Sisi Aisha Johnson has narrated 43 audiobooks on Listento.it by 37 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.3★ across 322 ratings. The most-rated is Out of My Mind.
Out of My Mind
Summary
From award-winning author Sharon Draper comes Out of My Mind, the story of a brilliant girl who cannot speak or write. Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom - the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she's determined to let everyone know it...somehow. In this breakthrough story - reminiscent of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - from multiple Coretta Scott King Award winner Sharon Draper, listeners will come to know a brilliant mind and a brave spirit who will change forever how they look at anyone with a disability.
©2010 Sharon M. Draper (P)2010 Simon & Schuster
Parable of the Talents
Summary
Environmental devastation and economic chaos have turned America into a land of horrifying depravity. Assault, theft, sexual abuse, slavery, and murder are commonplace. Taking advantage of the situation, a zealous, bigoted tyrant wins his way into the White House. Directly opposed is Lauren Olamina, founder of Earthseed - a new faith that teaches "God Is Change". Persecuted for "heathen" beliefs as much as for having a Black female leader, Earthseed's followers face a life-and-death struggle to preserve their vision. Best-selling author Octavia Butler's fluid writing and keen observations about race, gender, politics, and religion make for a moving parable that will be pondered for generations. A powerful reading from three standout narrators captures the multi-generational sweep of this poignant tale. Butler's acclaimed novels have won numerous awards, and she is a recipient of a "genius" grant from the MacArthur Foundation. Parable of the Talents was selected as one of the best books of the year by Publishers Weekly.
©2007 Octavia Butler (P)2007 Recorded Books, LLC
The Good Egg
Summary
A number one New York Times best seller! An Amazon Best Books of the Year So Far 2019 Selection! From the best-selling creator of The Bad Seed, a timely story about not having to be Grade-A perfect! Meet the good egg. He’s a verrrrrry good egg indeed. But trying to be so good is hard when everyone else is plain ol’ rotten. As the other eggs in the dozen behave badly, the good egg starts to crack from all the pressure of feeling like he has to be perfect. So, he decides enough is enough! It’s time for him to make a change.... Jory John hatches a funny and charming story that reminds us of the importance of balance, self-care, and accepting those who we love (even if they are sometimes a bit rotten). Perfect for shared story time!
©2019 Jory John (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers
Slay
Summary
“A book that knocks you off your feet while dropping the kind of knowledge that’ll keep you down for the count. Prepare to BE slain.” (Nic Stone, New York Times best-selling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out) Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give in this dynamite debut novel that follows a fierce teen game developer as she battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther-inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for black gamers. By day, 17-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game Slay. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the “downfall of the black man”. But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the Slay world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and Slay is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for “anti-white discrimination”. Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically black in a world intimidated by blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?
©2019 Brittney Morris (P)2019 Simon & Schuster
The Message
Summary
It all started with the dreams. But Cassie didn't pay much attention to them. She and her friends have been having nightmares ever since they acquired the power to morph. But when Cassie discovers that Tobias has been having dreams too - the exact same dreams - about the ocean, and a voice that's calling to them for help, she decides it's time to start listening. Now, she and the others have to figure out if the dreams are a message, or a trap.
©2011 Scholastic Inc (P)2020 Scholastic Inc
Don't Settle for Safe
Summary
Popular speaker and author Sarah Jakes Roberts shows women they are not disqualified by their pain and failures and offers encouragement and strength to believe God's best is still possible.
©2017 Sarah D. Jakes, LLC (P)2017 Thomas Nelson
The Skin I'm In
Summary
Award-winning author Sharon G. Flake crafts a remarkable story of one girl's struggle to accept herself. Maleeka Madison is a dark skinned African-American girl. She feels uncomfortable and wishes she had lighter skin. When her teacher, Miss Saunders, who suffers from a rare skin condition, shows that there is more to people than the color of their skin, Maleeka learns to appreciate and accept who she truly is. Sisi Aisha Johnson's gripping narration makes this story come alive.
©1998 Sharon G. Flake (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC.
The Secret
Summary
There's something pretty weird going on in the woods behind Cassie's house, the place where Ax and Tobias call home. It seems the Yeerks have figured out one very important fact: Andalites cannot survive without a feeding ground. Visser Three knows the "Andalite bandits" don't feed where he does, so there can only be one other place. Now the Animorphs have to figure out a way to stop a bogus logging operation. Because if Visser Three finds Ax in the woods, nothing will stop him from finding the Animorphs.
©1997 K.A. Applegate (P)2020 Scholastic Inc.
