Showing results by narrator "Tara Sands" in All Categories

Horace Homer Higgins III despises dirt. And the outdoors. And ducks. But when his person, Eleanor, moves to a farm called the Homestead, the anxious Boston Terrier is forced to adapt. As if that isn’t enough to strain his nerves, Ellie adopts a perpetually cheerful potbellied pig named Bunwinkle to be his baby sister. Bunwinkle is delighted to be on the farm despite the stuffy demeanor of her new canine brother. She’s sure she’ll crack his shell eventually—no one can resist her cuteness for long—especially once they bond over watching a TV pet-tective show.

Twelve-year-old Mackenzie "Mac" Lowell's dreams are about to come true. Thanks to her mom scoring the coolest job EVER, Mac is going from boy band fanatic to official tour member of her favorite group, Perfect Storm. Thankfully she's brought along her journal so she can record every moment, every breath, and every one of lead singer Zander Welling's killer smiles in written detail and doodles throughout the pages.

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy, a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids. And now there’s also Loki, the evil god I helped set free against my will. On the bright side, I finally got a date with Logan Quinn, the hottest—and deadliest—Spartan at Mythos. But I should have known it was destined to end in disaster.

Dash and Lily have had a tough year since readers/listeners watched the couple fall in love in Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. Lily's beloved grandfather suffered a heart attack, and his difficult road to recovery has taken a major toll on her typically sunny disposition. Lily's spark has dimmed so much that Langston, her brother, has put aside his grudge against Dash to team up and remind Lily what there is to love about life. With only 12 days left until Christmas Dash, Langston, and their friends take Manhattan by storm to help Lily.

Every evening for eight years, at his request, President Obama was given 10 handpicked letters written by ordinary American citizens - the unfiltered voice of a nation - from his Office of Presidential Correspondence. He was the first president to interact daily with constituent mail and to archive it in its entirety. In To Obama, Jeanne Marie Laskas interviews President Obama, the letter writers themselves, and the White House staff who sifted through the powerful, moving, and incredibly intimate narrative of America during the Obama years:

It started with a bus crash. Daisy was a little girl when it happened, and she barely remembers the accident or being brought back to life. At that moment, though, she became one of the first subjects in a covert government program that tests a drug called Revive. Now fifteen, Daisy has died and been Revived five times. Each death means a new name, a new city, and a new identity. The only constant in Daisy’s life is change. Then she meets Matt and Audrey, charismatic siblings who quickly become her first real friends....

Dash and Lily were feeling closer than ever…it's just too bad they're now an ocean apart. After Dash gets accepted to Oxford University and Lily stays in New York to take care of her dog walking business, the devoted couple are struggling to make a long-distance relationship work. And when Dash breaks the news that he won't be coming home for Christmas, Lily makes a decision: if Dash can't come to her, she'll join him in London. It's a perfect romantic gesture…that spins out of Lily's control.

Once upon a time, Cat Starr lived with her astronaut mom in Houston. But when her mother gets sent on a long-term mission, Cat has to move to a faraway land - her dad's house, halfway across the country - and share a room with her real-life evil stepsister, Olivia. Just when Cat can't take it anymore, Great Aunt Abyssinia comes to the rescue. And things go from bad to cursed. The next morning, Cat opens her mouth and a toad hops out! What's more, when Olivia speaks, diamonds and flowers appear. How unfair is that?

The Cyborg Wars are over and Earth has peacefully prospered for more than one hundred years. Yet sometimes history must repeat itself until humanity learns from its mistakes. In the year 2170, despite technological and political advances, cyborgs and clones are treated no better than slaves, and an underground abolitionist movement is fighting for freedom. Thirteen-year-old Leanna's entire life is thrown into chaos when The World Federation of Nations discovers her mom is part of the radical Liberty Bell Movement.

Sutton is having robot problems. Her mini-bot is supposed to be able to get through a maze in under a minute, but she must have gotten something wrong in the coding. This is frustrating for a science-minded girl like Sutton - almost as frustrating as the fact that her mother probably won't be home in time for Sutton's 10th birthday. Luis spends his days writing thrilling stories about brave kids, but there's only so much inspiration you can find when you're stuck inside all day.

