Welcome to Litsy!

This was a quick listen as it‘s a middle grade novel in verse. Set in 1944, the story is told in the alternating voices of Claire, a young teenager in Michigan whose older brother is a soldier in Europe, and Karl, a German POW sent to work at her family‘s apple orchard. The author‘s note details how some aspects are based on facts of her own family history.

#audiobook #Librofm #ALC #MiddleGrade #NovelInVerse #HistoricalFiction #WWII

Full cast audiobook. One of my favorite middle grade books. An authentic representation of how it feels to go through the awkward middle school years. #shannonhale Thanks to #librofm for the advanced copy. #middlegrade #memoir #graphicnovel #audiobook

The blurb for this book is clear that it‘s written by a college professor, specifically at the Harvard Business School, but I still thought aspects would be applicable to me. However, I did not find that to be the case. I think it may be most beneficial to someone beginning teaching at a college level after another career. For someone with an education degree and years of experience in public schools, it didn‘t provide new insights.

I truly enjoy this woman. She is kinda gross, but oh so relatable, hilarious, and weird. I *would* say I'd love to meet her, but as a fellow introvert, I say instead, “Nah. I'm good.“

Thanks to #librofm for the #alc!

#audiobook #essays #nonfiction #humor

This book is a combination of incredibly frustrating and inspiring at the same time. I am amazed that someone could go through 30 years on death row due to a wrongful conviction and stay as positive and determined as Ray was able to do.
Audio duration: 7 hours 55 minutes

*I received this #audiobook through the Libro.fm Educator #ALC program. #Librofm

#nonfiction #YRE

This was an interesting short listen. It‘s not so much a retelling as an exploration of how some of the girls in Shakespeare‘s stories might see themselves and wish to change their stories. It focuses mainly on Juliet, Ophelia, and Cordelia.

Audio duration: 4 hours 22 minutes

*I received this audiobook through the Libro.fm Educator #ALC program.

#audiobook #Librofm #Shakespeare

This was a fun middle grade fantasy. It‘s a story of teenagers bonding with flying unicorns in a way that reminded me of dragon stories I‘ve read, but it definitely has its own creative world building. The riders then train to fight and race against other pairs. There‘s also a bigger story of someone kidnapping unicorns and people. The book wraps up well while also creating the foundation for a longer series. I‘m intrigued to read more.

This was a fairly short #YA book, and although it was ok, I never felt compelled to keep listening. Rain deals with a lot of loss and considers how she connects to her own Native American heritage. #Kansas

This is an updated edition of a book originally published in 2001.

* I received the #audiobook through the Libro.fm Educator #ALC program. #Librofm
Audio duration: 3 hours 43 minutes

Set in the 1960s, these are stories of Willie Mae‘s childhood in Selma, Alabama. Many describe everyday aspects of her family life, some are about her first job babysitting for a white woman, and some are directly related to the Civil Rights Movement. These include seeing Martin Luther King, Jr. speak and the arrests of her older siblings for their participation in a march.

#Librofm #ALC #audiobook #MiddleGrade #nonfiction #MiddleGradeMarch

This is a #MiddleGrade #nonfiction about early humans by the author of Sapiens. It describes ways humans evolved and used communication to spread across the world and become the dominant species. It was an interesting listen with relatable comparisons for younger readers. I would be curious to see the illustrations in the print version.
Duration: 3 hours 51 minutes

* I received this #audiobook through the #Librofm #ALC program for educators.