Biographies & History

Sterling Biographies: Abraham Lincoln: From Pioneer to President

• UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 40 mins)
• By Ellen Blue Phillips
• Narrated By Roscoe Orman

"Honest Abe", "The Great Emancipator", "The Martyr": Abraham Lincoln was perhaps America's greatest president. He is also deeply beloved by many, who are inspired by Lincoln's unwavering sense of justice and willingness to fight for his beliefs.

Young listeners will marvel at Lincoln's path to greatness, from his humble beginnings as a poor Illinois rail splitter up through his election as America's 16th president, and into the dark days of the Civil War - leading to his tragic assassination.

Who Was Thomas Alva Edison?

• UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 2 mins)
• By Margaret Frith
• Narrated By Kevin Pariseau

One day in 1882, Thomas Edison flipped a switch that lit up lower Manhattan with incandescent light and changed the way people live ever after. The electric light bulb was only one of thousands of Edison's inventions, which include the phonograph and the kinetoscope, an early precursor to the movie camera. As a boy, observing a robin catch a worm and then take flight, he fed a playmate a mixture of worms and water to see if she could fly!

Pink and Say

• UNABRIDGED (22 mins)
• By Patricia Polacco
• Narrated By Melba Sibrel, Hal Hollings

Drawing from the rich store of Civil War reminiscences handed down in her family, acclaimed author Patricia Polacco tells the true story of a remarkable wartime friendship between a young white Union soldier, Say Curtis, and a young black Union soldier, Pinkus Aylee. They are captured by Confederate soldiers and sent to Andersonville Prison.

Mozart, El Nino Prodigo: Una Historia Contada (Texto Completo) [Mozart, The Boy Prodigy ]

• UNABRIDGED (56 mins)
• By Yoyo USA, Inc

Como era la vida diaria de ese niño, Mozart, que a los cinco años tocaba ante los reyes y componía sinfonías, es la base de esta dramatización.

Who Was Harry Houdini?

• UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 18 mins)
• By Tui Sutherland
• Narrated By Kevin Pariseau

Every kid has heard of Harry Houdini, the famous magician who could escape from handcuffs, jail cells, and locked trunks. But do they know that the ever-ambitious and adventurous Houdini was also a famous movie star and the first pilot to fly a plane in Australia?

Great Stories Volume 3 (Dramatized)

• ABRIDGED (5 hrs and 7 mins)
• By Your Story Hour
• Narrated By Chet Damron, Carole Pezet

Dramatized audio stories on the lives of Robert E. Lee, Johnny Appleseed, Sacagawea and others will inspire children as they learn about history.

The First Fort

• UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 37 mins)
• By Beverly Enwall
• Narrated By Beverly Enwall

William Ruffin of Rouen, France, was 16 years old in 1562 when he sailed for the New World. This story is based on theevents of his adventures as documented by both French and Spanish eyewitness chroniclers. Because French Protestants(called Huguenots) were persecuted in France, they hoped to find gold in the New World and with it buy the King's favor. In order to avoid the Spanish who "owned" so much of America, they landed north of Florida, on thecoast of South Carolina.

The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

• UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 59 mins)
• By Michael Morpurgo
• Narrated By Jenny Agutter, Michael Morpurgo

It's 1943 and Lily Tregenza lives on a farm in the idyllic seaside village of Slapton. Apart from her father being away, and the 'townie' evacuees at school, her life is scarcely touched by the war. Until one day, when Lily and her family, along with 3000 other villagers, are told to move out of their homes: lock, stock, and barrel.

Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story

• UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 26 mins)
• By Andrea Warren
• Narrated By Laura Hicks

Between 1854 and 1930, more than 200,000 orphaned or abandoned children were sent west on orphan trains to find new homes. Some were adopted by loving families; others were not as fortunate. In recent years, some of the riders have begun to share their stories. Andrea Warren alternates chapters about the history of the orphan trains with the story of Lee Nailling, who in 1926 rode an orphan train to Texas.

I Am Lavina Cumming

• UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 52 mins)
• By Susan Lowell
• Narrated By Barbara Caruso

In 1905, 10-year-old Lavina Cumming hugs her father good-bye and boards a train headed north. She is leaving her father, her five brothers, and her ranch in Arizona Territory to live with her rich aunt in California. With warmth and charm, award-winning author Susan Lowell paints a unique portrait of life in historic California. I Am Lavina Cumming blends adventure, friendship, and southwestern lore into a delightful story that will win the hearts of young listeners everywhere.

Henry and the Cannons: An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution

• UNABRIDGED (7 mins)
• By Don Brown
• Narrated By Matthew Brown

Before Washington crossed the Delaware, Henry Knox crossed Massachusetts in winter - with 59 cannons in tow. In 1775 in the dead of winter, a bookseller named Henry Knox dragged 59 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston - 225 miles of lakes, forest, mountains, and few roads. It was a feat of remarkable ingenuity and determination and one of the most remarkable stories of the revolutionary war.

Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria

• UNABRIDGED (13 mins)
• By Kyra E. Hicks
• Narrated By Sheri Pigott

Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria is the true story of Martha Ann Ricks, an ex-slave who spent 50 years saving spare coins to fulfill her dream of meeting the Queen of England. Martha Ann is 12 years old when Papa finally saves enough money to purchase her freedom from slavery. In 1830, the family leaves east Tennessee to begin a new life in Liberia. On market days, Martha Ann watches the British navy patrolling the Liberian coast to stop slave catchers from kidnapping her family and friends. Martha Ann decides to thank Queen Victoria in person....