Have you ever wondered how water moves around on Earth? An introduction to the water cycle, including precipitation, evaporation, condensation, and more, is explored through this newest addition to the How Do series. The How Do series is a great introduction to various STEM topics, each presented in a format that encourages audiences to ask questions and guess the answers before exploring the science behind them.

If happily ever after were a place, 20-year-old Bryn Dawson would be on the farthest planet from it. Reduced to stolen glances and secret meetings as they await a betrothal the Council is bent on stalling, William and Bryn have to settle for happily right now, but with a man like William Hayward at her side, Bryn's hardly settling. The day John Townsend sends an army of immortal mercenaries intent on destroying everyone Bryn loves, she must make the decision generations of star-crossed lovers before her have - live alone or die together. William has made his decision; Bryn is the one fate's waiting on.

Joining Omega Phi Delta is the best thing that’s ever happened to Maxie. Since she pledged with Salem University’s coolest sorority, she’s never had trouble finding a party to go to or a boy to date. Her new life is perfect - until death strikes Omega House. The terror starts when Maxie’s sorority sister Erica’s jewelry box goes missing, with all of her valuables - including her grandmother’s priceless ring - inside. Erica is tearing her room apart when she gets a package: the box, with all the jewelry safe inside.

Once upon a time, Millie, Nora, and Bea were best friends who loved slumber parties, exploring their Manhattan neighborhood, and making fortune tellers with their Magic Markers. Now, in the summer before seventh grade, they haven’t spoken in over a year—thanks to a big fight, the pandemic shutting down their school, and each girl moving away for different reasons. The girls routinely check each other’s social media, but none of them can muster the courage to reach out, even if they might want to.

This fall, the film festival circuit will be introduced to the indomitable Luli McMullen in Hick, the new film made from the acclaimed novel by Andrea Portes, who also adapted the screenplay. The film - directed by Derick Martini - stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Blake Lively and Eddie Redmayne and features Rory Culkin, Anson Mount, Juliette Lewis and Alec Baldwin in supporting roles.

Olivia loves being the Dungeon Master of her after-school club, creating a world with magic and epic battles with adventure around every corner. She’s always felt at home in her game, but now—with new members and new plotlines—her world has gotten more complicated than ever. It doesn’t help when Olivia’s older sister, Lu, comes home from college and brushes off all Olivia’s hard work, telling her to get real. A seed of doubt is planted, and suddenly the colorful world of her game starts to fade around her. Will Olivia be able to keep everything from changing, or will the party fall apart?

Sixth grade is coming to an end, and so is life as Macy McMillan knows it. Soon, her mother will upend their perfect little family, adding a stepfather and six-year-old twin stepsisters. She sends Macy next door to help 86-year-old Iris Gillan, who is getting ready to move into an assisted-living facility. Iris can't pack a single box on her own, and, worse, she doesn't know sign language. Soon, through notes and books and cookies, a bond grows between them, and this friendship, odd and unexpected, may be just what Macy needs to face the changes in her life.

Rose Montgomery parks her family’s trailer in Fort Glory, Oregon with one goal: to carve out a new life for herself and her little brother, Charlie. They need a fresh start for their family, and she thinks she's found it. But then, in an instant, Fort Glory disappears and every person in town vanishes into thin air - including Charlie. Rose and four other teens become trapped in the Fold, a patch of woods caught halfway between the real world and the lost town. In the Fold, a mysterious force suspends the laws of physics, and everyone’s inner darkness has the power to kill.

As soon as Gail and Jon Durbin bring home their adopted baby Maya, she becomes the glue that mends their fractured marriage. But the Durbin’s social worker, Paige, can’t find the teenage birth mother to sign the consent forms. By law, Carli has seventy-two hours to change her mind. Without her signature, the adoption will unravel.

Liza and Cliff are getting married, and it's set to be a grand affair. Happily, weddings bring family together, so Cliff's brother, Byron Forrester, makes the trip for the big event. He's visited the town of Tyler once before, and despite his uneasy relationship with Cliff, he's glad for the opportunity to return. Nora Gates, independent-minded owner of Tyler's department store, fancies herself a spinster. One brief, passionate affair sated her curiosity. But Byron's arrival shatters her tranquility.