Showing results by publisher "Listening Library" in Literature & Fiction

One lousy miracle. Is that too much to ask? Evidently so for Joel, as he tries to survive Hannukah 1971 in the suburbs of the suburbs of Los Angeles (or, as he calls it, "The Land of Shriveled Dreams"). That's no small task when you're a "seriously funny-looking" 12-year-old magician who dreams of being his own superhero: Normalman. And Joel's a long way from that as the only Jew at Bixby School, where his attempts to make himself disappear fail spectacularly.

They called it the killing day. Twelve people murdered, in the space of a few hours, their killers also all dead by their own hand...except one. And that one has no answers to offer the shattered town. Something is waking in the sleepy town of Oleander, Kansas - something dark and hungry that lives in the flat earth and the open sky, in the vengeful hearts of its upstanding citizens. As the town begins a descent into blood and madness, five survivors of the killing day are the only ones who can stop Oleander from destroying itself.

It's 1991, and John "Spud" Milton's journey to manhood is still creeping along at a snail's pace. Nearly 15, Spud's starting his second year at boarding school and - to his utter mortification - he's still a spud! To make things worse, his dorm mates, the legendary Crazy Eight, have an unusual new member (Roger the cat), and his house is home to a new batch of unruly first-years. Spud is soon plagued with women trouble, coerced into expulsion-worthy adventures, and frustrated to find his dreams of fame in tatters after a disastrous production of Noah's Ark.

Quiet misfit Rose doesn't expect to fall in love with the sleepy beach town of Leonora. Nor does she expect to become fast friends with beautiful, vivacious Pearl Kelly, organizer of the high school float at the annual Harvest Festival parade. It's better not to get too attached when Rose and her father live on the road, driving their caravan from one place to the next whenever her dad gets itchy feet. But Rose can't resist the mysterious charms of the town or the popular girl, try as she might.

In 17th century England, a terrible accident forces orphaned Philip Marsham to flee London in fear for his life. Bred to the sea, he signs on with the Rose of Devon, a dark frigate bound for the quiet shores of Newfoundland.Philip's bold spirit and knowledge of the sea soon win him his captain's regard. But when the Rose of Devon is seized in mid-ocean by a devious group of men plucked from a floating wreck, Phlip is forced to accompany these "gentlemen of fortune" on their murderous expeditions. Like it or not, Philip Marsham is now a pirate - with only the hangman awaiting his return to England.With its bloody battles, brutal buccaneers, and bold, spirited hero, this rousing tale will enthrall all listeners in search of seafaring adventure.

Nicholas's father grew up in Brooklyn, but you'd hardly know it. An Italian dinner at Nicholas's house in the suburbs is whole wheat pasta, organic tomato sauce, and, if he's lucky, a tofu meatball. And Brooklyn? Well, Brooklyn is the place his father left and never talks about. Nicholas has never been there, and he doesn't want to go now.

Whether it's the adventures of Greek gods and goddesses or Norse trickster tales, we all love to hear a good story. Best-selling author Kenneth C. Davis gives readers a taste of these enchanting myths and the diverse people who tell them. In his trademark question-and-answer style peppered with entertaining sidebars and quotes, he also shows how almost every civilization's mythology shares common themes.

You've maybe heard the story about how John Hawkins "ran away with his pet dog". But the truth is that John and Mouse left to save Tom, and that Mouse is much more than just an ordinary dog.

The BSG can't believe their luck. . . . Mr. Ramsey has to travel out West for research, and he's taking all the BSG on a trip to a real Montana dude ranch. Skiing, snowboarding, cowboys, wild animals, celebrities. . . it s the recipe for an amazing adventure! During a raging snowstorm, some of the BSG get stranded in a ghost town, where they unfold a mystery about the town's sole resident. Will the girls reunite before everyone gets totally creeped out?

Fourteen-year-old Graham Sinclair was born with huge, strange hands. He was also born with a secret. The only time he ever told someone his secret, it got him into big trouble. So he won’t be telling anyone ever again—or so he thinks. In this suspenseful and magical debut novel, Graham finds his life suddenly, thrillingly complicated—and his secret harder and harder to conceal.

School is out in the summer of 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee. For Frances Robinson, a 15-year-old daydreamer with a crush on her teacher, John T. Scopes, summer vacation promises tennis and Coca-Colas from her father's drug store. But when Frances' father, the school board chairman, has Scopes arrested for teaching evolution, the sleepiest place on earth becomes a hotbed for famous thinkers, including H.L. Mencken, Clarence Darrow, and William Jennings Bryan.

Dino, Jon, and Ben have each got problems; a girlfriend who won't put out, a girlfriend who won't give up, and a predatory teacher...just for starters.

Conceived on a May morning, Nell is claimed by the piskies and faeries as a merrybegot, one of their own. She is a wild child: herb gatherer and healer, spell-weaver and midwife...and, some say, a witch.

A famous Hollywood director comes to the Brookline Movie House to run a special New York Film Academy film camp, and Maeve couldn't be more excited - especially when she finds out this director is bringing her dreamy actor son! But Maeve's quest for the spotlight is interrupted by Madeline, the beautiful, talented, and ultra-rich daughter of the famous Krupcake King. She wants to star in the movie, too.

The adventures of a talking wooden puppet who yearns to become a real boy.