Audiobooks Narrated by Merissa Czyz

Right Back at You

"Mason lives in 2023. His parents have just split up, and there's a guy at school who won't get off his case. As part of an assignment, he writes a letter to Albert Einstein and it ends up getting a little too personal. He throws the letter into his closet …   … and the next day he gets a letter back from a girl named Talia, who lives in 1987. She has problems of her own, including classmates who make jokes because she's Jewish. She thought her friends would have her back. But it ends up the only person she really has to talk to is … a random boy from the future?   In the tradition of such beloved novels as When You Reach Me and Save Me a Seat, Carolyn Mackler has written a funny, all-too-relatable story about finding the friend you need … even if that friend happens to live in another year."

Carolyn Mackler (Author), Christopher Gebauer, Merissa Czyz (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mascot

"In Rye, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, people work hard, kids go to school, and football is big on Friday nights. An eighth-grade English teacher creates an assignment for her class to debate whether Rye’s mascot should stay or change. Now six middle schoolers get involved in the issue that already has the suburb turned upside down with everyone choosing sides and arguments getting ugly. At the center of this story about human rights and Native sovereignty, there are six young people. Callie, a Black Cherokee Nation citizen, is new to the town and school; Franklin loves football, wearing fresh kicks, and so far has resisted his parents’ desire for him to learn more about his Black heritage; Priya wants to be a journalist and has four grandparents all born in India; Sean is a sixth-generation Rye student in an Irish family that often needs help from the food pantry; Tessa, who is white, was previously homeschooled and has grandparents who marched with MLK Jr.; Luis immigrated from El Salvador at seven and aspires to be a math teacher and coach. Written from several points of view, this novel in verse asks, “What happens when a mascot is seen as racist, but not by everyone?” This audiobook is narrated by Karen Chilton, Merissa Czyz, Kyla Garcia, Christopher Gebauer, Robb Moreira, Soneela Nankani, and Ruffin Prentiss."

Charles Waters, Traci Sorell (Author), Christopher Gebauer, Karen Chilton, Kyla Garcia, Merissa Czyz, Robb Moreira, Ruffin Prentiss, Soneela Nankani (Narrator)

Audiobook

Banned Books, Crop Tops, and Other Bad Influences

"Can good girls read banned books? Rose is a good girl. She listens to her parents and follows every rule. After all, rules are there for a reason … right? And adults always know best. Talia, the new girl from New York City, doesn’t think so. After only a week at school, Talia—who does what she wants, when she wants—is already making enemies. First on the list: Charlotte, Rose’s lifelong best friend. So why can’t Rose stop wondering what it would be like to be Talia’s friend? And why does Rose read a banned book that Talia recommends? Rose doesn’t know. But the forbidden book makes her ask questions she’s never thought of. When Talia suggests they start a banned books club, how can Rose say no? Pushing against her parents, her school, and even Charlotte opens a new world for Rose. But when Talia’s escapades become more scary than exciting, Rose must decide when it’s right to keep quiet and when it’s time to speak out. “Book banning is the catalyst for this powerful story about friendship, identity, and self-discovery. Through her engaging and complex middle school characters, Young deftly tackles how to bridge the divisions that can tear us apart while still standing up for what we believe.”—KATHERINE MARSH, National Book Award finalist for The Lost Year"

Brigit Young (Author), Merissa Czyz (Narrator)

Audiobook

Backcountry

"Never doubt your own strength Emily has always excelled at sports, and her athletic abilities have given her confidence on and off the courts. So when she starts to drag during her middle-school volleyball season, she assumes it must be the flu. But after a particularly intense game, she finds herself riding in the back of an ambulance, a paramedic telling her that her life will never be the same. Adjusting to life with type 1 diabetes isn’t easy. Emily is desperate to prove that she’s just as strong and capable as ever, so she jumps at the opportunity to go on a backcountry ski trip with her dad and her new diabetic alert dog, Molly. But then a severe winter storm rips through the area, separating Emily from her father. When it becomes clear that no one will come to their rescue before their supplies run out, Emily and Molly must find strength they didn’t know they possessed—and faith in each other—to survive the harsh wintery conditions and escape the backcountry."

