author), Channie Waites (Narrator)

Audiobook

Wildseed Witch

"A fun middle-grade contemporary fantasy with an all-BIPOC cast, about a social-media-loving tween who gets sent to an ultra-private witch camp Hasani’s post-seventh-grade summer to-do list is pretty simple: get a bigger following for her makeup YouTube channel and figure out how to get her parents back together. What she does NOT expect is that an emotional outburst will spark a latent magical ability in her. Or that the magic will be strong enough to attract the attention of witches. Or that before she can say #BlackGirlMagic, she’ll be shipped off on a scholarship to a fancy finishing school for talented young ladies. Les Belles Demoiselles is a literal charm school. Here, generations of young ladies from old-money witch families have learned to harness their magic, and alumnae grow to become some of the most powerful women across industries, including politicians, philanthropists, CEOs, entrepreneurs—and yes, even social media influencers. Needless to say, admission to the school is highly coveted, very exclusive...and Hasani sticks out like a weed in a rose bouquet. While the other girls have always known they were destined to be witches, Hasani is a Wildseed—a stray witch from a family of non-witches, with no background knowledge, no way to control her magic, and a lot to catch up on. 'Wildseed' may be an insult that the other girls throw at her, but Wildseeds are more powerful than they know. And Hasani will learn that there are ways to use magic and thrive that can never be taught in a classroom."

Marti Dumas (Author), Channie Waites (Narrator)

Audiobook

When the World Turned Upside Down

"A heartwarming, feel-good story of friendship and overcoming adversity in a time of COVID, this is a book about community, givingback, and understanding the world around us through the power of generosity from debut author K. Ibura. With one little announcement from their fourth-grade teacher, Shayla, Liam, Ben, and Ai's world turned upside down. Now, withschool on hold due to a strange virus that they don't quite understand, the only semblance of safety they feel is knowing that theyhave one another in their apartment complex.But as each of them head home and experience their own version of confinement, it becomes very real. And as their individualstruggles grow, they need each other now more than ever. Very soon, they discover that they're not the only ones who need alittle help.Banded together, the friends find ways to help others struggling in their building. And one by one, they do their part in making theirneighbors feel just a little bit safer. As the world becomes more complex, as protests take the streets, Shayla, Liam, Ben, and Aido everything they can to better understand the world around them and the people around them in order to discover the powerand comfort that understanding and generosity can bring."

K. Ibura (Author), Channie Waites (Narrator)

Audiobook

Emilie and the Sky World

"When Emilie and Daniel arrive in Silk Harbor, Professor Abindon, an old colleague of the Marlendes, warns them that she’s observed something strange and potentially deadly in the sky, a disruption in an upper air aether current. But as the Marlendes investigate further, they realize it’s a ship from another aetheric plane. It may be just a friendly explorer, or something far more sinister, but they will have to take an airship into the dangerous air currents to find out. Emilie joins the expedition and finds herself deep in personal entanglements, with an angry uncle, an interfering brother, and an estranged mother to worry about—not to mention a lost family of explorers, the strange landscapes of the upper air, and the deadly menace that inhabits the sky world."

Martha Wells (Author), Channie Waites (Narrator)

Audiobook

You Truly Assumed

"After a terrorist attack rocks the country and anti-Islamic sentiment stirs, three Black Muslim girls create a space where they can shatter assumptions and share truths. Sabriya has trained hard for summer ballet auditions, so she’s devastated when everything is canceled after a terrorist attack. She takes solace in writing in her private online journal, You Truly Assumed, only to discover it isn’t so private after all—and there are many out there like her, hoping to be heard. Including … Zakat can’t wait to leave her hometown to pursue her dreams, but her family fears for her safety. With her best friend growing distant, finding a kindred voice online seems like fate. Yet when her own haven is vandalized, Zakat wonders if she’ll ever feel safe again. Farah doesn’t want to visit her father and his new family. But sometimes a change of place brings a change of heart—for Farah, for the boy she might love, and for the new friends she meets through You Truly Assumed. When threatening comments and emails try to silence them, the three must decide: shut things down and stay safe … or risk it all and let their voices be heard."

Laila Sabreen (Author), Channie Waites, Lynnette R. Freeman, Tamika Katon-Donegal (Narrator)

Audiobook

Emilie and the Hollow World

"While running away from home for reasons that are eminently defensible, Emilie’s plans to stow away on the steamship Merry Bell and reach her cousin in the big city go awry, landing her on the wrong ship and at the beginning of a fantastic adventure. Taken under the protection of Lady Marlende, Emilie learns that the crew hopes to use the aether currents and an experimental engine, and with the assistance of Lord Engal, journey to the interior of the planet in search of Marlende’s missing father. With the ship damaged on arrival, they attempt to traverse the strange lands on their quest. But when evidence points to sabotage and they encounter the treacherous Lord Ivers, along with the strange race of the sea-lands, Emilie has to make some challenging decisions and take daring action if they are ever to reach the surface world again."

Martha Wells (Author), Channie Waites (Narrator)

Audiobook

Forever This Summer

"It was because of the Alzheimer’s, which is like a big bully that takes stuff that doesn’t belong to them and won’t give it back. Georgie has no idea what to expect when she, Mama, and Peaches are plopped down in the middle of small-town USA—aka Bogalusa, Louisiana—where Mama grew up and Great-aunt Vie needs constant care. Georgie wants to help out at the once-famous family diner that served celebrities like the Jackson 5 and the Supremes, but everyone is too busy to show her the ropes, and Mama is treating her like a baby, not letting her leave her sight. When she finally gets permission to leave on her own, Georgie makes friends with Markie—a foster kid who’d been under Aunt Elvie’s care—who has a limb difference and a huge attitude. Then Markie asks Georgie to help her find her mom, and suddenly the summer has a real purpose. As Georgie’s and Markie’s histories begin to entwine, Georgie becomes more desperate to find the truth, and she may even find a way to right past wrongs and help Aunt Vie and Markie out after all. From the critically acclaimed author of Love Like Sky comes a novel about holding on to family identity, and memories in post-Katrina Louisiana."

