Biography & Memoir Audiobooks

Guts & Glory: The American Civil War

Heart-stopping charges, dangerous secret operation, fearless spies, and legendary heroes from America's deadliest conflict! From female spies fighting for the Rebel cause to daring cavalry rides deep into enemy territory, Civil War history is filled with fearless figures and incredible events. This invigorating overview for kids uses exciting art, illustrated maps, and colorful facts to entertain readers with stories of the legendary heroes and unlikely but totally true events that make up one of America's most fascinating conflicts. A history buff and Civil War reenactor, Ben Thompson brings the Civil War to life for young historians and reluctant students alike. Guts & Glory is new nonfiction series featuring history's most amazing people, events, and civilizations. Book 2, Guts & Glory: The Vikings, comes out in Spring 2015!

Ben Thompson (Author), Ben Thompson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Thalia Kids' Book Club: An Afternoon with Lois Lowry

Reading and conversation with the treasured author of Number the Stars, The Giver, and many other favorite works for kids and teens. Special guest Sean Astin (The Goonies, The Lord of the Rings) will join Lowry for a celebration of The Newbery Medal-winning Number the Stars 25th anniversary. He and his wife have purchased the film rights and are proud to be adapting Number the Stars for the screen. Fellow author Lauren Oliver (Panic, Delirium) leads the conversation.

Lois Lowry (Author), Lauren Oliver, Sean Austin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Thomas Jefferson: President and Philosopher

In this special edition of the #1 New York Times bestselling Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham, young listeners will learn about the life and political philosophy of one of our Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States. He was one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence. But he was also a lawyer and an ambassador, an inventor and a scientist. He had a wide range of interests and hobbies, but his consuming interest was the survival and success of the United States. This audiobook contains a note from Meacham, as well as sections throughout the text about subjects such as the Boston Tea Party, the Library of Congress, and Napoléon Bonaparte. Additional materials include a timeline; a family tree; a Who’s Who in Jefferson’s world; sections on Jefferson’s original writings and correspondence, “inventions,” interests, places in Jefferson’s world, finding Jefferson in the United States today, additional reading, organizations, and websites; notes; a bibliography; and an index. This adaptation, ideal for those interested in American presidents, biographies, and the founding of the American republic, is an excellent example of informational writing and reflects Meacham’s extensive research using primary source material. Includes a bonus PDF of timelines, writings, and a bibliography. ***Please contact Member Services for additional documents***

Jon Meacham (Author), Edward Herrmann (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Closer: Young Readers Edition

Mariano Rivera never dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. He didn't grow up collecting baseball cards, playing Little League, or cheering on his home team at the World Series. He had never heard of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, or Mickey Mantle. One day, that all changed. From a childhood playing pickup games in Panama to an epic career with the New York Yankees, Mariano's rise to greatness has been anything but ordinary. He's the guy on the mound who doesn't hear the crowd, just the sound of the ump calling, Strike! The teammate you can rely on, even when the bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth. Whether you know him as Mo or as the Sandman, Mariano is The Closer, and this is his story. Full of tips for young athletes and tales from the Yankee clubhouse, The Closer: Young Readers Edition is an inspiring story of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication that have defined the life of a baseball legend.

Mariano Rivera (Author), Jon Curry, Timothy Jon Curry (Narrator)

Audiobook

Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar

Long before there was a band, there was a boy: a young Keith Richards, who was introduced to the joy of music through his beloved granddad, Theodore Augustus Dupree, affectionately known as "Gus," who was in a jazz big band and is the namesake of Keith's daughter, Theodora Dupree Richards. Gus & Me offers a rare and intimate look into the childhood of the legendary Keith Richards through this poignant and inspiring story that is lovingly illustrated with Theodora Richards's exquisite pen-and-ink collages. This unique autobiographical picture book honors the special bond between a grandfather and grandson and celebrates the artistic talents of the Richards family through the generations. It also includes selected photographs from the Richards family collection and an exclusive audio CD featuring bonus content.

Keith Richards (Author), Keith Richards (Narrator)

Audiobook

Guys Read: True Stories

Visiting the dentist, in ancient Egypt Spending a night in the jungle, with giant tarantulas Wrestling with a grizzly bear, and living to tell the tale The fifth installment in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading features ten stories that are 100% amazing, 100% adventurous, 100% unbelievable, and 100% true. A star-studded group of award-winning nonfiction authors and journalists provides something for every reader, all aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Compiled and edited by real-life literature legend Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: True Stories is a mind-blowing collection of essays, biographies, travelogues, and more, all proving that the truth is most definitely out there.

