Audiobooks Narrated by Sandy Rustin

The Sky We Shared

In southern Japan, Tamiko spends her time writing in her diary, dreaming of making theatrical costumes, and praying her brother Kyo makes it back from the war. She wishes she could be brave like him and help the war effort. In rural Oregon, Nellie spends her time lying in the grass, studying the stars, and wishing for her pa to return from the war. She also wishes the boy next door, Joey, would talk to her again like he used to. Soon the girls' lives become inextricably linked. Tamiko and her classmates are brought to a damp, repurposed theater to make large paper balloons to help the military. No one knows what they are for. Nellie and her classmates ration food, work in salvage drives, and support their community. No one knows what's coming. Based on Japan's Project Fu-Go during the last stretch of World War II, The Sky We Shared uses the alternating perspectives of Nellie and Tamiko to depict the shared tragedies of two countries at war.

Shirley Reva Vernick (Author), Sandy Rustin, Sophie Oda (Narrator)

Audiobook

Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest

2022 Green Earth Book Award Winner NSTA/CBC Best STEM Book John Burroughs Association Riverby Award Honorable Mention, Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award This picture book biography tells the story of Meg Lowman, a groundbreaking female scientist called a 'real life Lorax' by National Geographic, who was determined to investigate the marvelous, undiscovered world of the rainforest treetops. Meg Lowman was always fascinated by the natural world above her head — the colors, the branches, and, most of all, the leaves and mysterious organisms living there. Meg set out to climb up and investigate the rain forest tree canopies — and to be the first scientist to do so. But she encountered challenge after challenge. Male teachers would not let her into their classrooms, the high canopy was difficult to get to, and worst of all, people were logging and clearing the forests. Meg never gave up or gave in. She studied, invented, and persevered, not only creating a future for herself as a scientist, but making sure that the rainforests had a future as well. Working closely with Meg Lowman, author Heather Lang and artist Jana Christy beautifully capture Meg's world in the treetops. 'Meg Lowman or 'Canopy Meg' is a true hero, a courageous explorer, who made amazing discoveries high in the forest canopy. The Leaf Detective captures the magic of that little-known world with its clear, informative text and fabulous illustrations. Young readers everywhere will be fascinated and inspired to learn more about nature.' —Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and Pioneer of Peace “Margaret Lowman is a pioneer scientist in a discipline that demands exceptional imagination, courage, and physical rigor. But of equal importance, she has created an extraordinarily important branch of environmental and conservation research. Heather Lang and Jana Christy, in this charming introduction, have invited us to climb on up and visit her.” —Edward O. Wilson, Pulitzer Prize winner and Professor Emeritus, Harvard University

Heather Lang (Author), Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Golden Ticket

Eleven-year-old Ash McNulty is one of the “gifted and talented” kids at her school, spending most of her day in a special class with a few other advanced students. As the end of fifth grade rolls around, she should be on top of the world. According to everyone, she’s going to rock junior high! But Ash has a secret: She can’t keep up with her advanced classmates anymore. The minute she asks for help though, everyone will know she’s not who they think she is. She’s not so smart. She might not even be that special. And her parents will be crushed to discover the truth. If Ash can win the Quiz Bowl, though, that will show everyone that she is still on top. If she gets a lucky break ahead of time, all the better. Except that “lucky break” backfires … And Ash is left to question everything she thought she knew about school, friends, and success.

Kate Egan (Author), Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

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The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner

The gripping story of Lise Meitner, the physicist who discovered nuclear fission As a female Jewish physicist in Berlin during the early twentieth century, Lise Meitner had to fight for an education, a job, and equal treatment in her field. Meitner made groundbreaking strides in the study of radiation, but when Hitler came to power in Germany, she had to face not only sexism but life-threatening anti-Semitism as well. Nevertheless, she persevered and one day made a discovery that rocked the world: the splitting of the atom. While her male lab partner was awarded a Nobel Prize for the achievement, the committee refused to credit her. Suddenly, the race to build the atomic bomb was on—although Meitner, a pacifist, was horrified to be associated with such a weapon. “A physicist who never lost her humanity,” Meitner wanted only to figure out how the world works. The Woman Who Split the Atom is a fascinating look at Meitner’s fierce passion, integrity, and her lifelong struggle to have her contributions to physics recognized.

