Tough Topics Audiobooks | LoveReading4Kids

"The #1 New York Times bestseller! It's the Salem Witch Trials meets Mean Girls in this New York Times bestselling novel from one of the descendants of Cotton Mather, where the trials of high school start to feel like a modern-day witch hunt for a teen with all the wrong connections to Salem's past. Salem, Massachusetts, is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials-and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves the Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were? If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real, live (well, technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries-old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with the Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself. "It's like Mean Girls meets history class in the best possible way." -Seventeen Magazine "Mather shines a light on the lessons the Salem Witch Trials can teach us about modern-day bullying-and what we can do about it." -Bustle "Strikes a careful balance of creepy, fun, and thoughtful." -NPR I am utterly addicted to Mather's electric debut. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, twisting and turning with ghosts, witches, an ancient curse, and-sigh-romance. It's beautiful. Haunting. The characters are vivid and real. I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down." -Jennifer Niven, bestselling author of All the Bright Places"

Adriana Mather (Author), Adriana Mather (Narrator)

Audiobook

One-Eyed Cat

"Ned Wallis knows he's forbidden to touch the rifle in the attic. But he can't resist sneaking it out of the house, just once. Before he realizes it, Ned takes a shot at a dark shadow. When Ned returns home, he's sure he sees a face looking down at him from the attic window. Who has seen and heard him? Ned's feelings of guilt and fear only get worse when one day, while helping an elderly neighbor, he spots a wild cat with one eye missing. Could this be the thing Ned shot at that night?"

Paula Fox (Author), Donna Postel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change

Bonnie Burton (Author), Christina Morales Hemenway (Narrator)

Audiobook

Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir

"Growing up, Liz Prince wasn't a girly girl, dressing in pink tutus or playing Pretty Pretty Princess like the other girls in her neighborhood. But she wasn't exactly one of the guys either, as she quickly learned when her Little League baseball coach exiled her to the outfield instead of letting her take the pitcher's mound. Liz was somewhere in the middle, and Tomboy is the story of her struggle to find the place where she belonged. Tomboy is a graphic novel about refusing gender boundaries, yet unwittingly embracing gender stereotypes at the same time, and realizing later in life that you can be just as much of a girl in jeans and a T-shirt as you can in a pink tutu. Tomboy explores Liz's ever-evolving struggles and wishes regarding what it means to be a girl."

Liz Prince (Author), Ensemble Cast (Narrator)

Audiobook

Saint Anything

"Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen, read by Taylor Meskimen. Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and - lately - concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident? Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac: gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time."

Sarah Dessen (Author), Taylor Meskimen (Narrator)

Audiobook

Signs of You

"Since sixteen-year-old Riley Strout lost her mother two years ago, her saving grace has been her quirky little family in the grief support group she joined as a freshman. Jay, Kate, and Noah understand her pain; each lost a loved one, and they've stuck together in spite of their differences, united by tragedies only they understand. When Riley thinks she spots her mother shopping in a grocery store, she fears she is suffering some sort of post-traumatic stress. Then Jay and Kate report similar experiences. Only Noah hasn't had some kind of vision, which is perhaps why he's become so skeptical and distant. When Noah disappears, Riley fears she's lost another loved one. As they frantically search for him, she, Kate, and Jay are drawn into the mystery surrounding a relic that belonged to Jay's dead father and contains clues about the afterlife. Riley finds herself wrestling with her feelings for both Noah and Jay-which have become clear only in Noah's absence. If Riley is to help those she loves, and herself, she must set things right with the one she's lost."

Emily France (Author), Sandy Rustin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Wolf Hollow

"Annabelle has lived in Wolf Hollow all her life: a quiet place, still scarred by two world wars. But when cruel, manipulative Betty arrives in town, Annabelle's calm world is shattered, along with everything she's ever known about right and wrong. When Betty accuses gentle loner Toby - a traumatised ex-soldier - of a terrible act, Annabelle knows he's innocent. Then Betty disappears . . . Now Annabelle must protect Toby from the spiralling accusations and hysteria, until she can prove to Wolf Hollow what really happened to Betty. Powerful, poignant and lyrical, Wolf Hollow is an unforgettable story."

Lauren Wolk (Author), Emily Rankin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Winning

"Who ever said being nice would get you to the top? Certainly not Alexandra Miles. She isn’t nice, but she’s more than skilled at playing the part. She floats through the halls of Spencer High, effortlessly orchestrating the actions of everyone around her, making people bend to her whim without even noticing they’re doing it. She is the queen of Spencer High—and it’s time to make it official. Alexandra has a goal, you see—Homecoming Queen. Her ambitions are far grander than her small town will allow, but Homecoming is just the first step to achieving total domination. So when peppy, popular Erin Hewett moves to town and seems to have a real shot at the crown, Alexandra has to take action. With the help of her trusted friend Sam, she devises her most devious plot yet. She’ll introduce an unexpected third competitor into the mix, one whose meteoric rise—and devastating fall—will destroy Erin’s chances once and for all. Alexandra can run a scheme like this in her sleep. What could possibly go wrong? Lara Deloza’s crackling depiction of a perpetually two-steps-ahead popular girl makes for a fun, wicked story with a protagonist that readers will love to hate."

