Banned Book Week 2023

The Poet X

By: Elizabeth Acevedo
Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo
Length: 3 hours 30 minutes

“Getting to listen to the author herself read her poetry, which are clearly a testament to the spoken word and the art of slam, is absolutely the best way to devour this novel-in-verse. Acevedo puts everything into her words, and no one else could do them justice the way she does herself. Despite possible age/cultural/religious differences, any... Read more

Black Girl Unlimited

The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard

By: Echo Brown
Narrated by: Echo Brown
Length: 8 hours 29 minutes

This program is read by the author

"Just brilliant."—Kirkus Reviews

Heavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, Black Girl Unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism—all through the arc of a transcendent coming-of-age story for fans of Renee Watson's Piecing Me... Read more

This Book Is Gay

By: Juno Dawson
Narrated by: Christopher Solimene
Length: 6 hours 47 minutes

Lesbian. Bisexual. Queer. Transgender. Straight. Curious. This book is for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual preference. This book is for anyone who's ever dared to wonder. This book is for you.



There's a long-running joke that, after "coming out," a lesbian, gay guy, bisexual, or trans person should receive a membership card and... Read more

A Court of Mist and Fury (1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] - Abridged

A Court of Thorns and Roses 2

Court of Thorns and Roses: Book #2

By: Sarah J. Maas
Narrated by: Melody Muze, Anthony Palmini, Henry W. Kramer, Jon Vertullo, Amanda Forstrom, Nora Achrati, Gabriel Michael, Megan Dominy, Shawn K. Jain, Holly Adams & Natalie Van Sistine
Length: 8 hours 26 minutes

"The seductive and stunning #1 New York Times bestselling sequel to Sarah J. Maas’s spellbinding A Court of Thorns and Roses. Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the... Read more

Out of Darkness

By: Ashley Hope Pérez
Narrated by: Benita Robledo & Lincoln Hoppe
Length: 12 hours 30 minutes

“Wow! Reminded me a bit of Winter's Bone . This is a beautifully written story of heartbreaking events and tortured characters with simple, lovely, happy dreams. Read more

All Boys Aren't Blue

A Memoir-Manifesto

By: George M. Johnson
Narrated by: George M. Johnson
Length: 5 hours 11 minutes

“After listening to this book, I was outraged to learn how widely banned it is across the country - This story needs to be told and shared. Read more

On Critical Race Theory

Why It Matters & Why You Should Care

By: Victor Ray
Narrated by: James Fouhey
Length: 4 hours 25 minutes

What exactly is critical race theory? This concise and accessible exploration demystifies a crucial framework for understanding and fighting racial injustice in the United States.

“A clear-eyed, expert field guide.”—Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom, author of Thick
 
From renowned scholar Dr. Victor Ray, On Critical Race Theory explains the centrality... Read more

Bless Me, Ultima

By: Rudolfo Anaya
Narrated by: Robert Ramirez
Length: 11 hours 12 minutes

Exquisite prose and wondrous storytelling have helped make Rudolfo Anaya the father of Chicano literature in English. Indeed, Anaya's tales fairly shimmer with the haunting beauty and richness of his culture. The winner of the Pen Center West Award for Fiction for his unforgettable novel Alburquerque, Anaya is perhaps best loved for his classic... Read more

Maya Angelou

A Glorious Celebration

By: Marcia Ann Gillespie, Rosa Johnson Butler & Richard A. Long
Narrated by: Dion Graham
Length: 3 hours 22 minutes

Maya Angelou’s memoirs, essay and poetry collections, and cookbooks have sold millions of copies. Now, Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration offers an unusual and irresistible look at her life and her myriad interests and accomplishments. Created by the people who know her best—her longtime friends Marcia Ann Gillespie and Richard A. Long, and... Read more

Angela Davis

An Autobiography

By: Angela Davis
Narrated by: Angela Davis
Length: 19 hours 28 minutes

This new edition of Angela Davis’s classic Autobiography features an expansive new introduction by the author.Angela Davis has been a political activist at the cutting edge of the Black Liberation, feminist, queer, and prison-abolitionist movements for more than fifty years.Angela Davis: An Autobiography, first published and edited by Toni... Read more

Red, White & Royal Blue

A Novel

By: Casey McQuiston
Narrated by: Ramon de Ocampo
Length: 12 hours 15 minutes

“This book was such a comfort read - it felt like a warm hug and a chocolate chip cookie wrapped up into one story! I loved the characters, and I actually laughed out loud at certain points. It follows the life of Alex Claremont-Diaz, the charismatic and handsome son of the United States’ president, Ellen Claremont. Alex is just enjoying himself... Read more

I Am Malala

The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

By: Malala Yousafzai
Narrated by: Archie Panjabi
Length: 9 hours 54 minutes

“Malala is so well read in this book. It’s important to see this book as an example of culture/society taking a dramatic shift. It’s always dynamic and anything can happen. It’s important to speak out for any injustice and not what only pertains to one’s self - there may not be anyone to speak for you if you sit back and watch everyone else go... Read more

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning

By: Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
Narrated by: Jason Reynolds
Length: 4 hours 11 minutes

“As Jason Reynolds will remind you, this is not a history book. (I repeat: not a history book.) Instead, Stamped is a crash course on how racism has grown and evolved from the very first incidents of slave trade to the events of today. With his incredible voice and a whole lot of pizazz, Reynolds presents Stamped with true honesty -- but it bears... Read more

The Giver

By: Lois Lowry
Narrated by: Ron Rifkin
Length: 4 hours 47 minutes

Lois Lowry’s The Giver is the quintessential dystopian novel, followed by its remarkable companions, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive... Read more

Crank

By: Ellen Hopkins
Narrated by: Laura Flanagan
Length: 4 hours 31 minutes

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, she meets a boy who introduces her to crank. At first she finds it freeing, but soon Kristina's personality disappears inside the drug. What began as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through... Read more

The Hate U Give

By: Angie Thomas
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Length: 11 hours 50 minutes

“This bestselling, powerful young adult novel about social justice and one teen girl's effort to fight for what is right, will leave you breathless. The narration by Bahni Turpin is hands down the best I've ever heard. This is such an important book it should be required reading for life in general. Or listening. Definitely listening. Read more

The Bluest Eye

By: Toni Morrison
Narrated by: Toni Morrison
Length: 7 hours 5 minutes

“The literary highlight of my year so far came from a writer I thought I knew well already. I had read (and loved) many of Morrison's novels, but when I learned that she narrates the audio versions of some of her best-known books, I took that chance to catch up with one I'd missed, her debut. And my god, what a debut, and what an experience to... Read more

Monday's Not Coming

By: Tiffany D. Jackson
Narrated by: Imani Parks
Length: 10 hours 6 minutes

“My heart ached as the teenaged protagonist Claudia struggled to make sense of why her best friend Monday is simply gone. As Claudia reaches out to peers and adults again and again, you can feel her frustration with things out of her control. The actor on the audio book was a perfect choice to narrate. The book serves as an important reminder... Read more