Historical Audiobooks

Timothy of the Cay

In the novel The Cay, a young white boy and an old black man are stranded on a small sandy cay in the Caribbean Sea following a shipwreck. Eleven-year-old Phillip was blinded by flying debris when a torpedo struck the SS Hato, and old Timothy has taught him how to survive. This prequel-sequel tells the rest of their tale in alternating chapters--the compelling story of two very different people who share the courage and tenacity to turn their dreams into reality.

Theodore Taylor (Author), Jeff Woodman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!

Young Mary Elouise is unhappy about who she is, until two African storytellers come to her school and help her to appreciate the value of her heritage. Eleanora E. Tate shares the richness of the contemporary African American experience with themes that speak to young readers of every color: self-acceptance, a healthy pride, and the importance of family and of community.

Eleanora Tate (Author), Kim Staunton (Narrator)

Audiobook

Magic Tree House Collection: Books 9-16

Books 9–16 of the New York Times bestselling Magic Tree House series! These eight titles are the perfect gift for a Magic Tree House fan or any child who loves a good adventure. Parents, teachers, and librarians hail the chapter-book series as a tool to promote reading, as even the most reluctant readers want to know where the Magic Tree House will take the brother-and-sister team next.   In books 9–12, Morgan le Fay, the magical librarian of Camelot, challenges Jack and Annie to find the answers to four riddles. To do so, they must travel under the sea and to the Wild West, the African plains, and the frozen Arctic. It’s a difficult and dangerous task, but if Jack and Annie succeed, they will become Master Librarians! In books 13–16, Jack and Annie must save stories that have been lost in history. Morgan, the magical librarian of Camelot, sends them to find the books in the ancient worlds of Roman Pompeii, imperial China, Dark Age Ireland, and classical Greece. Will Jack and Annie be able to save the stories in their darkest hours . . . or will the books be lost forever?   Audiobooks in this set include: Dolphins at Daybreak (#9), Ghost Town at Sundown (#10), Lions at Lunchtime (#11), Polar Bears Past Bedtime (#12), Vacation Under the Volcano (#13), Day of the Dragon King (#14), Viking Ships at Sunrise (#15), and Hour of the Olympics (#16). "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)

Audiobook

Calendar Quest: A 5,000 Year Trek through Western History with Father Time

What do bald men in skirts, ancient geeks, pompous popes, and bickering bishops have in common? They all took part in shaping the calendar that hangs on your wall. Together with a host of famous and not-so-famous others, they adjusted, fine-tuned, and tinkered around with what would eventually become the western world's most popular tool for keeping track of time. Follow Lindsie and Evan as they accompany Father Time on a wild ride through five thousand years of hilarious history.

Jennifer Johnson Garrity (Author), Lloyd James (Narrator)

Audiobook

Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule

Twelve-year-old Pascal can hardly believe his ears. His older, run-away brother has returned to the plantation with an amazing story: President Lincoln has freed the slaves. Not only that, each newly-freed family can have 40 acres of land and maybe a mule, just for the asking. Now all Pascal and his brother have to do is sneak away from their angry master-and find out where the government is giving away farmland. But as they search, they still must hide from men who would force them back to slavery. Will Pascal ever know true freedom? The granddaughter of slaves on Robert E. Lee's Virginia estate, Harriette Gillem Robinet bases this story on research and oral stories of slavery. Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule sheds new light on the little understood time of Reconstruction in the South. Narrator Andrea Johnson vividly brings to life the adventures that could have happened to one small group of African Americans.

Harriette Gillem Robinet (Author), Andrea Johnson (Narrator)

Audiobook

For Freedom: The Story of a French Spy

No one would guess that a 13-year-old schoolgirl and singer named Suzanne would become one of France's great heroes. But when the German army occupies her home town of Cherbourg during World War II, Suzanne learns that there are some things worth fighting for, any way she can. Recruited by the French Resistance, Suzanne becomes a spy covertly working for a noble cause. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's historical novel is a captivating tale of courage.

