Tough Topics Audiobooks

I Don't Want to Be Crazy

"A harrowing, remarkable poetry memoir about one girl's struggle with anxiety disorder. A harrowing, remarkable poetry memoir about one girl's struggle with anxiety disorder.This is a true story of growing up, breaking down, and coming to grips with a psychological disorder. When Samantha Schutz first left home for college, she was excited by the possibilities -- freedom from parents, freedom from a boyfriend who was reckless with her affections, freedom from the person she was supposed to be. At first, she revelled in the independence. . . but as pressures increased, she began to suffer anxiety attacks that would leave her mentally shaken and physically incapacitated. Thus began a hard road of discovery and coping, powerfully rendered in this poetry memoir."

Samantha Schutz (Author), Samantha Schutz (Narrator)

Audiobook

Biggie

"Henry "Biggie" Abbott is the son of one of Finch, Iowa's most famous athletes. His father was a baseball legend and his step-dad is a close second. At an obese 300+ pounds though, Biggie himself prefers classroom success to sports. As a perfectionist, he doesn't understand why someone would be happy getting two hits in five trips to the plate. "Forty percent, that's an F in any class," he would say. As Biggie's junior year begins, the girl of his dreams, Annabelle Rivers, starts to flirt with him and suggests he should play baseball. Hundreds of people before his dream girl have told him to follow in his dad's footsteps and play ball, but Annabelle might be the one to actually convince him to try. What happens when a boy who has spent his entire life trying to remain invisible is suddenly thrust into the harsh glare of the high school spotlight?"

Derek E. Sullivan (Author), Matt Godfrey (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Feelings Library: There are no bad feelings

"***** The Award Winning Mindful Mia book series ***** There are no bad feelings, we should learn to experience them all ! Join Mia and her friends on an adventure through our inner emotional garden by visiting our wide range of feelings - anger, empathy, sadness, happiness, excitement, compassion, responsiveness, fear, joy, bravery, shyness, disgust to name a few. This book will inspire both kids and parents alike to discuss their multitude of feelings, empowering and enabling them to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions - while developing their emotional intelligence and social skills. Rated by parents, teachers, psychologists and kids(!) worldwide as one of the best indie children's book series to ever have been published! Here are just a few of the practical tools this Award Winning book series provides: + boost confidence + increase self-esteem + create self motivation + creative thinking + growth mindset + acceptance ...and more ! The Mindful Mia book series is Ideal for children ages 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.  The Feelings Library is the fifth book in Mindful Mia - a series of books that reflect growth mindset, gentle parenting and nurture universal values that inspire and empower kids. This series is perfect for toddlers, preschool, kindergarten, first grade and second grade as they advance from early readers to intermediate readers. Grab this empowering book series for you and the ones you care about and give them an advantage in life!"

Asaf Rozanes (Author), Susan Mcgurl (Narrator)

Audiobook

No One Here is Lonely

"Our entire lives are online, but what if the boy you love actually lives there? For fans of Adam Silvera comes a story about the future of relationships. Eden has always had two loves: her best friend, Lacey, and her crush, Will. And then, almost simultaneously, she loses them both. Will to a car accident and Lacey to the inevitable growing up and growing apart. Devastated by the holes they have left in her life, Eden finds solace in an unlikely place. Before he died, Will set up an account with In Good Company, a service that uploads voices and emails and creates a digital companion that can be called anytime, day or night. It couldn't come at a better time because, after losing Lacey--the hardest thing Eden has had to deal with--who else can she confide all her secrets to? Who is Eden without Lacey? As Eden falls deeper into her relationship with 'Will,' she hardly notices as her real life blooms around her. There is a new job, new friends. Then there is Oliver. He's Lacey's twin, so has always been off-limits to her, until now. He may be real, but to have him, will Eden be able to say goodbye to Will? Sarah Everett deftly captures the heartbreak of losing your best friend and discovering love in the unlikeliest of places."

