Audiobooks Narrated by Janet Metzger

You Can't Say That!: Writers for Young People Talk about Censorship, Free Expression, and the Storie

What happens when freedom of expression comes under threat? In frank and wide-ranging interviews, historian and critic Leonard S. Marcus probes the experience of thirteen leading authors of books for young people. A powerful photo essay on transgender teens is called anti-religious and anti-family. A meticulously researched primer on sex education stirs up accusations of pornography and child abuse. Picture books about two mommies (or two penguin daddies) set off a hue and cry. Two hugely popular children’s series run afoul of would-be censors, one for its scatological humor, the other because it’s deemed too scary. Kids’ books that touch on race, sex, LGBTQ matters, the occult, “coarse language,” and more have found themselves under the scrutiny of those who challenge First Amendment rights. Tune in as thirteen top children’s and young adult authors speak out about what it’s like to have your work banned or challenged in America today. Prompted by Leonard S. Marcus’s insightful questions, they discuss why their books have faced censorship—both blatant and “soft”—how the challenges have or haven’t affected their writing, and why some people feel they have the right to deny access to books. In addition, Leonard S. Marcus puts First Amendment challenges in a historical context and takes a promising look at the vibrant support network that has risen up to protect and defend young people’s rights. Authors interviewed include: Matt de la Peña Robie H. Harris Susan Kuklin David Levithan Meg Medina Lesléa Newman Katherine Patterson Dav Pilkey Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell Sonya Sones R. L. Stine Angie Thomas.

Leonard S. Marcus (editor) (Author), Arthur Morey, Janet Metzger, Roxanne Hernandez, Susan Dalian, Thom Rivera, Tom Parks (Narrator)

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Sinking the Sultana: A Civil War Story of Imprisonment, Greed, and a Doomed Journey Home

In one terror-filled night, more than fifteen hundred people were lost when the Sultana sank. In 1865, the Civil War was winding down and the country was reeling from the assassination of President Lincoln. Thousands of Union soldiers released from Confederate prisoner-of-war camps began a long journey home. Follow the story of five of those soldiers who barely survived the atrocious conditions in the camps in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi until they were paroled and sent north. Transportation for the soldiers was arranged on the Sultana, a steamboat built with the latest technology. The captain stood to profit from each passenger it carried. Rushing needed boiler repairs, Captain James Mason boarded more than two thousand people in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on a boat certified for a capacity of 376. For two days, soldiers and others were squeezed together on the overcrowded boat. On their third night on the Mississippi River, just north of Memphis, the boilers exploded, engulfing the boat in steam and flames. Passengers were burned, crushed, or flung overboard. Although rescue efforts were launched, the survival rate was dismal. Who or what was responsible for the disaster? A greedy captain, corrupt army officers, faulty equipment, or the risks of a cold, flooded river?

Sally M. Walker (Author), Janet Metzger (Narrator)

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