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Author), Carine Montbertrand (Narrator)

Audiobook

Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?

A fast-paced, madcap adventure--with a fresh new cover treatment--from the always surprising raconteur, Avi! It's the spring of 1945 in Brooklyn, and while WWII rages in Europe, sixth grader Frankie Wattleson--inspired by the heroics of The Lone Ranger and other radio show idols--sets out to right the wrongs of the world. Frankie is so caught up in his superhero stories that he becomes convinced the tenant renting his brother's room is a mad scientist. Can Frankie and his trusty sidekick, Mario, save the world from an evil genius? Or will Frankie's mother pull the plug on their schemes before they can save the day? Told exclusively through dialogue and radio excerpts, this fast-paced story shows off Avi's versatility and incomparable storytelling skills.

Avi (Author), Jeff Woodman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Weasel

In 1839, deep in the Ohio woods, a boy's life is changed forever by two people: a voiceless old man and a dangerous killer named Weasel. An American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, and a School Library Journal Best Book, Weasel is filled with danger and suspense.

Cynthia DeFelice (Author), Jeff Woodman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Great Explorers of the World

Here are the stories of nine great adventures and the lives of the men who took part in them. They pushed back the frontiers of man's knowledge of the world by their vision, courage and sheer doggedness. They were very different people - from bold adventurers facing the unknown with enjoyment to careful, more scientific individuals. Their journeys are placed within their historical context, but also contain the words of the men themselves. Written especially for Naxos Audiobooks.

David Angus (Author), Frances Jeater, Kerry Shale, Nicolas Soames, Sam Dastor (Narrator)

Audiobook

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Ortega possesses all the treasures a young girl could want: fancy dresses; a beautiful home filled with servants in the bountiful region of Aguascalientes, Mexico; and the promise of one day rising to Mama's position and presiding over all of El Rancho de las Rosas. But a sudden tragedy shatters that dream, forcing Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. There they confront the challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great Depression. When Mama falls ill from Valley Fever and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must relinquish her hold on the past and learn to embrace a future ripe with the riches of family and community. Pam Munoz Ryan eloquently portrays the Mexican workers' plight in this abundant and passionate novel that gives voice to those who have historically been denied one.

Pam Munoz Ryan, Pam Muñoz Ryan (Author), Trini Alvarado (Narrator)

Audiobook

Maggie's Door

We will dance on the cliffs of Brooklyn. Maggies Door is the story of the journey from Ireland to America told by both Nory and her neighbor and friend Sean Red Mallon, two different stories with the same destination, the home of Norys sister Maggie, at 416 Smith Street, Brooklyn, America. Patricia Reilly Giff calls upon her long research into Irish history and her great powers as a storyteller in this deeply involving, riveting stand-alone companion novel to Nory Ryans Song.From the Hardcover edition.

Patricia Reilly Giff (Author), Fionnula Flanagan (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Family Apart

In 1860, life in New York City's slums is hard and dangerous. For a widow with six children, it is impossible. So when Mrs. Kelly learns of the Children's Aid Society, she sees a way to provide for her children. They will be sent west on an "orphan train" to families eager for help on their farms. Thirteen-year-old Mary Frances is confused and angry. How could a mother send her children away? At her new home in Missouri, however, Mary Frances is surprised to discover that the kind family provides a refuge on the Underground Railroad. Their sacrifices will finally help her understand her mother's difficult decision. Joan Lowery Nixon is a four-time winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Best Juvenile Mystery Award. She has also received two Golden Spur Awards. The author of more than a hundred books for children, she was inspired to write The Orphan Train Adventures by the true stories of its children. Through Barbara Caruso's lively narration, A Family Apart quickly draws listeners into Mary Frances' world.

Joan Lowery Nixon (Author), Barbara Caruso (Narrator)

Audiobook