Books with author Listening Library

Best-selling writer John Feinstein is back with another exciting sports-mystery, this one set behind the scenes at the storied Army-Navy football game. Teen sportswriters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are thrilled to be covering "America's Game". The Black Knights of Army and the Midshipmen of Navy have met on the football field since 1890, and it's a rivalry like no other, filled with tradition. But this year, the match-up is also filled with intrigue. For weeks, Stevie and Susan Carol have been spending time at Annapolis and West Point, getting to know the player and coaches. And the secret service agents. Since the president will be attending the game, security will, of course, be tighter than tight. As the game draws nearer, Stevie and Susan Carol can tell that the agents are getting tenser. But as usual, when Stevie and Susan Carol cover a big event - nothing is quite as it seems, and the coaches aren't the only ones calling plays....

Mayim Bialik, star of The Big Bang Theory and author of the number one best seller Girling Up, puts her PhD to work to talk to teen boys about the science and pressures of growing up male in today's world. A must-have book for all teenage boys! Why does my voice crack like that? What should I eat to build muscle? How do I talk to someone I have a crush on? What do I do if someone calls me names or bullies me? Growing from a boy to a man is no easy task. Bodies are changing, social circles are evolving, hair is appearing in places it never was before - and on top of it all, there's the ever-present pressure to conform to the typical idea of what it means to be "manly" and masculine. But it's easier to do if you're armed with facts. Using personal anecdotes as an overly observant mother of two boys and plenty of scientific information from her life as a neuroscientist, Mayim Bialik, PhD, star of The Big Bang Theory, talks directly to teen boys about what it means to grow from a boy to a man biologically, psychologically, and sociologically. Using the same cool, fun, and friendly tone that she took in Girling Up, Mayim takes boys - and their parents! - through the challenges and triumphs of Boying Up today. In six sections (How Boys' Bodies Work; How Boys Grow; How Boys Learn; How Boys Cope; How Boys Love; and How Boys Make a Difference), she takes a look at what it means for boys to come of age in today's world, how can they take control of their paths, and what can they do to help shape the types of futures they want for themselves.

Yucky music, great big feet. Ladies smelling way too sweet. Look at knees and stand in line. Llama Llama starts to whine. Does any child like to go shopping? Not Llama Llama! But Mama can't leave Llama at home, so off they go to Shop-O-Rama. Lots of aisles. Long lines. Mama is too busy to notice that Llama Llama is getting m-a-d! And before he knows it, he's having a full-out tantrum! Mama quickly calms him down, but she also realizes that they need to make shopping more fun for both of them. Parents and children are sure to recognize themselves in this fun-to-listen to follow-up to the popular Llama Llama Red Pajama.

Fans of Because of Winn Dixie will adore this warm and heart-wrenching story of the friendship between a boy and a pig who thinks it's a dog. Eleven-year-old Lorenzo Ventura knows heroes are rare - like his father, who died in the war, or his friend Paloma Lee, who fearlessly pursues her dream of being a famous musician. Renzo would never describe himself as a hero, but his chance comes when he adopts Marty, a runt piglet. Marty is extraordinary - he thinks he's a dog and acts like one, too - and his bond with Renzo is truly one of a kind. At first, the family farm seems like the perfect home for Marty, but as he approaches 350 pounds, it becomes harder for Renzo to convince his mom that a giant pig makes a good pet. So when Marty causes a dangerous (and expensive) accident, Renzo knows Marty's time is up. He'd do anything and everything for his best friend, but will everything be enough to save Marty? Paul Griffin masterfully melds the heartrending and the hopeful in this unforgettable story about the power of friendship...and the unsung heroes all around us.