One Crazy Summer
Summary
Eleven-year-old Delphine and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, travel to Oakland to meet their mother, Cecil, who abandoned their family years earlier. But even when Cecil gets them to her house, she shows no interest and seems to view them as nothing but a nuisance. Cecil’s cold, unloving attitude leaves the girls wishing for the mother-daughter connection they’ve never had. But Cecil acts remarkably different after she sees her daughters at the Black Panther rally, where they recite a poem Cecil herself had written. At that point, Cecil’s attitude toward her daughters begins a remarkable change.
©2010 Rita Williams-Garcia (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC
Ninth Ward
Summary
Acclaimed novelist Jewell Parker Rhodes is an American Book Award winner. Rhodes’ Ninth Ward is a stunning tale set against the horrors of Hurricane Katrina. Orphaned 12-year-old Lanesha lives with Mama Ya-Ya, the midwife who birthed her, in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. Although Lanesha is different—able to see ghosts like that of her dead mother—she never feels unloved, an empowerment that helps her survive the devastating storm.
©2010 Jewell Parker Rhodes (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC
Spin
Summary
Lamar Giles is back with another nonstop, addictive, edge-of-your-seat thriller about best friends, murder, and music. When rising star Paris Secord (aka DJ ParSec) is found dead on her turntables, it sends the local music scene reeling. No one is feeling that grief more than her shunned pre-fame best friend, Kya, and ParSec's chief groupie, Fuse - two sworn enemies who happened to be the ones who discovered her body. The police have few leads, and when the trail quickly turns cold, the authorities don't seem to be pushing too hard to investigate further. Only no one counted on Paris's deeply loyal fans, ParSec Nation, or the outrage that would drive Fuse and Kya to work together. As ParSec Nation takes to social media and the streets in their crusade for justice, Fuse and Kya start digging into Paris's past, stumbling across a deadly secret. With new info comes new motives. New suspects. And a fandom that will stop at nothing in their obsessive quest for answers, not even murder....
©2019 Lamar Giles (P)2019 Scholastic Inc.
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume 12
Summary
The latest in a series that has been called "a must for fans of science fiction, fantasy, and short stories in general" Science fiction is a portal that opens doors onto futures too rich and strange to imagine. Fantasy takes us through doorways of magic and wonder. For more than a decade award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan has sifted through tens of thousands of stories to select the best, the most interesting, the most engaging science fiction and fantasy to thrill and delight readers. Featuring stories from Daniel Abraham, Charlie Jane Anders, Kelly Barnhill, R. S. Benedict, Tobias Buckell, C.S.E. Cooney, Indrapramit Das, Samuel R. Delany, Greg Egan, Max Gladstone, Theodora Goss, Saad Z. Hossain, Dave Hutchinson, Kathleen Kayembe, Caitlin R Kiernan, Mary Robinette Kowal, Rich Larson, Yoon Ha Lee, Scott Lynch, Maureen McHugh, Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali, Linda Nagata, Suzanne Palmer, Vina Jie-Min Prasad, Alastair Reynolds, Karl Schroeder, Kai Ashante Wilson, Nick Wolven, and Caroline M. Yoachim. Narrators: Dan Woren, Shridhar Solanki, MW Wilson, Josh Clark, Mimi Chang, Susan Duerden, Deepti Gupta, Nick Hardcastle, Rachel Jacobs, Sisi Aisha Johnson, Ava Lucas, Janet Metzger, and Greg Tremblay. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2017 see PDF (P)2018 Recorded Books
The Unknown
Summary
There's a new rumor in town. Someone has discovered an item that proves life on other planets exists, and they've been hiding it on a base called Zone 91, the most secret place on Earth. Cassie and the other Animorphs already know about life on other planets. Too well. Their enemies the Yeerks will try to access Zone 91, to find out if what's there will threaten their mission to conquer to the planet. So the Animorphs decide to pay Zone 91 and the Yeerks a little visit. But what they discover is not at all what they expect.
©2017 Katherine Applegate (P)2021 Scholastic Inc.
Tears of a Tiger
Summary
Coretta Scott King award-winner and National Teacher of the Year, Sharon M. Draper uses a brilliant variety of styles and voices to tell this compelling first story of her Hazelwood High trilogy. The night that changes everything in Andy's life begins as a great time. His basketball team wins a big game, and he and his best friend have some cold brews stashed in the car, just waiting for the rolling party to begin. Nothing anyone can say or do afterwards will convince Andy that what happens next isn't his fault.