Sarah Everett (Author), Imani Parks (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Waning Age

"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Sentence, a lightly speculative, relevant puzzle box with undertones of Never Let Me Go. The time is now. The place is San Francisco. The world is filled with adults devoid of emotion and children on the cusp of losing their feelings--of 'waning'--when they reach their teens. Natalia Peña has already waned. So why does she love her little brother with such ferocity that, when he's kidnapped by a Big Brother-esque corporation, she'll do anything to get him back? From the New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Sentence comes this haunting story of one determined girl who will use her razor-sharp wits, her martial arts skills, and, ultimately, her heart to fight killers, predators, and the world's biggest company to rescue her brother--and to uncover the shocking truth about waning."

S. E. Grove (Author), Arthur Morey, Julio Sanchez, Kyla Garcia (Narrator)

Audiobook

We Set the Dark on Fire

"“We Set the Dark on Fire burns bright. It will light the way for a new generation of rebels and lovers.” —NPR “Mejia pens a compelling, gripping story that mirrors real world issues of immigration and equality.” —Buzzfeed Five starred reviews!! In this daring and romantic fantasy debut perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and Latinx authors Zoraida Córdova and Anna-Marie McLemore, society wife-in-training Dani has a great awakening after being recruited by rebel spies and falling for her biggest rival. At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children. Both paths promise a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class. Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her pedigree is a lie. She must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society. And school couldn’t prepare her for the difficult choices she must make after graduation, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio. Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or will she give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?"

Tehlor Kay Mejia (Author), Kyla Garcia (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried

""A fearless and brutal look at friendships...you will laugh, rage, and mourn its loss when it's over." —Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation "Simultaneously hilarious and moving, weird and wonderful." —Jeff Zentner, Morris Award–winning author of The Serpent King Six Feet Under meets Pushing Daisies in this quirky, heartfelt story about two teens who are granted extra time to resolve what was left unfinished after one of them suddenly dies. A good friend will bury your body, a best friend will dig you back up. Dino doesn't mind spending time with the dead. His parents own a funeral home, and death is literally the family business. He's just not used to them talking back. Until Dino's ex-best friend July dies suddenly—and then comes back to life. Except not exactly. Somehow July is not quite alive, and not quite dead. As Dino and July attempt to figure out what's happening, they must also confront why and how their friendship ended so badly, and what they have left to understand about themselves, each other, and all those grand mysteries of life. Critically acclaimed author Shaun Hutchinson delivers another wholly unique novel blending the real and surreal while reminding all of us what it is to love someone through and around our faults."

Shaun David Hutchinson (Author), Candace Thaxton, Timothy Andrés Pabon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Meet the Austins: Book One of The Austin Family Chronicles

"Book one of the Austin Family Chronicles, an award-winning young adult series from Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, about a girl who experiences the difficulties and joys of growing up. 'Beautifully written, with integrity and warmth, and young people are bound to identify with the characters, each a person in his own right, and to read absorbed from first page to last. Thoroughly recommended.' --Chicago Tribune For a family with four kids, two dogs, assorted cats, and a constant stream of family and friends dropping by, life in the Austin family home has always been remarkably steady and contented. When a family friend suddenly dies in a plane crash, the Austins open their home to an orphaned girl, Maggy Hamilton. The Austin children-Vicky, John, Suzy, and Rob-do their best to be generous and welcoming to Maggy. Vicky knows she should feel sorry for Maggy, but having sympathy for Maggy is no easy thing. Maggy is moody and spoiled; she breaks toys, wakes people in the middle of the night screaming, discourages homework, and generally causes chaos in the Austin household. How can one small child disrupt a family of six? Will life ever return to normal?"