Leslie C. Youngblood (Author), Channie Waites (Narrator)

Audiobook

Up All Night: 13 Stories between Sunset and Sunrise

"When everyone else goes to bed, the ones who stay up feel like they're the only people in the world. As the hours tick by deeper into the night, the familiar drops away and the unfamiliar beckons. Adults are asleep, and a hush falls over the hum of daily life. Anything is possible. It's a time for romance and adventure. For prom night and ghost hunts. It's a time for breaking up, for falling in love-for finding yourself. Stay up all night with these thirteen short stories from bestselling and award-winning YA authors like Karen McManus, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nina LaCour, and Brandy Colbert, as they take readers deep into these rarely seen, magical hours. Full contributor list: Brandy Colbert, Kathleen Glasgow, Maurene Goo, Tiffany D. Jackson, Amanda Joy, Nina LaCour, Karen M. McManus, Anna Meriano, Marieke Nijkamp, Laura Silverman, Kayla Whaley, Julian Winters, Francesca Zappia"

Laura Silverman (Author), Channie Waites, Imani Parks, Taylor Meskimen (Narrator)

Audiobook

All of the Above

"We know there’s a lot of people out there who think our school is a dead end. And that all the kids inside it are dead ends, too. … But they’ve got it all wrong. Just you wait and see! James, Rhondell, Sharice, and Marcel are four inner-city students on a quest to build the world’s largest tetrahedron with their math teacher, Mr. Collins. If they succeed, maybe Rhondell will make new friends, Sharice’s foster mother may start to care, James will discover something he’s good at, and Marcel’s dad will finally see that there is more to life than barbecue. Maybe they’ll even end up in the Guinness Book of World Records! Weaving together the stories of the kids, their teacher, and the community that surrounds them, award-winning author Shelley Pearsall has written a vividly engaging story about math, life, and the importance of friendship."

Shelley Pearsall (Author), Channie Waites, Chris Henry Coffey, Corey Allen, Karen Chilton, Kevin R. Free, Lynnette R. Freeman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Roman and Jewel

"Wherefore art—WAIT, WHAT?! JERZIE JHAMES—do not get her started on what is in a name!—is up for the lead role in the hottest new show heading to Broadway, Roman and Jewel, a Romeo and Juliet–inspired hip-hopera featuring a diverse cast and modern twists on the play. But her hopes are crushed when she learns that R & B megastar Cinny won the lead … and Jerzie is cast as her understudy. Falling for male lead Zeppelin Reid is a terrible idea—especially once Jerzie learns Cinny wants him for herself. Star-crossed love always ends badly. But when a video of Jerzie and Zepp practicing goes viral and the entire world weighs in on who should play Jewel, Jerzie learns that while the price of fame is high, friendship, family, and love are priceless and worth risking it all."

Dana L. Davis (Author), Channie Waites (Narrator)

Audiobook

Twintuition: Double Cross

"Identical twins Caitlyn and Cassie Waters are excited about their class’s special field trip to San Antonio and the chance to show their new friends the colorful sights of their old stomping grounds, like the River Walk and El Mercado. But their ability to see glimpses of the future is making them a little anxious about going home again. Now their grandmother is certain that their visions might mean danger, and their mom and aunt are whispering on the phone. The girls know that something big is going on with their family, but Caitlyn and Cassie can’t figure out what. As the girls reach San Antonio, trouble finds them as quickly as a vision. And when one of their friends disappears, it’s up to the girls to use their Sight and street smarts to save the day. But while trying to use their visions to save their friend, they begin to see things they didn’t expect—there’s a man in captivity who looks exactly like their father’s pictures. Could he really be alive? And can they use the clues they see to save him before it’s too late?"

Tamera Mowry, Tia Mowry (Author), Channie Waites, Lisa Renee Pitts (Narrator)

Audiobook

Zora and Me: The Summoner

"In the finale to the acclaimed trilogy, upheaval in Zora Neale Hurston’s family and hometown persuade her to leave childhood behind and find her destiny beyond Eatonville. For Carrie and her best friend, Zora, Eatonville—America’s first incorporated Black township—has been an idyllic place to live out their childhoods. But when a lynch mob crosses the town’s border to pursue a fugitive and a grave robbery resuscitates the ugly sins of the past, the safe ground beneath them seems to shift. Not only has Zora’s own father—the showboating preacher John Hurston—decided to run against the town’s trusted mayor, but there are other unsettling things afoot, including a heartbreaking family loss, a friend’s sudden illness, and the suggestion of voodoo and zombie-ism in the air, which a curious and grieving Zora becomes all too willing to entertain. In this fictionalized tale, award-winning author Victoria Bond explores the end of childhood and the bittersweet goodbye to Eatonville by preeminent author Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960). In so doing, she brings to a satisfying conclusion the story begun in the award-winning Zora and Me and its sequel, Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground, sparking inquisitive readers to explore Hurston’s own seminal work."

Victoria Bond (Author), Channie Waites (Narrator)

Audiobook