©1994 Sharon M. Draper (P)2003 Recorded Books,LLC
Something to Say
Summary
From the author of A Good Kind of Trouble, a Walter Dean Myers Honor Book, comes another unforgettable story about finding your voice - and finding your people. Perfect for fans of Sharon Draper, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds. Eleven-year-old Jenae doesn’t have any friends - and she’s just fine with that. She’s so good at being invisible in school, it’s almost like she has a superpower, like her idol, Astrid Dane. At home, Jenae has plenty of company, like her no-nonsense mama; her older brother, Malcolm, who is home from college after a basketball injury; and her beloved grandpa, Gee. Then a new student shows up at school - a boy named Aubrey with fiery red hair and a smile that won’t quit. Jenae can’t figure out why he keeps popping up everywhere she goes. The more she tries to push him away, the more he seems determined to be her friend. Despite herself, Jenae starts getting used to having him around. But when the two are paired up for a class debate about the proposed name change for their school, Jenae knows this new friendship has an expiration date. Aubrey is desperate to win and earn a coveted spot on the debate team. There’s just one problem: Jenae would do almost anything to avoid speaking up in front of an audience - including risking the first real friendship she’s ever had.
©2020 Lisa Moore Ramée (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers
Day of Tears
Summary
As did his father before him, Pierce Butler treats his plantation slaves like family. But massive gambling debts force him to sell 429 “family” members. When the auction begins, torrential rain falls - not stopping until the final slave is sold the next day. The ominous rainfall prompts these words: “This ain’t rain. This is God’s tears.” Based on the largest slave auction in U.S. history, this poignant montage is the fictionalized account of that 1859 Georgia tragedy. All the shrieks and groans, the betrayal and fury, the sorrow and regret are here in the stark, vivid monologues that pour from the souls of master and slave, auctioneer and observer during this “Weeping Time.”
©2005 Julius Lester (P)2006 Recorded Books
The Sacrifice
Summary
New York Times best-selling author Joyce Carol Oates returns with an incendiary novel that illuminates the tragic impact of sexual violence, racism, brutality, and power on innocent lives and probes the persistence of stereotypes, the nature of revenge, the complexities of truth, and our insatiable hunger for sensationalism. When a 14-year-old girl is the alleged victim of a terrible act of racial violence, the incident shocks and galvanizes her community, exacerbating the racial tension that has been simmering in this New Jersey town for decades. In this magisterial work of fiction, Joyce Carol Oates explores the uneasy fault lines in a racially troubled society. In such a tense, charged atmosphere, Oates reveals that there must always be a sacrifice - of innocence, truth, trust, and, ultimately, of lives. Unfolding in a succession of multiracial voices, in a community transfixed by this alleged crime and the spectacle unfolding around it, this profound novel exposes what - and who - the "sacrifice" actually is, and what consequences these kinds of events hold for us all. Working at the height of her powers, Oates offers a sympathetic portrait of the young girl and her mother, and challenges our expectations and beliefs about our society, our biases, and ourselves. As the chorus of its voices - from the police to the media to the victim and her family - reaches a crescendo, The Sacrifice offers a shocking new understanding of power and oppression, innocence and guilt, truth and sensationalism, justice and retribution. A chilling exploration of complex social, political, and moral themes - the enduring trauma of the past, modern racial and class tensions, the power of secrets, and the primal decisions we all make to protect those we love - The Sacrifice is a major work of fiction from one of our most revered literary masters.
©2015 Joyce Carol Oates (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers
Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!
Summary
From the creator of The Rabbit Listened comes a gentle story about the difficulty of change...and the wonder that new beginnings can bring. Change and transitions are hard, but Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! demonstrates how, when one experience ends, it opens the door for another to begin. It follows two best friends as they say goodbye to snowmen and hello to stomping in puddles. They say goodbye to long walks, butterflies, and the sun...and hello to long evening talks, fireflies, and the stars. But the hardest goodbye of all comes when one of the friends has to move away. Feeling alone isn't easy, and sometimes new beginnings take time. But even the hardest days come to an end, and you never know what tomorrow will bring.
©2019 Cori Doerrfeld (P)2019 Recorded Books
Hidden
Summary
Award-winning poet Helen Frost received the Michael L. Printz Honor for her acclaimed debut novel, Keesha’s House. Written in free verse, Hidden is a compelling tale about an unlikely friendship between two girls. Darra Monson and Wren Abbott first cross paths when Darra’s deadbeat dad is arrested for theft and kidnapping after he steals a car - unaware that Wren was sitting in the back. Years later, the girls - now teens - attend the same summer camp, and are forced to confront the fateful event that changed their lives.
©2011 Helen Frost (P)2012 Recorded Books
Who Am I Without Him?
Summary
Guys and girls get together, get played, and get real. Who Am I Without Him? is a Booklist Top 10 Romance Novel for Teens and is "breaking new and necessary ground" in 12 short stories about guys and girls falling in and out of love and relationships, testing out ways to communicate with one another, respect each other - and respect themselves. This is a complex, often humorous, and always on-point exploration of today's teens determined to find love and self-worth...any way they know how.
©2005 Sharon G. Flake (P)2011 Recorded Books