Madeleine L'Engle (Author), Jorjeana Marie (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Moon by Night: Book Two of The Austin Family Chronicles

"Book two of the Austin Family Chronicles, an award-winning young adult series from Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, about a girl who experiences the difficulties and joys of growing up. 'Everyone who remembers Meet the Austins as a delightful family story will want to read . . . this wise, beautifully written novel.' -Chicago Tribune As if simply being fourteen-years-old weren't bad enough-what with the usual teenage angst and uncertainty, Vicky Austin's always comforting and reliable home life is changing completely. Her brother John is going off to college in the fall. Maggy, an orphan taken in by the Austins two years ago, has gone to live with her legal guardian. And the rest of Vicky's family is moving from their quiet house in the country to the heart of New York City. But before the big move, the entire Austin family is taking a meandering trip across the country in their station wagon, stopping to camp along the way, with no set schedule and not a single night of camping experience among them. Wild animal attacks. Life-threatening natural disasters. Cute boys on the prowl. Anything can happen in the great outdoors."

Madeleine L'Engle (Author), Jorjeana Marie (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Young Unicorns: Book Three of The Austin Family Chronicles

"Book three of the Austin Family Chronicles, an award-winning young adult series from Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, about a girl who experiences the difficulties and joys of growing up. 'A first-rate suspense story.' -The Washington Post Book World The Austins are trying to settle into their new life in New York City, but their once close-knit family is pulling away from each other. Their father spends long hours alone in his study working on the research project that brought the family to the city. John is away at college. Rob is making friends with people in the neighborhood: newspaper vendors, dog walkers, even the local rabbi. Suzy is blossoming into a vivacious young woman. And Vicky has become closer to Emily Gregory, a blind and brilliant young musician, than to her sister Suzy. With the Austins going in different directions, they don't notice that something sinister is going on in their neighborhood-and it's centered around them. A mysterious genie appears before Rob and Emily. A stranger approaches Vicky in the park and calls her by name. Members of a local gang are following their father. The entire Austin family is in danger. If they don't start telling each other what's going on, someone just might get killed."

Madeleine L'Engle (Author), Jorjeana Marie (Narrator)

Audiobook

Troubling a Star: The Austin Family Chronicles, Book 5

"In book five of the award-winning Austin Family Chronicles young adult series from Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, a girl experiences the difficulties and joys of growing up. The Austins have settled back into their beloved home in the country after more than a year away. Though they had all missed the predictability and security of life in Thornhill, Vicky Austin is discovering that slipping back into her old life isn't easy. She's been changed by life in New York City and her travels around the country while her old friends seem to have stayed the same. So Vicky finds herself spending time with a new friend, Serena Eddington-the great-aunt of a boy Vicky met over the summer. Aunt Serena gives Vicky an incredible birthday gift-a month-long trip to Antarctica. It's the opportunity of a lifetime. But Vicky is nervous. She's never been away from her family before. Once she sets off though, she finds that's the least of her worries. She receives threatening letters. She's surrounded by suspicious characters. Vicky no longer knows who to trust. And she may not make it home alive."

Madeleine L'Engle (Author), Charlotte Jones Coiklis, Jorjeana Marie (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Ring of Endless Light: The Austin Family Chronicles, Book 4

"Book four of the Austin Family Chronicles, an award-winning young adult series from Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, about a girl who experiences the difficulties and joys of growing up. A Newbery Honor Book 'L'Engle has the magic storytelling gift that makes it a pleasure to lose yourself in her spell.' -Newsweek After a tumultuous year in New York City, the Austins are spending the summer on the small island where their grandfather lives. He's very sick, and watching his condition deteriorate as the summer passes is almost more than Vicky can bear. To complicate matters, she finds herself as the center of attention for three very different boys. Zachary Grey, the troubled and reckless boy Vicky met last summer, wants her all to himself as he grieves the loss of his mother. Leo Rodney has been just a friend for years, but the tragic loss of his father causes him to turn to Vicky for comfort-and romance. And then there's Adam Eddington. Adam is only asking Vicky to help with his research on dolphins. But Adam-and the dolphins-may just be what Vicky needs to get through this heartbreaking summer."

Madeleine L'Engle (Author), Jorjeana Marie (Narrator)

Audiobook