Showing results by author "Jessica Gunderson" in All Categories

You just tried out for the school play. And who wants the lead part more than anyone? YOU! Imagine racing horseback across the plains. Making your own rules. Roasting marshmallows and hot dogs around the campfire. But be careful what you wish for. That might not be the way it was for a pioneer on the Oregon Trail.… 

 Ashley and Eric are stuck indoors because of a thunderstorm. Just when Ashley and Eric think their day is ruined, their dad tells them there is a surprise hidden somewhere in the house. When the lights go out, Ashley and Eric come to understand the importance of electricity. But will Ashley and Eric be able to find the big surprise? 

 You just tried out for the school play. Who wants the lead part more than anyone? YOU! Imagine sailing on the biggest, most beautiful ship in the world. Eating fine food. Wearing fancy clothes and partying with some very rich people. But be careful what you wish for. That might not be the way it was for a cabin attendant on Titanic… 

 Medusa, once a bewitching beauty, has become a hideous monster with snakes for hair. When men look at her, they turn to stone. When King Polydectes sends Perseus for Medusa's head, he thinks Perseus will soon be another one of Medusa's stone men. Or will he? 

 Troy’s dream is to be a farmer like his grandfather, so his mother helps him plant sunflower seeds in their backyard. When the sprouts form buds and are ready to bloom, disaster strikes! Will the sunflowers survive and bloom, or will Troy watch his flowers wilt? 

Han Li thinks he is the smartest poet and most talented painter in China. His master, Lin Cho, tries to warn him about his arrogance, but Han Li does not listen. When Lin Cho becomes ill before he can finish his painting for the emperor, what will Han Li do? 

Lali's first mother was an elephant. When she was found and taken in by a hunter as a baby, her elephant mother joined the family, too. Years later, the beautiful animal catches the eye of the queen. Lali fears that she will lose her elephant. 

 Song Sun likes to talk but never listens. After talking too much to a stranger, Song Sun accidentally gives away the Chinese secret of silkmaking. Will Song Sun be able to save the secret? 

Zhou never seems to beat his brother, Cheng, at anything. But when Zhou finds a jade dragon, his luck changes. Soon, Zhou is beating Cheng at everything. Will Zhou and his jade dragon be able to keep up the winning streak, or will he lose his luck? 

 Such greed! Such selfishness! But there's always another side to the story. Listeners get the "fishy" scoop directly from the fisherman's wife in this perspective-twisting take on a classic fairy tale that supports curriculum standards. 

 Luiz and Rosa wake up early to go to the carnival. At the carnival, Luiz and Rosa ride the bumper cars, dunk a clown, and go up, up in the air on the Ferris wheel. Listen and ride along, and learn about motion! 

After Yung-lu's father dies of mercury poisoning, the young girl leaves for Chang'an. She is determined to take her father's place as a warrior. When Yung-lu arrives, she is met with two big surprises. The emperor is taking mercury, and the army is not what she had imagined. Will Yung-lu become a warrior? More importantly, will she save the emperor from mercury poisoning? 

Lindsey is sad when her friend Julia moves away. She is convinced she will never find another friend to play with her in the garden. But when Julia’s tulip bulb finally blooms in Lindsey’s garden, a new friendship will also bloom. 

With the start of seventh grade, Olivia's longtime friend, Beth, has found new interests and new friends. Now Olivia thinks if she could just afford the type of clothes that Beth now wears, maybe their friendship could be restored. Motivated by a need for cash, Olivia agrees to babysit for a family of four who recently moved to the neighborhood haunted house. Now she's not sure what's scarier: hearing countless creepy sounds or being responsible for four kids! 

The Bremen Town Musicians never wanted to be heroes. They wanted a recording contract! At least that's the story listeners hear from the donkey's point of view in this charming twist on a classic fairy tale that supports curriculum standards.

Someone was trying to kill Malcolm X, and he knew who it was. From his troubled youth to his days as spokesman for the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X had much to say about race and civil rights. But when he split with the Nation of Islam, the charismatic Black leader made one powerful enemy. Join him on his life-altering pilgrimage to Mecca where he discovers the power of brotherhood and the cost of racial divides. 

Soldier and commander. Traitor and turncoat. Benedict Arnold has been called many names throughout history. But who was the real Benedict Arnold? Explore Arnold's life as he fights his way through the American Revolution. Then decide for yourself whether he was a hero or a villain.

 Tungar is a smart, but proud and vain boy. He dreams of being a general for the warrior king Asoka. Will the king want Tungar by his side? Or is he looking for a different sort of warrior?