Meg Belviso has 10 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 10 narrators, with an average listener rating of 3.1★ across 7 ratings. The most-rated is Who Is J. K. Rowling?.
Who Is J. K. Rowling?
Summary
Everyone loves Harry Potter. Now kids can learn about Harry's creator! In 1995, on a four-hour-delayed train from Manchester to London, J. K. Rowling conceived of the idea of a boy wizard named Harry Potter. Upon arriving in London, she began immediately writing the first book in the saga. Rowling's true-life, rags-to-riches story is as compelling as the world of Hogwarts that she created. This biography details not only Rowling's life and her love of literature but the story behind the creation of a modern classic.
©2012 Pamela D. Pollack and Meg Belviso (P)2016 Listening Library
Who Was Alexander Hamilton?
Summary
Listen to the story of the founding father who inspired the smash Broadway musical. Born in the British West Indies and orphaned as a child, Alexander Hamilton made his way to the American colonies and studied to become a lawyer. He joined a local militia during the American Revolution, rose to the rank of major general, and became the chief aide to General George Washington. After the war he became the first US secretary of the Treasury. He founded the Bank of New York and the New York Post newspaper. He served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and is also celebrated as a coauthor of The Federalist Papers, a series of essays that are still used today to interpret the US Constitution. The end of his life became a national scandal when he was shot and killed in a duel with then-vice president Aaron Burr.
©2017 Pam Pollack (P)2017 Listening Library
Who Was Joan of Arc?
Summary
Joan of Arc was born in a small French village during the worst period of the Hundred Years' War. For generations, France had been besieged by the British. At age 11, Joan began to see religious visions telling her to join forces with the King of France. By the time she was a teenager, she was leading troops into battle in the name of her country. Though she was captured and executed for her beliefs, Joan of Arc became a Catholic saint and has since captured the world's imagination.
©2016 Pam Pollack, Meg Belviso, and Who HQ (P)2018 Listening Library
Who Was Susan B. Anthony?
Summary
Susan B. Anthony may be an international icon but her campaign for women's rights had personal roots. Working as a school teacher in New York, Anthony refused to settle for less pay than her male colleagues which ignited her lifelong devotion to women's equality. Anthony toured the United States and Europe giving speeches and publishing articles as one of the most important advocates of women's rights. Learn more about the woman behind the movement in Who Was Susan B. Anthony?
©2014 Pam Pollack, Meg Belviso and Who HQ (P)2018 Listening Library
Who Is George Lucas?
Summary
As a child his passions were comics and cars, but George Lucas grew up to be one of the most successful filmmakers of all time. He is a producer, a screenwriter, a director, and an entrepreneur whose company, Lucasfilms, pioneered the movie effects that changed the world of animation. He founded Industrial Light and Magic, which transformed special sound and visual effects throughout the Hollywood film industry. He is best known, of course, as the creator of the Star Wars movie, television, gaming, toy, and merchandise empire as well as the archeologist-adventure series Indiana Jones. Discover the man behind the magic in Who Is George Lucas?
©2014 Pamela D. Pollack and Meg Belviso (P)2016 Listening Library
Who Was Catherine the Great?
Summary
Learn how a Prussian princess grew up to be Russia's longest-ruling female leader! Born in 1729, Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbs was never supposed to come to power. But at age 16, she married the heir to the Russian throne. By 1762, Sophie, known now as Catherine, overthrew her immature and incompetent husband, Peter III, to lead the nation. Catherine became the sole ruler of Russia. This exciting Who Was? title explores how Catherine was able to turn Russia into one of the great powers of Europe by expanding its borders, helping improve its educational system, and advocating for the arts. Her three-decade reign is considered the Golden Age of Russia, and she is called Catherine the Great.
©2021 Pam Pollack, Meg Belviso, and Who HQ (P)2021 Listening Library
Who Was Celia Cruz?
Summary
How did a working-class girl from Cuba become a symbol of artistic freedom for Cuban Americans and the "Queen of Salsa"? Find out in this addition to the Who HQ library! Although her family and friends know her as Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso, the world refers to her simply as Celia Cruz. Starting her career in 1950, Celia grew increasingly popular as the new lead singer of the Cuban band Sonora Matancera. Her exceptional vocal range and flashy costumes made fans fall in love with her. Celia's talent took her all around the world, including the United States. After Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba, she wasn't allowed to return to her native country. She and other Cubans who were exiled used their music to express their love for their homeland. Celia rose to the top of the charts in a genre that was dominated by men. She become an award-winning singer and the most popular Latin artist of the 20th century. Azucar! indeed!
©2020 Pam Pollack, Meg Belviso, and Who HQ (P)2020 Listening Library
Who Was Lucille Ball?
Summary
Who doesn't love Lucy? The legendary actress, producer, and comedian steps into the Who Was? spotlight. Much like her hit TV show, I Love Lucy, Americans in the 1950s fell in love with Lucy. Born in New York in 1911, Lucille Ball was always a natural performer. She danced in the chorus of Broadway shows and acted in small parts in Hollywood movies. But Ball's true gift was comedy. She found a way to showcase her gifts in 1951 when CBS gave her the chance to star in a sitcom. She based the show on her life and called it I Love Lucy. Over 60 years later, it is still one of the most loved television shows of all time. Lucille Ball became the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu, and her comedic genius has kept people laughing for generations.
©2017 Pamela D. Pollack (P)2017 Listening Library
Who Was Alfred Hitchcock?
Summary
Known as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's unique vision in movies like Psycho and The Birds sent shivers down our spines and shock waves through the film industry. His innovative camera techniques have been studied for decades, and his gift for storytelling cemented his place in history. Many directors make great movies, but the genius of Hitchcock helped make movies great. Learn how a chubby boy from London became the "Master of Suspense".
©2016 Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso (P)2016 Listening Library
Who Was Steve Jobs?
Summary
Steve Jobs, adopted in infancy by a family in San Francisco, packed a lot of life into 56 short years. In this Who Was...? biography, children will learn how his obsession with computers and technology at an early age led him to cofound and run Apple in addition to turning Pixar into a groundbreaking animation studio. A college dropout, Jobs took unconventional steps in his path to success and inspired the best and the brightest to come with him and "change the world".
©2016 Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso (P)2016 Listening Library