Lara Deloza (Author), Em Eldridge, Kyla Garcia, Susan-Kate Heaney, Tara Sands (Narrator)

Audiobook

Rocks Fall Everyone Dies

"Twin Peaks meets Stars Hollow in this paranormal suspense novel about a boy who can reach inside people and steal their innermost things-fears, memories, scars, even love-and his family's secret ritual that for centuries has kept the cliff above their small town from collapsing. Aspen Quick has never really worried about how he's affecting people when he steals from them. But this summer he'll discover just how strong the Quick family magic is-and how far they'll go to keep their secrets safe. With a smart, arrogant protagonist, a sinister family tradition, and an ending you won't see coming, this is a fast-paced, twisty story about power, addiction, and deciding what kind of person you want to be, in a family that has the ability to control everything you are."

Lindsay Ribar (Author), Michael Crouch (Narrator)

Audiobook

Escape from Asylum

"In this terrifying prequel novel to the New York Times bestselling Asylum series, a teen is wrongfully committed to the Brookline psychiatric hospital and must find a way out—before he becomes the next victim of the evil warden’s experiments. With the page-turning suspense and unsettling found photographs from real asylums that led Publishers Weekly to call Asylum “a strong YA debut,” Escape from Asylum is perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. The nightmare is just beginning. Ricky Desmond has been through this all before. If he could just get through to his mother, he could convince her that he doesn’t belong at Brookline. From the man who thinks he can fly to the woman who killed her husband, the other patients are nothing like him; all he did was lose his temper just a little bit, just the once. But when Ricky is selected by the sinister Warden Crawford for a very special program—a program that the warden claims will not cure him but perfect him—Ricky realizes that he may not be able to wait for his mom a second longer. With the help of a sympathetic nurse and a fellow patient, Ricky needs to escape now. Set long before Dan, Abby, and Jordan ever walked the hallways of the Brookline asylum—back when it was still a functioning psych ward and not a dorm—Escape from Asylum is a mind-bending and scary installment in the Asylum series that can stand on its own for new readers or provide missing puzzle pieces for series fans."

Madeleine Roux (Author), James Fouhey (Narrator)

Audiobook

Local Girl Swept Away

"Set in the Cape Cod village of Provincetown, Massachusetts, this is the story about 17-year-old Jackie's struggle to overcome her grief and confusion after her best friend is carried out to sea during a storm. Lorna had been the dynamic leader of a tight-knit group of four friends - Jackie, Lucas and Finn - and her disappearance changes the dynamics between the surviving three. Jackie is still hiding her feelings for Finn, who had been Lorna's boyfriend, and Lucas has withdrawn to the point where Jackie wonders if he is keeping a secret even larger than her own. Meanwhile the future looms, and Jackie fears leaving the only life she has known."

Ellen Wittlinger (Author), Elizabeth Cottle (Narrator)

Audiobook

Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen

"Teen advocate and trailblazer Jazz Jennings-named one of "The 25 Most Influential Teens" of the year by Time-shares her very public transgender journey, as she inspires people to accept the differences in others while they embrace their own truths. "[Jazz's] touching book serves as a rallying cry for understanding and acceptance."-Bustle Jazz Jennings is one of the youngest and most prominent voices in the national discussion about gender identity. At the age of five, Jazz transitioned to life as a girl, with the support of her parents. A year later, her parents allowed her to share her incredible journey in her first Barbara Walters interview, aired at a time when the public was much less knowledgeable or accepting of the transgender community. This groundbreaking interview was followed over the years by other high-profile interviews, a documentary, the launch of her YouTube channel, a picture book, and her own reality TV series-I Am Jazz-making her one of the most recognizable activists for transgender teens, children, and adults. In her remarkable memoir, Jazz reflects on these very public experiences and how they have helped shape the mainstream attitude toward the transgender community. But it hasn't all been easy. Jazz has faced many challenges, bullying, discrimination, and rejection, yet she perseveres as she educates others about her life as a transgender teen. Through it all, her family has been beside her on this journey, standing together against those who don't understand the true meaning of tolerance and unconditional love. Now Jazz must learn to navigate the physical, social, and emotional upheavals of adolescence-particularly high school-complicated by the unique challenges of being a transgender teen. Making the journey from girl to woman is never easy-especially when you began your life in a boy's body. Includes a bonus PDF with family interviews, letters, and Jazz's resources for navigating the transgender experience PRAISE FOR JAZZ JENNINGS: "Jazz is one of the transgender community's most important activists." -Cosmopolitan "A role model for teens everywhere." -Seventeen.com "Wise beyond her years." -Teen Vogue"

Jazz Jennings (Author), Jazz Jennings (Narrator)

Audiobook