Audiobooks Narrated by Jennifer Ikeda

When Can We Go Back to America?: Voices of Japanese American Incarceration during WWII

"Four starred reviews! A Kirkus Reviews Best YA Nonfiction of 2021 In this "riveting and indispensable" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) narrative history of Japanese Americans before, during, and after their World War II incarceration, Susan H. Kamei weaves together the voices of over 130 individuals who lived through this tragic episode, most of them as young adults. It's difficult to believe it happened here, in the Land of the Free: After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States government forcibly removed more than 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry from the Pacific Coast and imprisoned them in desolate detention camps until the end of World War II just because of their race. In what Secretary Norman Y. Mineta describes as a "landmark book," he and others who lived through this harrowing experience tell the story of their incarceration and the long-term impact of this dark period in American history. For the first time, why and how these tragic events took place are interwoven with more than 130 individual voices of those who were unconstitutionally incarcerated, many of them children and young adults. Now more than ever, their words will resonate with readers who are confronting questions about racial identity, immigration, and citizenship, and what it means to be an American."

Susan H. Kamei (Author), Allison Hiroto, Andrew Kishino, Jennifer Ikeda, Kurt Kanazawa, Mizuo Peck (Narrator)

Audiobook

Just Listen

"From the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of The Rest of the Story comes a moving novel about the power of finding and speaking your truth. When she’s modeling, Annabel Greene is the picture of perfection—the girl who has everything.   But her real life is far from perfect. Her best friend Sophie and she are no longer speaking; her older sister’s eating disorder is affecting everything at home.   Then she meets Owen. He’s intense, music-obsessed, and dedicated to always telling the truth.   And most of all, he’s determined to make Annabel happy. . .   “This is young adult fiction at its best.” —School Library Journal"

Sarah Dessen (Author), Jennifer Ikeda (Narrator)

Audiobook

Farewell to Manzanar

"The powerful true story of life in a Japanese American internment camp. During World War II the community called Manzanar was hastily created in the high mountain desert country of California, east of the Sierras. Its purpose was to house thousands of Japanese American internees. One of the first families to arrive was the Wakatsukis, who were ordered to leave their fishing business in Long Beach and take with them only the belongings they could carry. For Jeanne Wakatsuki, a seven-year-old child, Manzanar became a way of life in which she struggled and adapted, observed and grew. For her father it was essentially the end of his life. In Farewell to Manzanar, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston recalls life at Manzanar through the eyes of the child she was. She tells of her fear, confusion, and bewilderment as well as the dignity and great resourcefulness of people in oppressive and demeaning circumstances. Jeanne delivers a powerful first-person account that reveals her search for the meaning of Manzanar. Farewell to Manzanar has become a staple of curriculum in schools and on campuses across the country. Named one of the twentieth century’s 100 best nonfiction books from west of the Rockies by the San Francisco Chronicle."

James D. Houston, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston (Author), Jennifer Ikeda (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Place to Belong

"Five starred reviews! "Another gift from Kadohata to her readers." —Booklist (starred review) A Japanese American family, reeling from their ill treatment in the Japanese imprisonment camps, gives up their American citizenship to move back to Hiroshima, unaware of the devastation wreaked by the atomic bomb in this piercing and all too relevant look at the aftermath of World War II by Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata. World War II has ended, but while America has won the war, twelve-year-old Hanako feels lost. To her, the world, and her world, seems irrevocably broken. America, the only home she's ever known, imprisoned then rejected her and her family—and thousands of other innocent Americans—because of their Japanese heritage, because Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Japan, the country they've been forced to move to, the country they hope will be the family's saving grace, where they were supposed to start new and better lives, is in shambles because America dropped bombs of their own—one on Hiroshima unlike any other in history. And Hanako's grandparents live in a small village just outside the ravaged city. The country is starving, the black markets run rampant, and countless orphans beg for food on the streets, but how can Hanako help them when there is not even enough food for her own brother? Hanako feels she could crack under the pressure, but just because something is broken doesn't mean it can't be fixed. Cracks can make room for gold, her grandfather explains when he tells her about the tradition of kintsukuroi—fixing broken objects with gold lacquer, making them stronger and more beautiful than ever. As she struggles to adjust to find her place in a new world, Hanako will find that the gold can come in many forms, and family may be hers."

