Showing results by publisher "Recorded Books" in Literature & Fiction

There is no animal in the world that can run faster than a cheetah. Yet, no matter how quickly they run from trouble, cheetahs may not roam the African plains forever. They have lost much of their habitat to farmland, and some are killed by farmers who worry about their livestock. But cheetahs have important friends - like Dr. Laurie Marker and the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia. Rosanna Hansen - who spent time working at the CCF - shares the fascinating story of cheetah preservation in this book young listeners will find irresistible.

In 1925 Colorado, 14-year-old Ida Bidson dreams of becoming a teacher, but she knows it won’t be easy. When the school board closes the town’s one-room school, threatening to keep Ida from finishing eighth grade and moving on to high school, it looks like her dream will never come true. Then she and her classmates come up with a plan for a secret school - with Ida as their teacher!

Benjamin was nine years old in the spring of 1855 when his father met with the accident that changed Benjamin’s life. Called home from boarding school, his first sight of his father lying nearly lifeless in the bed petrified him. Gone was the energetic man who had held the family together when Benjamin’s mother succumbed to diphtheria. With the courage and strength that had brought the family to the Oregon Territory, Benjamin and his siblings work to build the barn their father had been excitedly planning when he was struck down.

Willful and high-spirited, exerting his independence at every turn, 10-year-old Robert "Robbie" Burns Hewitt plans to live life to the fullest - because the world is going to end at the turn of the century anyway! The year 1900 is fast approaching. Robbie decides that living by The Ten Commandments, which have been drilled into his head by his preacher father, is not meant for him - since he "ain’t got the knack for holiness." On his quest to be his own person, he stirs up trouble daily.

Three cousins, Lily, Tess, and Rosie, live with their Aunt Lucy in a pretty blue house on Cobble Street. After school, the girls play in the attic while they wait for Aunt Lucy to come home from her colorful flower shop. One afternoon, the cousins decide to build a dollhouse that looks exactly like Aunt Lucy's shop. They make a trip to The Olde Craft Shoppe, where they find wonderful things for their dollhouse: tiny furniture and teapots. Won't Aunt Lucy be surprised when she sees what they have made!

A robin with poor eyesight has mistaken Freddy the pig's tail for a worm. Putting aside the poem he is writing, Freddy decides to help the poor bird solve his problem. But the solution just seems to lead to bigger problems.

Hiding from a cadaverous stalker in 1046 England, Thorston races to unleash the magical charms from the diabolical Book Without Words. Suddenly, with success almost in his grasp, he slumps to the floor, muttering cryptic words. Newbery Award-winning author Avi adds this jewel to his many literary gems.

During a visit to her grandma's house, a young girl discovers a box of poems in the attic - poems written by her mother when she was growing up. Her mother's family often moved around the United States and the world because her father was in the air force. Over the years her mother used poetry to record her experiences in the many places the family lived. Reading the poems and sharing those experiences through her mother's eyes, the young girl feels closer to her mother than ever before.

When Henry and his big dog Mudge see a spy kit for sale, they know right away that it's time to break open the piggy bank. With their spy hat and magnifying glass and secret code card, Henry and Mudge can flirt with danger, steal secrets, and start cracking codes. On their first spy mission, Henry tells Mudge to try not to look suspicious. Mudge rolls in the mud and chews on an old shoe, so no one will ever think he's a spy. But then Henry finds a piece of paper with a real spy code written on it.

Deep in the Kunlun Hills lives a deer whose fur has nine colors. One day she hears a cry for help and discovers a man drowning. Then, leaping from wave to wave, she saves him. When the man asks how he could ever repay this kindness, the Nine Color Deer simply requests that the man never reveal her whereabouts. Will he be able to keep his promise when the King and Queen offer a reward to anyone who can locate the Nine Color Deer? Inspired by a 1,500-year-old mural in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, China, Kailin Duan brings listeners a beautiful story about the power of kindness.

Twelve-year-old Marigold Lafleur is the last of a long line of aromages: witches who blend scents into practical charms using aromagic. But ever since a terrible accident injured her father and damaged Luna Island, Marigold and her sisters, Birdie and Lou, have vowed to abandon their family legacy and mama’s way of life. Shunned by their neighbors and overlooked by their parents, Marigold relies on her big sisters above all else. But when Marigold discovers a secret curse that threatens her family, her sisters can’t stop the impending danger.

This beginner's guide offers a first glimpse into the natural world of fish. In this bilingual addition to the acclaimed About series, educator and author Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children the basic characteristics of what fish are, how they swim, breathe, and reproduce, and the different ways they protect themselves from predators. An afterword provides further details on the fish featured and inspires young listeners to learn more.

Anatole's adventure begins and ends quietly beside the rosy brick dollhouse in Uncle Terrible's living room. But everything in between the beginning and the end is like a three-dimensional comic strip dream.

India, 1857. Meera's future has been planned for her for as long as she can remember. As a child, her parents married her to a boy from a neighboring village whom she barely knows. Later, on the eve of her thirteenth birthday, she prepares to leave her family to live with her husband's—just as her strict religion dictates. But that night, Indian soldiers mutiny against their British commanders and destroy the British ammunition depot, burning down parts of Delhi. Riots follow, and Meera's husband is killed.

It's 1953, and the Cold War is on. Communism threatens all that the United States stands for, and America needs every patriot to do their part. So when a Russian boarder moves into the home of 12-year-old Jake McCauley, he's on high alert. What does the mysterious Mr. Shubin do with all that photography equipment? And why did he choose to live so close to the Air Force base? Jake's mother says that Mr. Shubin knew Jake's dad, who went missing in action during World War II. But Jake is skeptical and determined to discover the truth - no matter what he risks.

Rufus and his snooty cousin Abigail soon become entangled in the tantalizing world of the feylings, mischievous fairy-like creatures desperate to find their way home. In helping the feylings, Rufus tumbles down a dark path rich with age-old secrets and difficult truths. Any move he makes might be his final fatal error - or perhaps, his most spectacular beginning. Award-winning author Dashka Slater spins a tale of friendship, magic, and eternal life in this evocative and witty middle-grade fantasy.

A little girl and her older friend poetically describe the garden as it changes through the seasons. This quiet, intergenerational story pays homage to experiencing nature as a child and as an adult. The two friends watch the birds, fly a kite, plant flowers and play in the snow. Ms. Zolotow's In My Garden was originally published in 1960.

My epic summer at Evil Scientist Summer Camp hasn't gone quite like I planned, but THIS week I will DEFINITELY be Evil Emperor of the Camp. I've been stocking up on evil inventions and Fang's been sharpening her claws. We're ready for anything! Okay, so maybe I wasn't really prepared to find out that Geeky Girl's grandmother is actually Madame Mako, inventor of the original volcano lair, and ruler of the most famous evil empire ever...but, this is going to be GREAT.

On a block dressed up in red and green, one house shone blue and white. It's a holiday season that both Isaac, whose family is Jewish, and Teresa, whose family is Christian, have looked forward to for months! They've been counting the days, playing in the snow, making cookies, drawing (Teresa) and writing poems (Isaac). They enjoy all the things they share, as well as the things that make them different. But when Isaac's window is smashed in the middle of the night, it seems like maybe not everyone appreciates "difference".

Critically acclaimed author and master of the macabre David Lubar is back with 30 more warped and creepy tales for fans of his best-selling Weenies story collections, which have sold more than 1.7 million copies to date.