Historical Audiobooks

Riding Freedom

Charlotte Parkhurst was raised in an orphanage for boys, which suited her just fine. She didn't like playing with dolls, she could hold her own in a fight, and she loved to work in the stable. Charlotte had a special way with horses and wanted to spend her life training and riding them on a ranch of her own. The problem was, as a girl in the mid-1800s, Charlotte was expected to live a much different life-one without the freedoms she dreamed of. But Charlotte was smart and determined, and she figured out a way to live her life the way she wanted. Charlotte became an expert horse rider, a legendary stagecoach driver, and the first woman ever to vote. And she did these things at a time when they were outlawed for women. How? With a plan so clever and so secret-almost no one figured it out. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

Pam Munoz Ryan, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Pat Lessie (Author), Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

Audiobook

The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers Book 2: A King's Ransom

The Vespers have ordered Amy and Dan to find a legendary map that belonged to Marco Polo, and the hunt takes them to Easter Europe where they make a terrifying discovery about one of their supposed "allies."

Jude Watson (Author), David Pittu (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Fire

Winner of the Newbery Honor! The Great Fire of 1871 was one of the most colossal disasters in American history-with damage so profound that few people believed the city of Chicago could ever rise again. By weaving personal accounts of actual survivors together with careful research, Jim Murphy constructs a riveting and dramatic narrative, ultimately revealing how the human spirit triumphed even in a time of deepest despair, and the people of Chicago found the courage and strength to build their city once again. Recommended for Grades 5 and up.

Jim Murphy (Author), Taylor Mali (Narrator)

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The Story Of The Treasure Seekers : Being the Adventures of the Bastable Children in Search of a For

First published in 1899, The Story of the Treasure Seekers tells the tale of the Bastable children, Dora, Oswald, Dickie, Noel, Alice, and H.O. (short for Horace Octavius) and their attempts to restore the fallen fortunes of their family. They devise a series of plans to find or make money, varying from digging for treasure to being bandits, from going into business to rescuing rich elderly gentlemen from deadly peril. Their schemes have varying degrees of success, but the real treasure turns out to come from a very different source than they imagined. Edith Nesbit's story has delighted generations of children and their parents - and will continue to entertain future generations to come.

Edith Nesbit (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Lily Pond

A Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book and an ALA-ALSC Notable Childrens Book, The Lily Pond continues the story of two Jewish sisters who left Austria during WWII/Holocaust and found refuge in Sweden. A year after Stephie Steiner and her younger sister, Nellie, left Nazi-occupied Vienna, Stephie has finally adapted to life on the rugged Swedish island where she now lives. But more change awaits Stephie: her foster parents have allowed her to enroll in school on the mainland, in Goteberg. Stephie is eager to go. Not only will she be pursuing her studies, she'll be living in a cultured city again - under the same roof as Sven, the son of the lodgers who rented her foster parents' cottage for the summer. Five years her senior, Sven dazzles Stephie with his charm, his talk of equality, and his anti-Hitler sentiments. Stephie can't help herself - she's falling in love. As she navigates a sea of new emotions, she also grapples with what it means to be beholden to others, with her constant worry about what her parents are enduring back in Vienna, and with the menacing spread of Nazi ideology, even in Sweden. In these troubled times, her true friends, Stephie discovers, are the ones she least expected. From the Hardcover edition.

Annika Thor (Author), Amy Rubinate (Narrator)

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The Apothecary

It's 1952 and the Scott family has just moved from Los Angeles to London. Here, fourteen-year-old Janie meets a mysterious apothecary and his son, Benjamin Burrows - a fascinating boy who's not afraid to stand up to authority and dreams of becoming a spy. When Benjamin's father is kidnapped, Janie and Benjamin must uncover the secrets of the apothecary's sacred book, the Pharmacopoeia, in order to find him, all while keeping it out of the hands of their enemies - Russian spies in possession of nuclear weapons. Discovering and testing potions they never believed could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous race to save the apothecary and prevent impending disaster.

Maile Meloy (Author), Cristin Milioti (Narrator)

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Caesar Rodney's Ride: Eighty Miles for Freedom

On the afternoon of July 1, 1776, Caesar Rodney received a letter from a fellow Delaware delegate urging him to return to Philadelphia at once. The congress was on the verge of casting the vote for independence. Battling bad weather and physical handicaps, Caesar Rodney embarked on a journey that would change the course of history. Here is the dramatic story of that ride, set against the extraordinary events of July 1776, with the remarkable men who shaped them, including John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Dickinson, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Caesar Rodney. Jan Cheripko presents the burning issues of that time, the men who fought for them, and the story of the great patriot whose breakneck ride for freedom served to ensure the birth of the United States.

