Criss Cross

Maniac Magee

• UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 14 mins)
• By Jerry Spinelli
• Narrated By S. Epatha Merkerson

He wasn't born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. And Maniac Magee became a legend. Even today kids talk about how fast he could run; about how he hit an inside-the-park "frog" homer; about how no knot, no matter how snarled, would stay that way once he began to untie it. But the thing Maniac Magee is best known for is what he did for the kids from the East Side and those from the West Side.

Poems for Two Voices: Joyful Noise, I Am Phoenix

• UNABRIDGED (31 mins)
• By Paul Fleischman
• Narrated By Melissa Hughes, Scott Snively

Paul Fleischman's Poems for Two Voices make for irresistable listening. Whether funny, sad, boisterous or serene, each poem is a virtuoso performance - skillfully illuminating a unique personality from the natural world.

The Tale of Despereaux

• UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 25 mins)
• By Kate DiCamillo
• Narrated By Graeme Malcolm
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

This is the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in darkness but covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl with a simple, impossible wish. These characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and ultimately, into each other's lives.

Kira-Kira

• UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 29 mins)
• By Cynthia Kadohata
• Narrated By Elaina Erika Davis
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

kira-kira (kee' ra kee' ra): glittering; shining

Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason. And so are people's eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop them on the street to stare.

The Wednesday Wars

• UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 27 mins)
• By Gary D. Schmidt
• Narrated By Joel Johnstone

Holling Hoodhood is really in for it. He's just started seventh grade with Mrs. Baker, a teacher he knows is out to get him. The year is 1967, and everyone has bigger things to worry about, especially Vietnam. Then there's the family business. As far as Holling's father is concerned, the Hoodhoods need to be on their best behavior: the success of Hoodhood and Associates depends on it.