Cynthia Kadohata (Author), Jennifer Ikeda (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Court of Thorns and Roses

"When Feyre kills a wolf, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a magical land Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal. As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it..."

Sarah J. Maas (Author), Jennifer Ikeda (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Court of Mist and Fury

"Masterful storytelling from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas brings her sexy, action-packed series to new heights. Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people. As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world in turmoil."

Sarah J. Maas (Author), Jennifer Ikeda (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Court of Thorns and Roses

"From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read. When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world. At least, he’s not a beast all the time. As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever."

Sarah J. Maas (Author), Jennifer Ikeda (Narrator)

Audiobook

Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky

"It's 1942: Tomi Itano, 12, is a second-generation Japanese American who lives in California with her family on their strawberry farm. Although her parents came from Japan and her grandparents still live there, Tomi considers herself an American. She doesn't speak Japanese and has never been to Japan. But after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, things change. No Japs Allowed signs hang in store windows and Tomi's family is ostracized. Things get much worse. Suspected as a spy, Tomi's father is taken away. The rest of the Itano family is sent to an internment camp in Colorado. Many other Japanese American families face a similar fate. Tomi becomes bitter, wondering how her country could treat her and her family like the enemy. What does she need to do to prove she is an honorable American? Sandra Dallas shines a light on a dark period of American history in this story of a young Japanese American girl caught up in the prejudices and World War II."

Sandra Dallas (Author), Jennifer Ikeda (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Cure for Dreaming

"Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl-a suffragist-in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It's 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia's father, concerned that she's headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she's able to see people's true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud. These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she's drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout."

Cat Winters (Author), Jennifer Ikeda (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Water Gift and the Pig of the Pig

"Jacqueline Briggs Martin has received a Caldecott Medal, ALA Notable honors, and Bulletin Blue Ribbons for her endearing children's books. Isabel and the Pig go with Grandfather when he is using his gift to find water. But one day, Grandfather believes he's lost his gift. When the Pig goes missing, Isabel is afraid he will never return. Without Grandfather's gift for finding what cannot be seen, how will they ever get the Pig back? 'This poignant story of the magical gift a girl shares with her grandfather is a gem.' -Kirkus Reviews"

Jacqueline Briggs Martin (Author), Jennifer Ikeda (Narrator)

Audiobook

Slumming

"Three Mormon high school friends, perky Nikki, studious Alicia, and football player Sam, make a pact of the Pygmalion style-they decide to help the 'untapped' students at their school. Their plan is to transform three classmates and take them to the prom. But the experiment doesn't go exactly as planned. They slowly begin to realize that there is more to most people than meets the eye. A popular author and ALA Best Book for Young Adults winner, Kristen D. Randle explores many important concerns teens face every day. The mixed emotions of Nikki, Alicia, and Sam are brought to life through the hopeful narration."

Kristen Randle (Author), Jennifer Ikeda, Johanna Parker, Nick Landrum (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jessica Rules the Dark Side

"In this sequel to the breakout hit Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, Jessica Packwood finds being a newly married teenage vampire princess isn't all that easy. She might be living in a Romanian castle with her husband Lucius Vladescu, but she's also surrounded by undead subjects who aren't ready to welcome her as queen. Then Lucius is accused of murdering a vampire Elder, leaving Jessica more alone than ever. Now she must race against time to clear Lucius' name and save both their lives, even if it means enlisting the help of those she knows are keeping dark secrets."

Beth Fantaskey (Author), Jeff Woodman, Jennifer Ikeda, Katherine Kellgren (Narrator)

Audiobook