TOP AUDIOBOOKS: FOR KIDS
Listen to a sample:
Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different
By: Ben Brooks
Narrated By: Joshua Higgott, Thomas Judd
Winner of the Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year 2018.
Daniel Radcliffe, Galileo Galilei, Nelson Mandela, Louis Armstrong, Grayson Perry, Louis Braille, Lionel Messi, King George VI, Jamie Oliver… All dared to be different.
Prince charming, dragon slayer, mischievous prankster… More often than not, these are the role models boys encounter in the books they read at home and at school. As a boy, there is an assumption that you will conform to a stereotypical idea of masculinity.
But what if you’re the introvert kind? What if you prefer to pick up a book rather than a sword? What if you want to cry when you’re feeling sad or angry? What if you like the idea of wearing a dress?
There is an ongoing crisis with regards to young men and mental health, with unhelpful gender stereotypes contributing to this malaise. Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different offers a welcome alternative narrative. It is an extraordinary compilation of 100 stories of famous and not-so-famous men from the past to the present day, every single one of them a rule breaker and innovator in his own way, and all going on to achieve amazing things. Entries include Frank Ocean, Salvador Dalí, Rimbaud, Beethoven, Barack Obama, Stormzy, Ai Weiwei and Jesse Owens – different sorts of heroes from all walks of life and from all over the world.
A beautiful and transporting audiobook packed with stories of adventure and wonderment, it will appeal to those who need the courage to reject peer pressure and go against the grain. It is the must-have book for all those boys who worry about stuff and all those parents who worry about their boys who worry about stuff. It will educate and entertain while also encouraging and inspiring.
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Nevermoor - The Trials of Morrigan Crow
By: Jessica Townsend
Narrated By: Gemma Whelan
Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2018 Younger Fiction Category
Enter the Wundrous world of Morrigan Crow and Nevermoor.
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.
It’s then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organisation: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart – an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have.
To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests – or she’ll have to leave the city and confront her deadly fate once and for all. Perfect for fans of the Harry Potter series and His Dark Materials, this series takes listeners into an extraordinary world, setting hope and imagination alive.
Listen to a sample:
Listen to a sample:
The Wizards of Once
By: Cressida Cowell
Narrated By: David Tennant
The number 1 best seller read by David Tennant.
Once there was Magic, and the Magic lived in the dark forests. Until the Warriors came….
This is the story of a young boy Wizard and a young girl Warrior who have been taught since birth to hate each other like poison; and the thrilling tale of what happens when their two worlds collide. Xar is a Wizard boy who has no Magic, and will do anything to get it. Wish is a Warrior girl, but she owns a banned Magical Object, and she will do anything to conceal it.
In this whirlwind adventure, Xar and Wish must forget their differences if they’re going to make it to the dungeons at Warrior Fort. Where something that has been sleeping for hundreds of years is stirring….
From the best-selling author of How to Train Your Dragon.
Horrid Henry
By: Francesca Simon
Narrated By: Miranda Richardson
Four hilarious stories with amazing music and sound effects.
Henry is dragged to dancing classes against his will; vies with Moody Margaret to make the yuckiest Glop!; goes camping in France; and tries to be good like Perfect Peter, but not for long.
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The Haven
By: Simon Lelic
Narrated By: Joe Jameson
An adrenaline-fuelled adventure in a new series by top thriller writer Simon Lelic.
Ollie Turner isn’t sure he’s ready to be a hero….
Our city. Our secret. Our rules.
Alone. On the run. Ollie Turner has nowhere to hide.
But he gets a second chance. Underneath the city there’s a secret organisation, far from adult eyes.
It’s called The Haven.
Soon Ollie is caught up in their battle: to stop Maddy Sikes destroying the city. Time is running out for Ollie and his new friends, and millions of lives are at stake….
An explosive and compelling listen from the writer of adult thrillers The House, The Liar’s Room and Rupture.
Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape
Written and Read By: Dermot O’Leary
Meet Toto: she’s no ordinary cat, and she can’t wait to have an adventure with you!
Join Toto for a funny animal escapade written by one of the UK’s best-loved broadcasters. For fans of The Aristocats, The Secret Life of Pets, 101 Dalmatiansand Atticus Claw Breaks the Law.
Toto the cat and her brother, Silver, live footloose and fancy-free in a townhouse in London. Toto is almost totally blind and learned to trust her senses from a ninja cat-master who taught her back in Italy, where they were born. By day Toto and Silver seem to be ordinary cats, but by night they love to have adventures!
One evening, news reaches Toto that a king cobra has escaped from London Zoo! Together with help from a very posh rat and two hungry tigers, Toto and Silver must investigate. Can they find the giant snake before it’s too late?
Dermot says, ‘The idea for Toto first came to me when my wife and I rescued two stray cats from an olive grove in Italy. One of them, Toto, has been blind from birth, but we quickly realised she had ninja-like reactions. Like a lot of cat owners (or cat servants), we like to imagine our pets having secret lives when we’re out or asleep. So before I knew it, I was writing about Toto and her brother Silver’s nocturnal adventures around London. I really hope that children who pick it up enjoy the adventures of our little Italian underdog (cat).’
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