Tough Topics Audiobooks

King Dork

"As John Green, New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars said, "King Dork will rock your world." The cult favorite from Frank Portman, aka Dr. Frank of the Mr. T. Experience, is a book like nothing ever done before--King Dork literally has something for everyone: At least a half-dozen mysteries, love, mistaken identity, girls, monks, books, blood, bubblegum, and rock and roll. This book is based on music--a passion most kids have--and it has original (hilarious) songs and song lyrics throughout.    When Tom Henderson finds his deceased father's copy of J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, his world is turned upside down. Suddenly high school gets more complicated: Tom (aka King Dork) is in the middle of at least half a dozen mysteries involving dead people, naked people, fake people, a secret code, girls, and rock and roll. As he goes through sophomore year, he finds clues that may very well solve the puzzle of his father's death and-oddly-reveal the secret to attracting semi-hot girls (the secret might be being in a band, if he can find a drummer who can count to four.    A brilliant story told in first person, King Dork includes a glossary and a bandography, which readers will find helpful and hilarious. Praise for King Dork: "Basically, if you are a human being with even a vague grasp of the English language, King Dork, will rock your world."-John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars   "[No account of high school] has made me laugh more than King Dork. . . . Grade A."-Entertainment Weekly   "Impossibly brilliant."-Time "Provides a window into what it would be like if Holden Caulfield read The Catcher in the Rye."-New York Post [STAR] "Original, heartfelt, and sparkling with wit and intelligence. This novel will linger long in readers' memories."-School Library Journal, Starred   [STAR] "A biting and witty high-school satire."-Kirkus Reviews, Starred   [STAR] "Tom's narration is piercingly satirical and acidly witty."-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred   "Loaded with sharp and offbeat humor."-USA Today   "King Dork is smart, funny, occasionally raunchy and refreshingly clear about what it's like to be in high school."-San Francisco Chronicle   "King Dork: Best Punk Rock Book Ever."-The Village Voice   "I love this book as much as I hated high school, and that's some of the highest praise I can possibly give."-Bookslut.com"

Frank Portman (Author), Lincoln Hoppe (Narrator)

Audiobook

King of the Mild Frontier

"Do You Know: •A good reason to be phobic about oysters and olives? •That you can step inside a roaring coal furnace and feet cool? •That Jesus had an older brother? •How shutting your mouth can help you avoid brain surgery? •How to avoid cow-pies during your baptism? •How to survive in the winter wilderness with only a fishing pole and a sausage? Chris Crutcher knows the answers to these things and more. And once you have read about Chris Crutcher's life as a dateless, broken-toothed, scabbed-over, God-fearing dweeb, and once you have contemplated his ascension to the buckskin-upholstered throne of the King of the Mild Frontier, you will close this book, close your eyes and hold it to your chest, and say, "I, too, can be an author." Hell, anyone can."

Chris Crutcher (Author), Chris Crutcher (Narrator)

Audiobook

Best Foot Forward

"I’m a real ace at arguing with myself. Take a subject like Tanner Cobb. On the one hand, he stole. On the other, he helped his little brother read and count. Then again, he stole shoes in front of his little brother. But, he brought the shoes back and offered to make up for what he’d done. My mind said, Don’t trust him. My instincts said, He might not be all bad. Inconsistencies are a royal pain; the older you get, the more they multiply. After a life-altering summer on the road, Jenna Boller is dripping with newfound maturity. She has a job she loves at Gladstone Shoes, a best friend who makes her laugh, and a dysfunctional family she’s learning how to handle. Jenna feels ready for anything–until Tanner Cobb, a guy with a past, a police record, and dangerously good looks, walks into her life. And that’s just the beginning. Jenna likes to be in control, but that’s not easy when she’s suddenly surrounded by crises, including a shoe empire on the verge of crumbling. Tanner’s street smarts seem to be what Jenna needs, but can she trust him when the going gets tough? Newbery Honor author Joan Bauer has written a sure-footed, funny, and poignant novel about a teenage girl facing the challenges–and betrayals–of the adult business world head-on, a struggle that links her to the resilience of her past and helps her to eagerly plan the course for her future. Praise for Joan Bauer: Rules of the Road “Jubilant, strong, and funny, this is a road trip to remember.” –The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review Hope Was Here “When it comes to creating strong, independent and funny teenage characters, Bauer is in a class by herself.” –School Library Journal, starred review"

Joan Bauer (Author), Kathe Mazur (Narrator)

Audiobook

Birdland

"Swirling riffs of language and a propulsive beat set this gritty, transcendent novel in motion. Amid the sparkle and hum of a New York City winter, Jed and his best friend, Flyer, are filming a documentary of their neighborhood. All around them are images that Jed's older brother Zeke wrote about: drummers, drunks, dog walkers, and the beautiful water towers that dot the city's skyline. But what Jed is really in search of is Zeke, a poet who loved jazzman Charlie "Bird" Parker and who left behind his CDs, a notebook, and a lot of unanswered questions. When Jed encounters a mysterious homeless girl he thinks holds the key to connecting him to Zeke, it could be his only way to unlock his deepest sorrow and discover how to be-who to be-on his own."

