The Last Cuentista
By Donna Barba Higuera
Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
Length: 8 hours 33 minutes
If you enjoyed The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, then you’ll love The Last Cuentista.
“It’s 2061. Because of their scientific expertise, Petra’s parents have been chosen to accompany a trio of spaceships to colonize a new planet, leaving behind their home—and Petra’s beloved abuelita—in New Mexico just before a comet hits Earth. But even before their ship lifts off, things aren’t going according to plan. Amid the worrying events on the ship, Petra tells cuentos to bring comfort to those around her, to help her remember, to keep her culture alive; she longs to one day be a great storyteller like Lita. In an environment where diversity is eliminated, whatever the cost, Petra harnesses the power of stories and becomes a hero. This Newbery Award-winning, mystifying sci-fi adventure will empower children for years to come.”
Mary, Raven Book Store
Too Bright to See
By Kyle Lukoff
Narrated by: Jax Jackson & Kyle Lukoff
Length: 4 hours 28 minutes
Too Bright to See
“This spooky and thoughtful book follows Bug, a soon to be middle schooler. How do you handle your uncle’s death when he’s still haunting your house, and when he seems to have a message for you? How can you “be you” when you don’t know what that means yet?”
Miriasha, Phoenix Books
A Snake Falls to Earth
By Darcie Little Badger
Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett & Kinsale Hueston
Length: 10 hours 35 minutes
Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She’s always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories. Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he’s been cast from home. He’s found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake. Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists.... Read more »
Red, White, and Whole
By Rajani LaRocca
Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
Length: 2 hours 38 minutes
Newbery Honor Book! A heartbreakingly hopeful novel in verse about an Indian American girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia.
* Walter Award Winner * New England Book Award Winner * An NCTE Notable Verse Novel * Golden Kite Award Winner * Crystal Kite Award Winner * Goodreads Choice Nominee * A...
Read more »Home Is Not a Country
By Safia Elhillo
Narrated by: Safia Elhillo & Christopher Myers
Length: 3 hours 10 minutes
Home Is Not a Country
“I'm not even finished with the book and already know it is a standout of the year. The fresh, tender, unique way that Nima struggles to find a place to call home within herself is so much more than a coming-of-age novel or an immigrant story. Through the surreal exploration of who she could have been, Nima tells a wrenchingly real, oh-so-human story that transcends genre. This is a novel that asks readers of any age 'what will you do with your one, wild and precious life?.' ”
Summer, Books Inc.
Revolution in Our Time
The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People
By Kekla Magoon
Narrated by: Tyla Collier
Length: 7 hours 47 minutes
With passion and precision, Kekla Magoon relays an essential account of the Black Panthers—as militant revolutionaries and as human rights advocates working to defend and protect their community.
In this comprehensive, inspiring, and all-too-relevant history of the Black Panther Party, Kekla Magoon introduces readers to the Panthers’ community... Read more »
The People Remember
By Ibi Zoboi
Narrated by: Ibi Zoboi & Robin Miles
Length: 24 minutes
From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ibi Zoboi comes her debut book—a tour de force that uses the principles of Kwanzaa to talk about the history of African Americans.
The People Remember tells the journey of African descendants in America by connecting their history to the seven principles of Kwanzaa. It begins in Africa, where...
Read more »Soul Food Sunday
By Winsome Bingham
Narrated by: Winsome Bingham & Sullivan Jones
Length: 17 minutes
On Sundays, everyone gathers at Granny’s for Soul Food. But today, I don’t go to the backyard or the great room. I follow Granny instead. “You’re a big boy now,” Granny says. “Time for you to learn.” At Granny’s, Sunday isn’t Sunday without a big family gathering over a lovingly prepared meal. Old enough now, our narrator is finally invited to... Read more »
Nina
A Story of Nina Simone
By Traci N. Todd
Narrated by: Jade Wheeler
Length: 22 minutes
This illuminating and defining picture book biography, adapted for audio, tells the story of little Eunice who grew up to become the acclaimed singer Nina Simone and her bold, defiant, and exultant legacy.
Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in small town North Carolina, Nina Simone was a musical child. She sang before she talked and learned to play... Read more »
Me (Moth)
By Amber McBride
Narrated by: Amber McBride
Length: 3 hours 24 minutes
"This magical audiobook echoes the desire to truly understand yourself and be seen as you are, and the twist ending will leave listeners stunned." -AudioFile Magazine
This program is read by the author.