From two-time Newbery Medalist and living legend Lois Lowry comes a moving account of the lives lost in two of WWII's most infamous events: Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima. Lois Lowry looks back at history through a personal lens as she draws from her own memories as a child in Hawaii and Japan, as well as from historical research, in this stunning work in verse for young listeners. On the Horizon tells the story of people whose lives were lost or forever altered by the twin tragedies of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima. Based on the lives of soldiers at Pearl Harbor and civilians in Hiroshima, On the Horizon contemplates humanity and war through verse that sings with pain, truth, and the importance of bridging cultural divides. This masterful work emphasizes empathy and understanding in search of commonality and friendship, vital lessons for students as well as citizens of today’s world. In turns haunting, heartbreaking, and uplifting, On the Horizon will remind listeners of the horrors and heroism in our past, as well as offer hope for our future. "For a first-time audiobook narrator, Lowry is a natural. Her plain-spoken delivery is entrancing. There's an elegiac cadence to her sentences, and you can hear her smile when she remembers the soft Hawaiian words of her youth." (The New York Times)

Llama has a sharing drama! Build a tower. Make a moat. Nelly's dolly sails a boat. What can Llama Llama add? Maybe sharing's not so bad. Llama Llama has new neighbors! Nelly Gnu and her mama stop by for a play date, but Llama's not so sure it's time to share all his toys. Maybe just his blocks? It could be fun to make a castle with Nelly.... But wait - Nelly has Llama's little Fuzzy Llama! The fun turns to tears when Fuzzy Llama is ripped in two, "all because of Nelly Gnu!" Mama comes to the rescue and fixes Fuzzy, but she makes it clear: "I'll put Fuzzy on the stairs, until you're sure that you can share." Fun to listen to and helpful to children and parents alike, Llama Llama Time to Share is for any child who needs a little encouragement in sharing.

Just when Joey Pigza's wired world finally seems to be under control, his good-for-nothing dad pops back into his life. This time, though, Carter Pigza is a new man - literally. After a lucky lotto win, he has a crazy new outlook on life, and he's even changed his name to Charles Heinz. He thinks Joey and his mom should become new people, too. Soon Joey finds himself bombarded with changes, including a new name, a new home, and a new family business: running the beat-up Beehive Diner. He knows he should forgive his dad as his mom wants him to, and get with the new family program. But Joey is afraid that in changing names and going with the flow he will lose sight of who he really is. In this rocket-paced new chapter in Joey Pigza's life, a favorite hero discovers what identity and forgiveness really mean, and how to cook a delicious turkey burger.

When Sally's family moves to Miami Beach for the winter of 1947, she is excited and nervous at the same time. What will school be like in Florida? Will she make any friends? Will she fit in so far away from home? But these worries don't stop Sally from having her own wonderful adventures. One minute she's a famous movie star or a brilliant detective; the next she's found the Latin lover of her dreams, her classmate Peter Hornstein. And what about the Freedmans' neighbor, old Mr. Zavodsky, who looks suspiciously like Hitler in disguise? Miami Beach has so many things to worry and wonder about, Sally is in for one unforgettable winter!

Daniel Corrigan is as regular as can be, especially when compared to the Supers: kids in his new hometown with actual powers like flight and super strength. But Daniel's not powerless. Only he was able to stop the Shroud, a supervillian bent on stealing his newfound friends' powers. And thanks to him, his friends got to keep those powers.... Now Daniel himself is starting to display powers, while at the same time, his friends are losing theirs. His friend Eric thinks Daniel is just becoming a Super himself, a late-blooming one. But Daniel worries there may be something more sinister at work, since his power-stealing ability is uncomfortably like the Shroud's. Of course, the Shroud is gone now...or is he? And could Daniel himself be his new vessel?

Llama Llama likes to sing. Gilroy laughs at everything. Llama sings out just the same. Gilroy says a not-nice name. Teacher has some things to say: calling names is not OK. Llama Llama is learning lots of new things at school and making many friends. But when Gilroy Goat starts teasing him and some of their classmates, Llama Llama isn't sure what to do. And then he remembers what his teacher told him - walk away and tell someone. It works! But then Llama Llama feels badly. Can he and Gilroy try to be friends again? Taking on a difficult but important part of children's lives, Anna Dewdney gives listeners a way to experience and discuss bullying in a safe and comforting way.

David Almond's Printz Honor-winning novel celebrates its 10th anniversary! Ten-year-old Michael was looking forward to moving into a new house. But now his baby sister is ill, his parents are frantic, and Doctor Death has come to call. Michael feels helpless. Then he steps into the crumbling garage.... What is this thing beneath the spiders' webs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never before seen? The only person Michael can confide in is his new friend, Mina. Together, they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael's world changes forever....