Marissa Moss (Author), Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Air

Twelve-year-old Emmie is working to raise money for a tricked-out wheelchair to get serious about WCMX, when a mishap on a poorly designed ramp at school throws her plans into a tailspin. Instead of replacing the ramp, her school provides her with a kind but unwelcome aide and, seeing a golden media opportunity, launches a public fundraiser for her new wheels. Emmie loves her close-knit rural town, but she can't shake the feeling that her goals-and her choices-suddenly aren't hers anymore. With the help of her best friends, Emmie makes a plan to lift her dreams off the ground-and show her community what she wants, what she has to give, and how ready she is to do it on her own terms.

Monica Roe (Author), Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

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A Baker's Guide to Robber Pie

Evie Baker has always dreamed of going on adventures like those in her favoritestories, and tonight she's putting her plan into action. With her best friend, Cecily, by her side, Evie sets off into the Old Forest in search of a Fel. She is certain a carefully crafted deal and her family's irresistible raspberry tart will lead to a magical adventure-without getting her eaten ... or worse. But when Evie finds her Fel, she also discovers a nest of robbers! As the only person who has ever seen the Robber Lord's face, Evie is quickly whisked away into hiding. But trouble has a way of finding her, even in the queen's own city ... YA novelist Caitlin Sangster makes her middle grade debut in this fun fantasy filled with adventure, friendship, baking, and the power of a tale well told.

Caitlin Sangster (Author), Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Spectacular Sisters: Amazing Stories of Sisters from Around the World

Starring the special bond between sisters throughout history, this fun and inspiring biography collection from author Aura Lewis is perfect for fans of Rad American Women A-Z and the Women in Art/Science/Sports series. Sisters are spectacular! They can be your biggest cheerleaders, your most trusted confidants, and your much-needed fashion advisors (as long as they’re not stealing your clothes!). But sisterhood can also be complex: full of rivalry, jealousy, and not-so-friendly competition. From pop culture sensations like the Kardashians/Jenners to civil rights activists Coretta Scott King and Edythe Scott Bagley to tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, these sisters—and so many others throughout history—have not only impacted art, culture, and society, but also illustrate the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood. At the end of the day, whether you’re mortal enemies or best friends, spectacular sisters will always have your back. Share this book at home or in the classroom. It's a great source for capsule biographies of a wide variety of powerful women. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Aura Lewis (Author), Kyla Garcia, Reena Dutt, Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Spell Sweeper

Featuring a failed young wizard and her cleanup crew, this delightfully dysfunctional middle grade fantasy is an imaginative twist on magic school that’s perfect for fans of Nevermoor and The School for Good and Evil. Cara Moone is a wizard—but she’s basically flunked out of wizard school. Now she’s in training to be a MOP, also known as Magical Occurrence Purger, also known as it’s Cara’s job to sweep up the hazardous dust a real wizard’s spells leave behind. A real wizard, that is, like Harlee Wu, the so-called Chosen One destined to save the magical world. But when one of Harlee’s spells goes awry and leaves behind a rift in the fabric of magic itself, it'll take more than magic to clean up the mess. Luckily, messes are kind of Cara’s thing. Magic is messy—and fantastically fun—in this underdog story packed with humor, adventure, and attitude.

