Audiobooks Narrated by Emana Rachelle

A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe

"In this poignant mixed voice, mixed form collection of interconnected prose, poems and stories, teen characters, their families, and their communities grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst fear and loss, these New York City teens prevail with love, resilience and hope. From the award-winning author of Chlorine Sky and Vinyl Moon. '[A] gorgeous, tender testament to the generation of young people who shouldered the pandemic." --Brendan Kiely, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Grief, pain, hope, and love collide in this short story collection. In New York City, teens, their families, and their communities feel the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst the fear and loss, these teens and the adults around them persevere with love and hope while living in difficult circumstances: - Malachi writes an Armageddon short story inspired by his pandemic reality. - Tariq helps their ailing grandmother survive during quarantine. - Zamira struggles with depression and loneliness after losing her parents. - Mohamed tries to help keep his community spirit alive. - A social worker reflects on the ways the foster system fails their children. From award-winning author Mahogany L. Browne comes a poignant collection of interconnected prose, poems, and lists about the humanity and resilience of New Yorkers during the Covid-19 pandemic."

Mahogany L. Browne (Author), Ali Nasser, Amir Royale, Andrea Emmes, Brandon Miles, Chantelle Ramdeen, Elena Rey, Emana Rachelle, Kiebpoli Calnek, Mahogany L. Browne, Marie-Francoise Theodore, Nile Bullock, Ozzie Jacobs, Ron Butler, Tyla Collier (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Science of Friendship

"A friendship hypothesis—and one failed experiment—leads one girl to investigate the science of middle school friendship makeups and breakups in this hopeful and heartwarming story from Tanita S. Davis, author of Partly Cloudy and Serena Says. Rylee Swanson is beginning eighth grade with zero friends. A humiliating moment at the end-of-seventh-grade pool party involving a cannonball, a waterlogged updo, and some disappearing clothes has Rylee halfway convinced she’s better off without any friends—at least friends like those. The one question Rylee can’t shake is . . . why? When a group assignment in journalism pairs Rylee with science geek DeNia Alonso, DeNia’s annoyingly know-it-all, nerdy personality is both frustration and fuel to Rylee’s search for answers. Together they conduct research, run surveys, and write their way toward even more questions about what makes friendships—and breaks them. Between her shaky new partnership with DeNia, an annoying brother, and a friend from the past, Rylee’s got a lot to think about. But the more she learns, the more Rylee wonders: Could there be a science to friendship? And can it keep her from losing friends ever again? With warmth, heart, and resonance, Tanita S. Davis’s deep dive into middle school friendships is perfect for fans of Dear Friends, Let's Pretend We Never Met, and The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl. * Chicago Public Library Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2024 * Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year *"

Tanita S. Davis (Author), Emana Rachelle (Narrator)

Audiobook

One Big Open Sky

"A Newbery Honor Book & 2025 Audie Award® Finalist Three women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free—or cost them everything they have—in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement. 1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they’ve strived for over generations on their very own plot of land. But Thomas’ hopes—and mouth—are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger. Right after the war ended/and we were free/we believed/all of us did/that couldn’t nothing hurt us/the way master had when we were slaves/Couldn’t no one tell us/how to live/how to die. Lettie, her mother, Sylvia, and young teacher Philomena are free from slavery—but bound by poverty, access to opportunity, and patriarchal social structures. Will these women survive the hardships of their journey? And as Thomas’ desire for control overpowers his common sense, will they truly be free once they get there? Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome’s striking verse masterfully portrays an underrepresented historical era. Tackling powerful themes of autonomy and Black self-emancipation, Cline-Ransome offers readers an intimate look into the lives of three women and an expansive portrait of generations striving for their promised freedom. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book"

Lesa Cline-Ransome (Author), Crystal Clarke, Emana Rachelle, Janina Edwards (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nubia: The Reckoning

"The sequel to Nubia: The Awakening, the epic fantasy from actor and producer Omar Epps and writer Clarence A. Haynes! A powerful saga of three teens, the children of refugees from a fallen African utopia, who must navigate their newfound powers in a climate-ravaged New York City. Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho were among the first of a new generation of Nubians to awaken to extraordinary powers-gifts their parents lost when they fled their island home decades ago. And now that Uzochi has been declared a Nubian catalyst, everyone expects him to lead. But what should be a time of rebirth and celebration is instead one of turmoil. The so-called sky king, Krazen St. John, is bent on harnessing Nubian gifts for himself, and he has assembled a special, superhuman militia to do his bidding, putting a ruthless Lencho in charge. Facing down his cousin feels insurmountable for Uzochi, even with Zuberi at his side, but now there's more at stake than the hostile government of Tri-State East. Uzochi's training has led him to discover an ancient, forgotten force hungry for conquest-and it won't stop until all of Tri-State East . . . and possibly the world . . . is under its control."

