
Spellbinder
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $18.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Helen Stringer
-
By:
-
Helen Stringer
About this listen
Belladonna Johnson can see ghosts. It’s a trait she’s inherited from her mother’s side of the family, like blue eyes or straight hair. And it’s a trait she could do without, because what 12-year-old wants to be caught talking to someone invisible? It is convenient, though, after Belladonna’s parents are killed in a car accident. They can live with her the same as always, watching the same old TV shows in their same old house. Nothing has changed...until everything changes.
One night, with no warning, they vanish into thin air—along with every other ghost in the world. It’s what some people think ghosts are supposed to do, but Belladonna knows it’s all wrong. They may not be living, but they’re not supposed to be gone.
With the help of her classmate Steve, a master of sneaking and spying, Belladonna is left to uncover what’s become of the spirits and to navigate a whole world her parents have kept well-hidden. If she can’t find her way, she’ll lose them again—this time for good.
©2010 Helen Stringer (P)2010 Listening LibraryListeners also enjoyed...
-
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Jim Dale
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
-
-
A great reading of the wrong book
- By P on 11-24-15
By: J.K. Rowling
-
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
- By: Jessica Townsend
- Narrated by: Gemma Whelan
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks - and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her 11th birthday. But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.
-
-
There's no excuse for how much I enjoyed this book
- By Susan Tunis on 08-07-18
By: Jessica Townsend
-
The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Jonathan Stroud
- Narrated by: Simon Jones
- Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nathaniel is eleven-years-old and a magician's apprentice, learning the traditional art of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a magician of unrivaled ruthlessness and ambition. When Lovelace brutally humiliates Nathaniel in public, Nathaniel decides to speed up his education, teaching himself spells far beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-year-old djinni, to assist him.
-
-
A real treat
- By Eric Shields on 02-08-08
By: Jonathan Stroud
-
The City of Ember
- The First Book of Ember
- By: Jeanne DuPrau
- Narrated by: Wendy Dillon
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.
-
-
Good story; annoying narrator and background sound
- By Jolie B on 05-26-12
By: Jeanne DuPrau
-
Midnight for Charlie Bone
- By: Jenny Nimmo
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charlie doesn't want to believe it when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking. But his horrible aunts are delighted: it means that he is one of the chosen and must attend Bloor's Academy for gifted children. Once there, Charlie realizes that some of his classmates have equally mysterious powers, and soon Charlie is involved in uncovering the mysterious past of one of them.
-
-
Adults Take on Charlie Bone
- By Nicole on 12-07-05
By: Jenny Nimmo
-
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
- By: Douglas Adams
- Narrated by: Douglas Adams
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is a long tradition of Great Detectives, and Dirk Gently does not belong to it. But his search for a missing cat uncovers a ghost, a time traveler, AND the devastating secret of humankind! Detective Gently's bill for saving the human race from extinction: NO CHARGE.
-
-
Sadly, it's abridged
- By George T. Crawford on 10-29-11
By: Douglas Adams
-
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Jim Dale
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
-
-
A great reading of the wrong book
- By P on 11-24-15
By: J.K. Rowling
-
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
- By: Jessica Townsend
- Narrated by: Gemma Whelan
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks - and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her 11th birthday. But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.
-
-
There's no excuse for how much I enjoyed this book
- By Susan Tunis on 08-07-18
By: Jessica Townsend
-
The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Jonathan Stroud
- Narrated by: Simon Jones
- Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nathaniel is eleven-years-old and a magician's apprentice, learning the traditional art of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a magician of unrivaled ruthlessness and ambition. When Lovelace brutally humiliates Nathaniel in public, Nathaniel decides to speed up his education, teaching himself spells far beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-year-old djinni, to assist him.
-
-
A real treat
- By Eric Shields on 02-08-08
By: Jonathan Stroud
-
The City of Ember
- The First Book of Ember
- By: Jeanne DuPrau
- Narrated by: Wendy Dillon
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.
-
-
Good story; annoying narrator and background sound
- By Jolie B on 05-26-12
By: Jeanne DuPrau
-
Midnight for Charlie Bone
- By: Jenny Nimmo
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charlie doesn't want to believe it when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking. But his horrible aunts are delighted: it means that he is one of the chosen and must attend Bloor's Academy for gifted children. Once there, Charlie realizes that some of his classmates have equally mysterious powers, and soon Charlie is involved in uncovering the mysterious past of one of them.