Lee Edward Fodi (Author), Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Linked

You can't deny something is wrong when it's right there in front of you. Link, Michael, and Dana live in a quiet town. But it's woken up very quickly when someone sneaks into school and vandalizes it with a swastika. Nobody can believe it. How could such a symbol of hate end up in the middle of their school? Who would do such a thing? Because Michael was the first person to see it, he's the first suspect. Because Link is one of the most popular guys in school, everyone's looking to him to figure it out. And because Dana's the only Jewish girl in the whole town, everyone's treating her more like an outsider than ever. The mystery deepens as more swastikas begin to appear. Some students decide to fight back and start a project to bring people together instead ofdividing them further. The closer Link, Michael, and Dana get to the truth, the more there is to face-not just the crimes of the present, but also the crimes of the past. With Linked, Gordon Korman, the author of the acclaimed novel Restart, poses a mystery for all readers where the who did it? isn't nearly as important as the why?

Gordon Korman (Author), Cassandra Morris, Christopher Gebauer, Iii Preston Butler, Mark Sanderlin, Maxwell Glick, Preston Butler Iii, Preston Butler, Iii, Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Six Feet Below Zero 'International Edition'

A dead body. A missing will. An evil relative. The good news is, Great-Grammy has a plan. The bad news is, she's the dead body Rosie and Baker's great-grandmother made them promise to pretend she's alive until they get her will into the right hands. Otherwise, their greedy grandmother might sell the family house and ship Rosie and Baker off to separate boarding schools. They've already lost their parents and Great-Grammy ... they can't lose each other, too. The siblings kick it into high gear to find the will, keep their neighbors from prying, and safeguard the house. Rosie has no time to cope with her grief as disasters pop up around every carefully planned corner. She can't even bring herself to read her last-ever letter from Great-Grammy. But the lies get bigger and bigger as Rosie and Baker try to convince everyone that their great-grandmother is still around, and they'll need more than a sixmonth supply of frozen noodle casserole and mountains of toilet paper once their wicked grandmother shows up! With humor, suspense, and a testament to loyalty, Ena Jones takes two brave kids on an unforgettable journey. Recipes for Great-Grammy's survival treats are included.

Ena Jones (Author), Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Secret Hum of a Daisy

Twelve-year-old Grace and her mother have always been their own family, traveling from place to place like gypsies. But Grace wants to finally have a home all their own. Just when she thinks she's found it her mother says it's time to move again. Grace summons the courage to tell her mother how she really feels and will always regret that her last words to her were angry ones. After her mother's sudden death, Grace is forced to live with a grandmother she's never met. She can't imagine her mother would want her to stay with this stranger. Then Grace finds clues in a mysterious treasure hunt, just like the ones her mother used to send her on. Maybe it is her mother, showing her the way to her true home. Lyrical, poignant and fresh, The Secret Hum of a Daisy is a beautifully told middle grade tale with a great deal of heart.

Tracy Holczer (Author), Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Living the Confidence Code: Real Girls. Real Stories. Real Confidence.

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! New from the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling authors of The Confidence Code for Girls! The best way to understand confidence is to see it in action. That’s why bestselling authors Katty Kay, Claire Shipman, and JillEllyn Riley have collected 30 true stories of real girls, pursuing their passions, struggling and stumbling, but along the way figuring out how to build their own special brand of confidence. From Bali to Brazil, South Africa to Seattle, Australia to Afghanistan, these girls took risks, doubted themselves, and sometimes failed. But they also hung in there when things got hard. Along the way they discovered what matters to them: everything from protesting contaminated water to championing inclusive books to the accessibility of girls’ basketball shoes, and so much more. Different goals, different stories, different personalities, all illustrating the multitude of ways to be confident in the world.  Packed with engaging interviews, Living the Confidence Code proves that no matter who you are, or how old you are, nothing is out of reach when you decide to try. Join this growing global community of powerful girls and imagine—what would you like to do, once you tap into your confidence? How will you write your story? Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Claire Shipman, Jillellyn Riley, Katty Kay (Author), Claire Shipman, Katty Kay, Kyla Garcia, Laurie Hernandez, Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

Audiobook