Jan Cheripko (Author), Richard Poe (Narrator)

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Lafayette and the American Revolution

Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman's thrilling account of a daring young French nobleman who helped bring victory at Yorktown and who became a lifelong friend of President Washington will fascinate young historians. When the Marquis de Lafayette ran off to join the American Revolution against the explicit orders of the king of France, he was a strong-willed nineteen-year-old who had never set foot on a battlefield. Although the U.S. Congress granted him an honorary commission only out of respect for his title and wealth, Lafayette quickly earned the respect of his fellow officers with his bravery, devotion to the cause of liberty, and incredible drive. Playing a pivotal role in the Revolution, Lafayette convinced the French government to send troops, made crucial pacts with Native Americans, and led his men to victory at Yorktown.

Russell Freedman (Author), Luis Moreno (Narrator)

Audiobook

Birmingham Sunday

Racial bombings were so frequent in Birmingham that it became known as ''Bombingham.'' Until September 15, 1963, these attacks had been threatening but not deadly. On that Sunday morning, however, a blast in the 16th Street Baptist Church ripped through the exterior wall and claimed the lives of four girls. The church was the ideal target for segregationists, as it was the rallying place for Birmingham's African American community, Martin Luther King, Jr., using it as his ''headquarters'' when he was in town to further the cause of desegregation and equal rights. Rather than triggering paralyzing fear, the bombing was the definitive act that guaranteed passage of the landmark 1964 civil rights legislation. Birmingham Sunday centers on this fateful day and places it in historical context.

Larry Dane Brimner (Author), Robin Miles (Narrator)

Audiobook

Across America on an Emigrant Train

In the summer of 1879, the young writer Robert Louis Stevenson received a telegram from America. Fanny, a dear friend in California, was ill. Stevenson packed his bags and left his home in Scotland. When the steamer reached the east coast of America, his journey had just begun. Stevenson had little money, so he traveled across America the cheapest way: he went by train. The trip from New York to Monterey, California, would take two exciting weeks. As the train chugged up mountains, through Indian territory, and over trestle bridges, Stevenson recorded his impressions of the rough, vast country and the people he met. Jim Murphy weaves a lively account of Stevenson's journey with fascinating glimpses of the construction of the transcontinental railroad. It is a vivid introduction to one of the most important chapters in the history of the American West. Richard M. Davidson's compelling narration makes the personal journey and the historical information truly accessible to young listeners.

Jim Murphy (Author), Richard M. Davidson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Lunch-Box Dream

In this compelling novel, Golden Kite Award-winning children's author Tony Abbott explores Jim Crow laws and family strife from multiple perspectives. During the summer of 1959, Bobby and his family are visiting Civil War battlefields. Tempers flare as an accident cuts their trip short and forces them to return home by bus. On their journey, they witness a black family getting denied bus seats. In brief flashes of insight, young Bobby begins to question his assumptions about race.

Tony Abbott (Author), Brian Schreier, Brian Schreier, Kevin R. Free, Robin Miles (Narrator)

Audiobook

Magic Tree House Collection: Books 1-8

Books 1-8 of the New York Times bestselling Magic Tree House series plus an interview with Mary Pope Osborne! Meet Jack and Annie! Jack and his younger sister, Annie, are just regular kids. But when they discover a tree house in the woods, something magical happens. In books 1-4, Jack and Annie are whisked back in time to the Age of Dinosaurs, a medieval castle, ancient pyramids, and treasure-seeking pirates. In books 5-8, Jack and Annie's friend, Morgan le Fay, is in trouble! They must find four "M" things to free her from a spell. Their adventures take them to meet a ninja master in ancient Japan, flee a crocodile on the Amazon River, discover the cave people of the Ice Age, and blast off to the moon in the future. It's a difficult and dangerous mission, but Jack and Annie will do anything to save a friend! Audiobooks in this set include: Dinosaurs Before Dark (#1), The Knight at Dawn (#2), Mummies in the Morning (#3), Pirates Past Noon (#4), Night of the Ninjas (#5), Afternoon on the Amazon (#6), Sunset of the Sabertooth (#7), and Midnight on the Moon (#8). Mary Pope Osborne brings together just the right combination of history, magic, and fast-paced adventure to satisfy kids, parents, teachers, and librarians all over the world with her New York Times bestselling series. "Osborne's narration is low-key and well-paced. A great way to introduce children who are reluctant readers or can't yet read to this highly entertaining book series and to reading in general."--Chicago Parent   “Osborne's soothing, beautifully articulated voice and knack for characterization are reliably pleasing."—AudioFile

Mary Pope Osborne (Author), Mary Pope Osborne (Narrator)

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