Tracy Mack (Author), Dion Graham (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Cloud Chamber

"The minute the school bus carrying Nate Chance and his little sister, Junie, pulls up in front of his family’s farmhouse, Nate can tell something’s terribly wrong: Somehow his father has been wounded by a gunshot. Nate sees him stagger across the yard, then watches as the police take him away. Then, nothing. Nobody in the family will say what happened, or where Nate’s dad has gone. At school, his best friend, Larry, won’t talk to him, and kids whisper that his dad’s a “psycho.” Back home, police keep showing up with questions for his mom; and then there’s Junie, worried that Mom will sell her beloved pony and counting on her big brother to figure out a way to reach their dad. But the science fair is coming up, and Nate has a plan. If he can just win first prize with his amazing cloud chamber project, he’ll get to go to the state finals, near the hospital where his dad’s been locked away. And since it was his dad who taught him to love science–and the stars–it seems like maybe the magic of the cloud chamber can bring the family together again, too. Too bad he has to work on it with the weirdest, most unpopular girl in school, Naomi, with her goofy hair and nutty idea that the two of them should be best friends. The craziest part is, she just might be right."

Joyce Maynard (Author), Joel Johnstone (Narrator)

Audiobook

Shooter

"The groundbreaking and widely praised novel about a school shooting, from the acclaimed author of Monster. Multiple narratives, a personal journal, and newspaper and police reports add perspective and pull readers into the story. ''Questions of guilt and innocence drive the plot and stay with the reader,'' said Hazel Rochman in a starred Booklist review. ''Highly readable.'' ''A haunting story that uncovers the pain of several high school students,'' according to Teenreads.com. ''It explores the tragedies of school violence and how the result of bullying can go to the most dramatic extreme. Myers has a gift for expressing the voices of his characters. Shooter is not a light read, but it will leave you reeling.''"

Walter Dean Myers (Author), Bernie Mcinerney, Chad Coleman, Michelle Santopietro (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bird

"Bird, a 13-year-old girl with a mission, has run away in pursuit of her stepfather. She's sure she'll be able to convince him to return home-to fill the hole he left in their family. And while she hides near his sister's farmhouse, she becomes entwined in the lives of three people who also have holes to fill: Ethan, whose heart troubles have kept him too sheltered from kids his own age; Jay, whose brother has died unexpectedly; and Mrs. Pritchard, whose house has been too empty since her husband was moved to a nursing home. Through the unique voices of the three kids, an eloquent, affecting story unfolds-the story of how one individual's warmth and kindness can heal so many hurts. Bird will leave you thoroughly uplifted."

Angela Johnson (Author), Chantale Hosein, Kamahl Palmer (Narrator)

Audiobook

Big Mouth & Ugly Girl

"Matt Donaghy has always been a Big Mouth. But it's never gotten him in trouble -- until the day Matt is accused of threatening to blow up Rocky River High School. Ursula Riggs has always been an Ugly Girl. A loner with fierce, staring eyes, Ursula has no time for petty high school stuff like friends and dating -- or at least that's what she tells herself Ursula is content with minding her own business. And she doesn't even really know Matt Donaghy. But Ursula is the only person who knows what Matt really said that day ... and she is the only one who can help him. In her first novel for young adults, acclaimed author Joyce Carol Oates has created a provocative and unflinching story of friendship and family, and of loyalty and betrayal. Performed by Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe"

Joyce Carol Oates (Author), Chad Lowe, Hilary Swank (Narrator)

Audiobook

The First Part Last

"Bobby is a typical urban New York City teenager--impulsive, eager, restless. For his sixteenth birthday he cuts school with his two best buddies, grabs a couple of slices at his favorite pizza joint, catches a flick at a nearby multiplex, and gets some news from his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever: He's going to be a father. Suddenly things like school and house parties and fun times with friends are replaced by visits to Nia's pediatrician and countless social workers who all say that the only way for Nia and Bobby to lead a normal life is to put their baby up for adoption. Then tragedy strikes Nia, and Bobby finds himself in the role of single, teenage father. Because his child--their child--is all that remains of his lost love. With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson tells the story of a young man's struggle to figure out what the "right thing" is and then to do it. The result is a gripping portrayal of single teenage parenthood from the point of view of a youth on the threshold of becoming a man."

Angela Johnson (Author), Khalipa Oldjohn (Narrator)

Audiobook

Blue Moon

"Bobbie Jo didn't set out to buy a limping blue roan mare—she wanted a colt she could train to barrel race. But the horse is a fighter, just like Bobbie Jo. Now all she has to do is train the sour old mare that obviously has a past. While she nurses the horse back to health, Bobbie Jo realizes that the horse, now called Blue Moon, may have more history than she first thought. With the help of the enigmatic Cole, she slowly turns the horse into a barrel racer."

Marilyn Halvorson (Author), Iambic Productions (Narrator)

Audiobook

Overdrive

"A street race ends in a tragic accident. Jake's friends tell him to run, but he doesn't know if he can—or should—run from the truth. Jake has finally got his driver's license, and tonight he has his brother's car as well. He and his friend Mickey take the car out and cruise the strip. When they challenge another driver to a street race, a disastrous chain reaction causes an accident. Jake and Mickey leave the scene, trying to convince themselves they were not involved. Jake finds he cannot pretend it didn't happen and struggles with deciding on the right thing to do. Should he pretend he was not involved? Or should he go to the police? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Available in Spanish as A toda velocidad."

Eric Walters (Author), Iambic Productions (Narrator)

Audiobook

Pool Boy

"Fifteen-year-old Brett Gerson is the kind of kid you love to hate. He's smug, arrogant, rude, and filthy rich. When his dad is jailed for insider trading, his family loses everything and Brett has to face life without the mansion, the Mercedes, and his beloved $5,000 stereo. But his attitude begins to change when he's forced to take a summer job assisting Alfie Moore, the seventy-year old guy who used to clean his swimming pool . . . Told in the first person and set in a fictional California town, POOL BOY marks the debut of a gifted young writer, Michael Simmons, and of one of the most engaging and infuriating anti-heroes since Holden Caulfield."

Michael Simmons (Author), Chad Lowe (Narrator)

Audiobook