Candace Fleming, Douglas Florian, Elizabeth Partridge, James Sturm, Jim Murphy, Jon Scieszka, Nathan Hale, Steve Sheinkin, Sy Montgomery, T. Edward Nickens, Thanhha Lai, Thanhhà Lai (Author), Adam Conner, Bruce Thomas, Ethan Sawyer, Freda Foh Shen, George Newbern, Greg Itzin, Hillary Huber, Jack Garrett, Jim Beaver, Macleod Andrews, Robin Weigert, Thaao Penghlis (Narrator)

Audiobook

Boy: Tales of Childhood

Puffin presents the new, unabridged audiobook edition of Roald Dahl's bestselling autobiography Boy, read by Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey. Throughout his young days at school and just afterwards, a number of things happened to Roald Dahl, which made such a tremendous impression he never forgot them. Boy is the remarkable story of Roald Dahl's childhood; tales of exciting and strange things - some funny, some frightening, all true.

Roald Dahl (Author), Dan Stevens (Narrator)

Audiobook

Going Solo

Penguin presents the new, unabridged audiobook edition of Roald Dahl's Going Solo, read by Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens. The second part of Roald Dahl's remarkable life story, following on from Boy. When he grew up, Roald Dahl left England for Africa - and a series of dangerous adventures began. From tales of plane crashes to surviving snake bites, this is Roald Dahl's extraordinary life before becoming the world's number one storyteller.

Roald Dahl (Author), Dan Stevens (Narrator)

Audiobook

Gus and Me

Keith's grandfather, Theodore Augustus Dupree lived near Seven Sisters Road, in a house filled with instruments and cakes. A nostalgic look back at happy childhood days as the Rolling Stone star remembers his grandfather - a former big band player who encouraged his grandson to take up the guitar. Includes a reading of the story and additional guitar music from Keith Richards. (P)2004 Orion Publishing Group.Ltd

Keith Richards (Author), Keith Richards (Narrator)

Audiobook

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)

I Am Malala is the memoir of a remarkable teenage girl who risked her life for the right to go to school. Raised in a changing Pakistan by an enlightened father from a poor background and a beautiful, illiterate mother from a political family, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. I Am Malala tells her story of bravery and determination in the face of extremism, detailing the daily challenges of growing up in a world transformed by terror. Written for her peers with critically-acclaimed author Patricia McCormick, this important book, which will include photos and illustrations, is about the value of speaking out against intolerance and hate. It's a message of hope from one girl who dreams of education for every girl in every country.

Malala Yousafzai, Patricia McCormick (Author), Neela Vaswani (Narrator)

Audiobook

Brown Girl Dreaming

The "It" book you absolutely must pack in your beach bag-an addictively juicy novel of celebrity love gone wrong. - An EW Best Book of 2015 for the Pop Culture Fanatic in Your Life "Readers who come for the dirt, real or imagined, won't be disappointed; there's plenty of gold in these True Hollywood hills." -Entertainment Weekly Chosen as a Great Summer Read by: - USA Today - People Magazine - Entertainment Weekly - Good Housekeeping - Cosmopolitan - Vogue.com - The Hollywood Reporter - "[A] delicious beach read." -People Magazine "A hilarious, tabloid-trashing gotcha novel." -Vanity Fair "A juicy work of shocking betrayal."-Us Weekly "I've had a million meetings in my acting career, and I had no idea that this would be the one that would change my life forever. I walked into the room, and there was Rob . . . in the flesh." Actress Lizzie Pepper was America's Girl Next Door and her marriage to Hollywood mega-star Rob Mars was tabloid gold-a whirlwind romance and an elaborate celebrity-studded wedding landed them on the cover of every celebrity weekly. But fame, beauty, and wealth weren't enough to keep their marriage together. Hollywood's "It" couple are over-and now Lizzie is going to tell her side of the story. Celebrity ghostwriter Hilary Liftin chronicles the tabloids' favorite marriage as Lizzie Pepper realizes that, when the curtain falls, her romance isn't what she and everyone else thought. From her lonely holidays in sumptuous villas to her husband's deep commitment to a disconcertingly repressive mind-body group, Lizzie reveals a side of fame that her fans never get to see. Full of twists and turns, Movie Star by Lizzie Pepper is a breathless journey to the heights of Hollywood power and royalty and a life in the spotlight that is nearly impossible to escape. From the Hardcover edition.

Jacqueline Woodson (Author), Jacqueline Woodson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Lives of the Explorers: Discoveries, Disasters (and What the Neighbors Thought)

You might know that Columbus discovered America, Lewis and Clark headed west with Sacajawea, and Sally Ride blasted into space. But what do you really know about these bold explorers? What were they like as kids? What pets or bad habits did they have? And what drove their passion to explore unknown parts of the world? With juicy tidbits about everything from favorite foods to first loves, Lives of the Explorers reveals these fascinating adventurers as both world-changers and real people. The entertaining style and solid research of the Lives of . . . series of biographies have made it a favorite with families and educators for twenty years. This new volume takes readers through the centuries and across the globe, profiling the men and women whose curiosity and courage have led them to discover our world. “Tells of daring, curious, hardy men (mostly) and women from different countries and eras who took bold risks in uncharted territories out of senses of adventure, curiosity, and mission…Readers will enjoy delving into the exploits of intrepid explorers across time and, literally, space.”—Kirkus Reviews

Kathleen Krull (Author), Amanda Dolan (Narrator)

Audiobook