Jenny Goebel (Author), Merissa Czyz (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes

"Sixteen extraordinary authors subvert mental health stereotypes in this powerful and uplifting mix-genre collection of fiction. A boxer whose strength is tested more outside the ring than in it. A hiker who develops magical powers when her serotonin is finally balanced. A teen activist wrestling with protest-related anxiety and PTSD. A boy whose uncontrollable tears help enable another’s healing … In this inspiring, unflinching, and hope-filled mixed-genre collection, sixteen diverse and notable authors draw on their own lived experiences with mental health conditions to create stunning works of fiction that will uplift and empower you, break your heart and stitch it back together stronger than before. Through powerful prose and verse, the characters in this anthology defy stereotypes and remind readers that living with a mental health condition doesn’t mean you are defined by it."

Alechia Dow, Anna Drury, Ebony Stewart, Francisco Stork, Isabel Quintero, James Bird, Jonathan Kastin, Karen Bao, Marcella Pixley, Mercedes Acosta, Nikki Grimes, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Patrick Downes, Rocky Callen, Sonia Patel, Val Howlett (Author), Ana Osorio, Maxwell Glick, Merissa Czyz, Priya Ayyar, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Sophie Oda, Tamika Katon-Donegal, Vico Ortiz (Narrator)

Audiobook

Control Freaks

"One week. One prize. Seven really weird challenges. The kids at Benjamin Banneker College Prep are a little … competitive. Okay. They’re A LOT competitive. The minute Principal Yee announces an epic competition for the golden B-B trophy, seventh-grader Frederick Douglass Zezzmer knows he has to win. But it won’t be easy. The competition doesn’t just include science, technology, engineering and math. It also has arts and sports. Not Doug’s best subjects. Even worse, it’s a TEAM competition. Instead of being in a superstar group, Doug gets paired with four middle school misfits no one else wants. Worst of all, Doug’s dad has a horrible backup plan. If Doug doesn’t win, he has to forget about becoming The World’s Greatest Inventor and spend the summerin sports camp, with his scary stepbrother."

J.E. Thomas (Author), Brian Nishii, Cortney Wright, Imani Parks, Jeed Saddy, Marc Anthony Samuel, Maxwell Glick, Merissa Czyz, Michael Rishawn, Ruffin Prentiss (Narrator)

Audiobook

Second Chance Summer

"Maddie and Chloe have always been best friends—until last year, when Chloe’s popularity and budding fame as an actor left Maddie in the dust one too many times. Their friendship is over, and they’re both ready to move on. But when the girls arrive at theater camp, they discover that the universe isn’t ready to let go of this friendship just yet: They’re cabinmates, and each of them has to spend the summer with her ex–best friend. Is it time to try again, or are they doomed to drift apart for good?"

Sarah Kapit (Author), Eevin Hartsough, Merissa Czyz (Narrator)

Audiobook

Town with No Mirrors

"In the town of Gladder Hill, there’s no such word as “ugly.” Or “beautiful.” Zailey has never seen her own face. She’s never seen her reflection, a photo of herself, or even a drawing. In the special community of Gladder Hill, cameras and mirrors are forbidden: it’s why everyone’s happier here. Nobody talks about anyone else’s appearance. You’re not supposed to think about what other people look like, or what you look like. But Zailey does. She knows her superficial thoughts are wrong, and her sketchbook, filled with secret portraits of her classmates and neighbors, could get her in trouble. Yet she can’t help but think those thoughts, and be curious about the outside world where she once lived, years ago. Most of all, she wonders what it’s like to see herself—her own face. When Zailey suddenly finds herself beyond the gates of her town, she has a chance to see if what she’s been taught about the outside world is true and search for the mother she barely remembers. Only then will she find out the real story about Gladder Hill. But is she prepared for the truth?"