-
-
Adults Take on Charlie Bone
- By Nicole on 12-07-05
By: Jenny Nimmo
-
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
- By: Douglas Adams
- Narrated by: Douglas Adams
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is a long tradition of Great Detectives, and Dirk Gently does not belong to it. But his search for a missing cat uncovers a ghost, a time traveler, AND the devastating secret of humankind! Detective Gently's bill for saving the human race from extinction: NO CHARGE.
-
-
Sadly, it's abridged
- By George T. Crawford on 10-29-11
By: Douglas Adams
-
The Colour of Magic
- Discworld, Book 1
- By: Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Colin Morgan, Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place that might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different. Particularly as it’s carried though space on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown). It plays by different rules. But then, some things are the same everywhere. The Disc’s very existence is about to be threatened by a strange new blight: the world’s first tourist, upon whose survival rests the peace and prosperity of the land.
-
-
TERRIBLE Narration!
- By Kayla I on 07-08-22
By: Terry Pratchett
-
One Wish
- By: Michelle Harrison
- Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tanya Fairchild may look like an ordinary 12-year-old, but her life is anything but ordinary. After all, Tanya can see fairies. And real fairies are nothing like the ones in books.... When Tanya and her mother arrive in the bustling seaside town of Spinney Wicket, they have no idea what's in store for their summer vacation. Tanya soon meets Ratty, a young boy who shares her ability to see fairies. When Ratty goes missing, Tanya discovers her new friend has another extraordinary ability - an ability that has the potential to destroy them both.
-
-
loved it love it LOVED IT. very interesting
- By BETTIE on 03-28-20
-
The Shadows
- The Books of Elsewhere, Volume I
- By: Jacqueline West
- Narrated by: Lexy Fridell
- Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This house is keeping secrets...When 11-year-old Olive and her parents move into the crumbling mansion on Linden Street and find it filled with mysterious paintings, Olive knows the place is creepy - but it isn’t until she encounters its three talking cats that she realizes there’s something darkly magical afoot. Then Olive finds a pair of antique spectacles in a dusty drawer and discovers the most peculiar thing yet: She can travel inside the house’s spooky paintings to a world that’s strangely quiet...and eerily sinister.
-
-
Perfect for 10+ year old
- By Kindle Customer on 07-23-12
By: Jacqueline West
-
The Doom of the Haunted Opera
- By: John Bellairs, Brad Strickland
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 3 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger explore an abandoned theater, they discover an unpublished opera score entitled "The Day of Doom". Ignoring a strange omen, they show it to their music teacher, who heralds "The Day of Doom" as a masterpiece. Little do they know that the eerie Henry Vanderhelm, the composer's grandson, arrives - with a plan. A plan to awaken the dead and enslave the world!
-
-
Good story and even better storytelling
- By FA Mendes on 02-04-24
By: John Bellairs, and others
-
The Specter from the Magician's Museum
- By: John Bellairs, Brad Strickland
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After Rose Rita Pottinger cuts her finger on an enchanted Egyptian scroll, Lewis Barnavelt must work together with his neighbor Florence and sorcerous uncle Jonathan to rescue Rose Rita from the tomb in which she's imprisoned.
-
-
Another solid story, even without Mr Bellairs
- By Richard S. Swol on 10-25-18
By: John Bellairs, and others
-
The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly
- By: Ted Sanders
- Narrated by: Andrew Eiden
- Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the moment Horace F. Andrews sees the sign from the bus - a sign with his own name on it - everything changes. The sighting leads him underground, to the House of Answers, a hidden warehouse full of mysterious objects. But there he finds only questions. What is this curious place? Who are the strange, secretive people who entrust him with a rare and immensely powerful gift? And what is he to do with it?
-
-
Amazing story!