A debut YA novel-in-verse by Amber McBride, Me (Moth) is about a teen girl who is grieving the deaths of her family, and a teen boy who crosses...
Firekeeper's Daughter
By Angeline Boulley
Narrated by: Isabella Star LaBlanc
Length: 14 hours 13 minutes
If you enjoyed There There, then you’ll love Firekeeper's Daughter.
“Firekeeper's Daughter is a wonder! We so rarely hear YA through an Indigenous people's voice and this book does it so very well. Main character Daunis Lorenzo Fontaine lives a fine line between her white French Canadian mother and her Ojibwe father in a complicated family dynamic. She is smart, hockey talented, driven, and tenacious as she navigates the murder of her best friend Lily, rampant drug culture, and the journey to find herself. Angeline Boulley seamlessly incorporates the Ojbiwe language and lifeways that both inform and educate the reader in this amazing story that will stay with me long after I have moved onto other books. A MUST-read (or listen)!”
Rebecca, Rediscovered Books
Concrete Rose
By Angie Thomas
Narrated by: Dion Graham
Length: 8 hours 17 minutes
International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood. A Printz Honor Book!
If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang...
Read more »Last Night at the Telegraph Club
By Malinda Lo
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
Length: 12 hours 25 minutes
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
“This coming of age story about a young woman growing up queer in 1950s Chinatown, San Francisco, was brilliant. I loved the rich historical detail, believable characters, exploration of intersectional identities, romance, and sense of place, made even stronger by the excellent narration. Best book I've read in quite some time and highly recommended for adults or teens!”
Tracey, Turning the Tide Bookstore
Starfish
By Lisa Fipps
Narrated by: Jenna Lamia
Length: 3 hours 27 minutes
A Printz Honor winner!
Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant debut novel-in-verse.
Cover may vary.
Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules—like "no making waves," "avoid... Read more »
Stuntboy, in the Meantime
By Jason Reynolds
Narrated by: Guy Lockard, Nile Bullock, Angel Pean, James Fouhey, Soneela Nankani, Leon Nixon, Chanté McCormick, Lamarr Gulley & DePre Owens
Length: 2 hours 47 minutes
AudioFile Magazine’s Best Audiobooks of 2021
A Schneider Family Award Honor Book for Middle Grade
From Newbery Medal honoree and #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds comes a hilarious, hopeful, and action-packed middle grade novel about the greatest young superhero you’ve never heard of, filled with illustrations by Raúl the... Read more »
A Kind of Spark
By Elle McNicoll
Narrated by: Katy Townsend
Length: 4 hours 42 minutes
Perfect for readers of Song for a Whale and Counting by 7s, a neurodivergent girl campaigns for a memorial when she learns that her small Scottish town used to burn witches simply because they were different.
"A must-read for students and adults alike." -School Library Journal, Starred Review
Ever since Ms. Murphy told us about the witch trials... Read more »
A Face for Picasso
Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome
By Ariel Henley
Narrated by: Ariel Henley
Length: 8 hours 8 minutes
There was danger in the kind of beauty I was desperate to achieve. At only eight months old, identical twin sisters Ariel and Zan Henley were diagnosed with Crouzon syndrome—a rare condition where the bones in the head fuse prematurely. They were the first twins known to survive it. Growing up, Ariel and her sister endured numerous medical... Read more »
Light From Uncommon Stars
By Ryka Aoki
Narrated by: Cindy Kay
Length: 13 hours 13 minutes
"Cindy Kay masterfully narrates this unique audiobook, which combines a variety of genres to tell a moving story of self-acceptance and finding safety even in the bleakest of times." - AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award review
Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in Ryka Aoki's Light From Uncommon Stars, a defiantly joyful...
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
A Novel
By Marianne Cronin
Narrated by: Sheila Reid & Rebecca Benson
Length: 10 hours 53 minutes
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
“Delightful, heartwarming and heartbreaking, I loved every minute of this book.”
Mollie, HearthFire Books and Treats
A Bird Will Soar
By Alison Green Myers
Narrated by: Jamie K. Brown
Length: 7 hours 39 minutes
WINNER OF THE SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD
A heartfelt and hopeful debut about a bird-loving autistic child whose family's special nest is in danger of falling apart.
Axel loves everything about birds, especially eagles. No one worries that an eagle will fly too far and not come home—a fact Axel wishes his mother understood. Deep down, Axel knows... Read more »