Christina Collins (Author), Merissa Czyz (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Places We Sleep

"It’s early September 2001, and twelve-year-old Abbey is the new kid at school. Again. I worry about people speaking to me and worry just the same when they don’t. Tennessee is her family’s latest stop in a series of moves based on her dad’s work in the Army, but this one might be different. For the first time, Abbey has found a real friend: loyal, courageous, athletic Camille. And then it’s September 11. The country is under attack, and Abbey’s “home” looks like it might fall apart. America has changed overnight. How are we supposed to keep this up with the world crumbling around us? Abbey’s body changes, too, while her classmates argue and her family falters. Like everyone around her, she tries to make sense of her own experience as a part of the country’s collective pain. With her mother grieving, and her father preparing for active duty, Abbey must cope with the tragedy on her own."

Caroline Brooks Dubois (Author), Merissa Czyz (Narrator)

Audiobook

What Stars Are Made Of

"Twelve-year-old Libby Monroe is great at science, being optimistic, and talking to her famous, accomplished friends (okay, maybe that last one is only in her head). She’s not great at playing piano, sitting still, or figuring out how to say the right thing at the right time. Libby was born with Turner syndrome, and that makes some things hard. But she has lots of people who love her, and that makes her pretty lucky. When her big sister, Nonny, tells her she’s pregnant, Libby is thrilled. She strikes a deal with the universe: She will enter a contest with a project about Cecilia Payne, the first person to discover what stars are made of. If she wins the grand prize and gives all that money to Nonny’s family, then the baby will be perfect and healthy. Does Libby have what it takes to care for the sister who has always cared for her? And what will it take for the universe to notice? From debut author Sarah Allen comes this heartwarming novel about loving people with everything you’re made of."

Sarah Allen (Author), Merissa Czyz (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ruby in the Sky

"Courage can be found when you simply stand up Twelve-year-old Ruby Moon Hayes does not want her new classmates to ask about her father. She does not want them to know her mother has been arrested. And she definitely does not want to make any friends. Ruby just wants tostay as silent and invisible as a new moon in the frozen sky. She and her mother won’t be staying long in Vermont anyway, and then things can go back to the way they were before everything went wrong. But keeping to herself isn’t easy when Ahmad Saleem, a Syrian refugee, decides he’s her new best friend. Or when she meets “the Bird Lady,” a recluse named Abigail who lives in a ramshackle shed near Ruby’s house. Before long, Ahmad and Abigail have become Ruby’s friends—and she realizes there is more to their stories than everyone knows. As ugly rumors begin to swirl around the people Ruby loves, she must make a choice: break her silence, or risk losing everything that’s come to mean so much to her. Ruby in the Sky is a story of the walls we hide behind, and the magic that can happen when we’re brave enough to break free."

Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo (Author), Merissa Czyz (Narrator)

Audiobook

Pigture Perfect: A Wish Novel

"Sit. Stay … oink? Twelve-year-old Grace is desperate for a puppy. All she wants is someone to love—and to love her back. Someone who’ll make her new stepfather’s house feel like home. Christmas morning, Grace springs out of bed hopeful that her dreams are about to come true. But the present that awaits her isn’t soft and furry. It’s not a puppy at all—it’s a PIG. Grace names him Bernard and tries to make the best of the situation, even though Bernard is awful at playing fetch and walking on a leash—all the things Grace dreamed of doing with a pet. But when a good friend lands in the hospital, Grace discovers that Bernard might have a special talent for making sick people feel better. Can Grace convince her skeptical family to get on board with training Bernard to become a certified therapy animal? Or will she and Bernard both end up out in the cold?"

Jenny Goebel (Author), Merissa Czyz (Narrator)

Audiobook