- By coldcereal on 04-25-18
By: Ted Sanders
-
The Forgotten Book
- By: Mechthild Gläser
- Narrated by: Erin Spencer
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Emma is used to things going her way. Her father is headmaster of her prestigious boarding school, her friends take her advice as gospel, and she's convinced that a relationship with her long-time crush is on the horizon. As it turns out, Emma hasn't seen anything yet. When she finds an old book in an abandoned library, things really start going Emma's way: anything she writes in the book comes true. But the power of the book is not without consequences, and Emma soon realizes that she isn't the only one who knows about it.
-
-
pretty good
- By AStar on 11-12-20
By: Mechthild Gläser
-
Pillage
- By: Obert Skye
- Narrated by: E. B. Stevens
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When 15-year-old Beck Phillips travels by train to the secluded village of Kingsplot to live with his wealthy but estranged uncle, Beck discovers some dark family secrets. A buried basement, a forbidden wall, an old book of family history with odd references to...dragons? Beck's life is about to be changed forever in this suspenseful tale about the destructive nature of greed and the courage to make things right.
-
-
WHAT HAPPENED?!
- By Amazon Customer on 07-04-20
By: Obert Skye
-
The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder
- By: John Bellairs, Brad Strickland
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Something evil has taken over. Lewis Barnavelt and his uncle are in England, visiting a cousin at Barnavelt Manor. Lewis quickly becomes friends with the housekeeper's son, and as the two boys explore a garden maze, Lewis accidentally unleashes demonic forces that summon the ghost of an evil wizard bent on destroying his entire family. Can Lewis fight the maniacal wizard, or will all the Barnavelts perish?
-
-
This series gets better with each volume
- By Richard S. Swol on 10-22-18
By: John Bellairs, and others
-
The Kneebone Boy
- By: Ellen Potter
- Narrated by: Alex Barrett
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Life in a small town can be pretty boring when everyone avoids you like the plague. But after their father unwittingly sends them to stay with an aunt who’s away on holiday, the Hardscrabble children take off on an adventure that begins in the seedy streets of London and ends in a peculiar sea village where legend has it a monstrous creature lives who is half boy and half animal.
In this wickedly dark, unusual, and compelling novel, Ellen Potter masterfully tells the tale of one deliciously strange family and a secret that changes everything.
-
-
Couldn't Stop Listening
- By nicole on 12-11-15
By: Ellen Potter
-
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat
- By: Lynne Jonell
- Narrated by: Lynne Jonell
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Emmy was a good girl—too good, perhaps. The rat, whose cage sat on the counter next to Emmy’s desk, was not so good. On the other hand, he was the only one in Emmy’s class who would talk to her. The rest of the kids barely knew she existed. Even her teacher didn’t seem to know she was there! Only her nanny, the lovely-but-sinister Miss Barmy, really pays her much attention.
-
-
A girl finds a friend in a rat.
- By vic5 on 02-15-25
By: Lynne Jonell
-
Endymion Spring
- By: Matthew Skelton
- Narrated by: Richard Easton
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the dead of night, a cloaked figure drags a heavy box through snow-covered streets. The chest, covered in images of mythical beasts, can be opened only when the fangs of its serpent's-head clasp taste blood.
-
-
Endymion Spring
- By Jane on 03-29-07
By: Matthew Skelton
Critic reviews
"Magical creatures, amulets, and verses are all a part of this delightful tale that leads Belladonna and Steve on a deadly adventure. Stringer maintains the humor and logic of preteens who are awkwardly coming into their magical destinies, which makes for an amusing first novel." (School Library Journal)
What listeners say about Spellbinder
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Steve DeFrisco
- 03-13-16
what a great, original story.
I really enjoyed this reading of the book by the author, Helen Stringer. I have read the book, and have shared the book with my kids where enjoyed it as well. Hearing the author read it added another dimension to the enjoyment. looking forward to Midnight Gate!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- H8er0h8
- 03-15-11
Simply brilliant!
This novel is a significant cut above the otherwise tiring "young adult magic" genre. I am utterly amazed at how well crafted the story and characters are. What's more, the author's reading is a joy unto itself. I simply can't wait for the sequel.
It's quieter and more thoughtful than Harry Potter but no less layered and thrilling a world. If you enjoyed Madeleine L'Engle's epic, you will love this.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Peeps
- 07-30-18
spectacular writing
It was a great book with good writing. I have read it a couple of times.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!