Audiobooks Narrated by Kurt Kanazawa

Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp

"Questions fill Min’s mind.    How can they lock us up when we haven’t done anything wrong?    MINORU “MIN” TONAI, a young American citizen, and his family must leave everything behind as they are rounded up and unjustly imprisoned following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. From 1942 to 1945, Min, his mother, and his siblings are sent to an incarceration center in Colorado called Amache, surrounded by barbed wire and guarded day and night by armed soldiers. In Unbreakable, the powerful book Min and his friend Jolene Gutiérrez wrote together, Min’s strength is symbolized by the small, smooth stone his father gives him before being led away by FBI agents.    This book captures the harshness of the incarceration camp and the resourcefulness of those who were unjustly imprisoned, as well as the joyful reunion of Min and his papa. By sharing this compelling and inspiring real-life story, it was always Min’s and Jolene’s wish to keep a brutal chapter in history from being forgotten so it will never be repeated. "

Jolene Gutiérrez, Minoru Tonai (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

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Shibu's Tail

"A tale about a tail, and a cat with some VERY big feelings.    Shibu the cat has a lot of feelings and thankfully his fluffy tail helps him express them all! But one day, Shibu realizes that all the other cats are keeping their feelings (and their tails) tucked away. Maybe it would be better to try and fit in? From two extraordinary debuts comes a delightful story on navigating life's highs, lows, and all the big emotions in between.   'Thomas’ cogent text and her focus on emotional intelligence will resonate with caregivers.'—Kirkus (starred)"

Tess Thomas (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

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How to Catch a Babysaurus

"The newest adventure in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series—do YOU have what it takes to catch the most unique creature yet?   The How to Catch Kids are at it again! When one of them is about to gain a new sibling, the team tries to trap the Babysaurus—a curious little creature who loves adventure and learning new things! But will the Babysaurus be a nuisance or your new best friend? The perfect gift for new siblings ages 4–10, this fun dinosaur book is filled with silly rhymes sure to delight young readers and parents alike. With STEAM concepts and classic hilarity and chaos, How to Catch is a phenomenal Christmas or holiday gift!   There are rumors of a stinky beast, quite small, but loud, it's true!   This could just be our new best friend, and to catch him we need YOU!"

Alice Walstead (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

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Leif's Gift

"A boy’s green thumb grows wild in this playful debut about the merriment and mishaps of collecting houseplants.   Leif lives above his parents’ café, and his green thumb has turned his bedroom into a jungle. Begonias, ferns, ivy, peperomias—his plants twist and twine around the furniture and creep and crawl across the walls. Leif’s parents worry he’s gone overboard, but Leif knows he can never have too many houseplants. But then important things begin to go missing in the overgrowth, and Leif must find a way to make his plants a little less—and maybe share a little more.   Leif’s Gift is a whimsical and delightful celebration of a young boy’s passions that reminds us that the best gifts we give are the ones we grow."

Michael Wang (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Siren, the Song, and the Spy

"In this second vibrant fantasy from Maggie Tokuda-Hall, companion to her best-selling debut, The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, a diverse resistance force fights to topple an empire in a story about freedom, identity, and decolonization. By sinking a fleet of Imperial Warships, the Pirate Supreme and their resistance fighters have struck a massive blow against the Emperor. Now allies from across the empire are readying themselves, hoping against hope to bring about the end of the conquerors’ rule and the rebirth of the Sea. But trust and truth are hard to come by in this complex world of mermaids, spies, warriors, and aristocrats. Who will Genevieve—lavishly dressed but washed up, half-dead, on the Wariuta island shore—turn out to be? Is warrior Koa’s kindness toward her admirable, or is his sister Kaia’s sharp suspicion wiser? And back in the capital, will pirate-spy Alfie really betray the Imperials who have shown him affection, especially when a duplicitous senator reveals xe would like nothing better? Meanwhile, the Sea is losing more and more of herself as her daughters continue to be brutally hunted, and the Empire continues to expand through profits made from their blood. The threads of time, a web of schemes, shifting loyalties, and blossoming identities converge in Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s remarkable companion to The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, as unlikely young allies work to forge a new and better world."

Maggie Tokuda-Hall (Author), André Santana, Angela Tran, Krysta Gonzales, Kurt Kanazawa, Rachanee Lumayno (Narrator)

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Wat Takes His Shot: The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru Misaka

"Growing up, Wat Misaka wasn’t the tallest kid on the basketball court, but he was fast and he loved the game! In his Japanese American basketball league, Wat dribbled with speed and shared the ball as much as he scored. Encouraged by his father to always do his best, Wat applied this mindset to every challenge in his life. As Wat spent more time on the court, his passion for the game grew. He played in college at the University of Utah during WWII, a time when many Japanese Americans were stripped of their freedoms and incarcerated by the US government. Wat fought against racism and brought his best to every game. His team-player mentality made him shine on and off the court, and he became an inspiration to his Japanese American community. After helping his team win the national championship, Wat was drafted by the New York Knicks, making him the first non-white athlete to play in the NBA. Wat’s motivational story of rising to a challenge and bringing your best to everything you do is a reminder of the power we each have to inspire others—if we just take our shot! A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection"

Cheryl Kim (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

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Shermy & Shake, the Not-So-New Kid

"Shermy is excited to start second grade. He has styled his hair with gel. He is making friends with the kids who play soccer at recess. And he’s being a good helper to his new teacher, Mr. Craig, who often loses track of things. When his out-of-town friend, Shake, shows up, things seem to be going even better! That is, until Shermy realizes that Shake is stealing the spotlight. But Shake’s mom and stepdad are looking to buy a house in Shermy’s neighborhood, which means these two long-distance friends will now be no-distance friends. Can their friendship survive the closeness—and the classroom? Or will having Shake in the neighborhood be too much of a good thing?"