Clarence A. Haynes, Omar Epps (Author), Amir Abdullah, Emana Rachelle, Jeorge Bennett Watson (Narrator)

Audiobook

House Party

"Ten bestselling, critically acclaimed authors deliver a fresh novel of interconnected stories that follows a group of young adults over the course of a few wild, transformative hours at an epic house party! The biggest event of the year is happening, and you're invited! Join us for Florence Hills High School seniors' last hurrah before graduation. THE LOCATION: A megamansion in one of Chicago's wealthiest suburban enclaves THE HOST: DeAndre Dixon, aka FHHS's golden boy THE GUESTS: The populars, the jocks, the artists, and heck, even that one kid THE HOPE: All the drama ensues. Kisses are swapped between old friends, new friends, and could've-sworn-they-were-enemies kind of friends. Relationships get tested. Animals roam free. Secrets are spilled. Add dope music that's thumping, and there's a good chance the whole neighborhood will be disrupted. Featuring: Angeline Boulley • Jerry Craft • Natasha Díaz • Lamar Giles • Christina Hammonds Reed • Ryan La Sala • Yamile Saied Méndez • justin a. reynolds • Randy Ribay • Jasmine Warga House Party offers a delightful snapshot of diverse classmates getting ready to say goodbye to high school and hello to life's next chapter-but not before they make their final night together one they'll never forget! * This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF that contains the house floor maps from the book."

Justin A. Reynolds (Author), Angel Pean, Delanna Studi, Emana Rachelle, Erin Ruth Walker, Frankie Corzo, Gail Shalan, Genesis Oliver, Kevin R. Free, Khristine Hvam, Matthew J. Harris, Nicky Endres, Nile Bullock, Ron Nery, Tashi Thomas (Narrator)

Audiobook

What They Found: Love on 145th Street

"By the groundbreaking author of the award-winning Monster-a visionary who influenced and inspired a generation-this story take us back to the world of 145th Street: Short Stories to show how love can be found, and thrive, in the most unlikely places. Curtis finds love in Iraq as he struggles to stay alive in a war he doesn't want to fight, and Letha discovers her own beauty in the love of her child. There is the 'good daughter' who realizes that there's only one way to help her brother and her family. Other stories center on the daily drama of the Curl-E-Que beauty shop, or capture the slapstick side of passion. AWARDS FOR WALTER DEAN MYERS: New York Times Bestselling Author 3-Time National Book Award Finalist Michael L. Printz Award 5 Coretta Scott King Awards 2 Newbery Honors National Ambassador for Young People's Literature (2012-2013) Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement Children's Literature Legacy Award"

Walter Dean Myers (Author), Amanda Alcántara, Brandon Gill, Emana Rachelle, Heather Alicia Simms, JaQwan J. Kelly, James Fouhey, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Kamali Minter, Karen Murray, Khaya Fraites, Shayna Small, Tyla Collier, William DeMeritt (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nubia: The Awakening

"From beloved actor and producer Omar Epps and writer Clarence A. Haynes comes the biggest epic fantasy of the year. A powerful saga of three teens, the children of refugees from a fallen African utopia, who must navigate their newfound powers in a climate-ravaged New York City. Perfect for fans of Black Panther and Children of Blood and Bone. For Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho, Nubia is a mystery. Before they were born, a massive storm destroyed their ancestral homeland, forcing their families to flee across the ocean to New York City. Nubia, a utopic island nation off the coast of West Africa, was no more, and their parents' sorrow was too deep for them to share much of their history beyond the folklore. But New York, ravaged by climate change and class division, is far from a safe haven for refugees, and Nubians live as outcasts, struggling to survive in the constantly flooding lower half of Manhattan, while the rich thrive in the tech-driven sky city known as the Up High. To many, being Nubian means you're fated for a life plagued by difficulties and disrespect. But Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho are beginning to feel there might be more. Something within them is changing, giving each of them extraordinary powers. Extraordinary and terrifying powers that seem to be tied to the secrets their parents have kept from them. And there are people Up High watching, eager to do anything they can to become even more powerful than they already are. Now Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho will be faced with the choice-do they use their inheritance to lift their people, or to leave them behind. The fate of their city, and their people, hangs in the balance."

Clarence A. Haynes, Omar Epps (Author), Amir Abdullah, Emana Rachelle, Jeorge Bennett Watson (Narrator)

Audiobook