Kirby Larson (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

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No Ordinary Thing

"When a mysterious customer tells Adam great things await him in the attic of his uncle’s bakery, he brushes off the exchange. It’s 1999 in New York City—and Adam has already met his fair share of oddballs and eccentrics. But days later, in the attic, Adam makes a discovery that quickly sets him off on a whirlwind adventure. And Adam soon suspects he may not be the only one aware of his extraordinary secret when a tall man with long eyebrows and a thin mustache appears to be following his every move. … With words that are warm, witty, and wise, debut author G. Z. Schmidt has written a fantastical novel that celebrates pluck in the face of adversity, and the timelessness of human nature."

G.Z. Schmidt (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

Audiobook

Diverse Energies

"“No one can doubt that the wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed, but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men. No one can doubt that cooperation in the pursuit of knowledge must lead to freedom of the mind and freedom of the soul.” —President John F. Kennedy, from a speech at University of California, March 23, 1962 In a world gone wrong, heroes and villains are not always easy to distinguish and every individual has the ability to contribute something powerful. In this stunning collection of original and rediscovered stories of tragedy and hope, the stars are a diverse group of students, street kids, good girls, kidnappers, and child laborers pitted against their environments, their governments, differing cultures, and sometimes one another as they seek answers in their dystopian worlds. Take a journey through time from a nuclear nightmare of the past to society’s far future beyond Earth with these eleven stories by masters of speculative fiction."

Cindy Pon, Daniel H. Wilson, Ph.D., Ellen Oh, Greg Van Eekhout, K. Tempest Bradford, Ken Liu, Malinda Lo, Paolo Bacigalupi, Rahul Kanakia, Ursula K. Le Guin (Author), Catherine Ho, James Chen, Jasmin Walker, Kurt Kanazawa, Neil Shah, Nick Walther, Shaun Taylor-Corbett (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Reunion

"From the author of I Killed Zoe Spanos comes a "suspenseful and atmospheric" (Kirkus Reviews) YA thriller in the vein of The White Lotus and Karen M. McManus's The Cousins following a doomed family reunion at a posh Caribbean resort, where old grudges and dangerous secrets culminate in murder. Eleven Mayweathers went on vacation. Ten came home. It's been years since the fragmented Mayweather clan was all in one place, but the engagement of Addison and Mason's mom to the dad of their future stepbrother, Theo, brings the whole family to sunny Cancún, Mexico, for winter break. Add cousin Natalia to the mix, and it doesn't take long for tempers to fray and tensions to rise. A week of forced family "fun" reveals that everyone has something to hide, and as secrets bubble to the surface, no one is safe from the fallout. By the end of the week, one member of the reunion party will be dead—and everyone's a suspect: The peacekeeper: Addison needs a better hiding place. The outsider: Theo just wants to mend fences. The romantic: Natalia doesn't want to talk about the past. The hothead: Mason needs to keep his temper under control. It started as a week in paradise meant to bring them together. But the Mayweathers are about to learn the hard way that family bonding can be deadly."

Kit Frick (Author), Andre Bellido, Angel Pean, Kurt Kanazawa, Marisa Blake, Zac Aleman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Shermy and Shake, The Not-so-Nice Neighbor

"When a new kid moves in next door for the summer, Shermy’s plans for a quiet, relaxing break are completely upended. That’s because Shake is nothing like Shermy. And Shermy is nothing like Shake. SHERMY likes to read quietly in the shade of a tree. He knows the proper way to do a puzzle. He collects treasures in the pouch he wears around his neck, and the books on his shelves are alphabetized by author. SHAKE likes to play street hockey or space explorers. He gobbles up chocolate graham crackers, rocket ice pops, and Toaster Tarts. He shows up unannounced and plays board games by his own rules. As the two boys are forced to spend more and more time together, will they learn how to get along despite their differences? Or will it be one long countdown until Shake goes home?"

Kirby Larson (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

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If I See You Again Tomorrow

"A New York Times bestseller! From the author of The Sky Blues and Blaine for the Win comes a speculative young adult romance about a teen stuck in a time loop that's endlessly monotonous until he meets the boy of his dreams. For some reason, Clark has woken up and relived the same monotonous Monday 309 times. Until Day 310 turns out to be…different. Suddenly, his usual torturous math class is interrupted by an anomaly—a boy he's never seen before in all his previous Mondays. When shy, reserved Clark decides to throw caution to the wind and join effusive and effervescent Beau on a series of "errands" across the Windy City, he never imagines that anything will really change, because nothing has in such a long time. And he definitely doesn't expect to fall this hard or this fast for someone in just one day. There's just one problem: how do you build a future with someone if you can never get to tomorrow?"

Robbie Couch (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

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