Free Audio Books All Summer!

Do you want to download two free audiobooks every week all summer long?  Of course you do!  Go to the SYNC website for more information and to sign up for text reminders when new titles become available.  Once you download a title, it is your to keep, but each book is only available to download for a one week window.  Here is the schedule:

SYNC Schedule

SUMMER 2014 SYNC TITLE LINEUP

May 15 – May 21

WARP: THE RELUCTANT ASSASSIN by Eoin Colfer, Narrated by Maxwell Caulfield (Listening Library)

THE TIME MACHINE by H.G. Wells, Narrated by Derek Jacobi (Listening Library)

May 22 – May 28

CRUEL BEAUTY by Rosamund Hodge, Narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden (Harper Audio)

OEDIPUS THE KING by Sophocles, Performed by Michael Sheen and a full cast (Naxos AudioBooks)

May 29 – June 4

CONFESSIONS OF A MURDER SUSPECT by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, Narrated by Emma Galvin (Hachette Audio)

THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE by Agatha Christie, Narrated by Richard E. Grant (Harper Audio)

June 5 – June 11

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS by Cristin Terrill, Narrated by Meredith Mitchell (Tantor Audio)

JULIUS CAESAR by William Shakespeare, Performed by Richard Dreyfuss, JoBeth Williams, Stacy Keach, Kelsey Grammer, and a full cast (L.A. Theatre Works)

June 12 – June 18

CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein, Narrated by Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell (Bolinda Audio)

THE HIDING PLACE by Corrie Ten Boom, John Sherrill, Elizabeth Sherrill, Narrated by Bernadette Dunne (christianaudio)

June 19 – June 25

I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU by Ally Carter, Narrated by Renée Raudman (Brilliance Audio)

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by L.M. Montgomery, Narrated by Colleen Winton (Post Hypnotic Press)

June 26 – July 2

FORGIVE ME, LEONARD PEACOCK by Matthew Quick, Narrated by Noah Galvin (Hachette Audio)

OCTOBER MOURNING: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Lesléa Newman, Narrated by Emily Beresford, Luke Daniels, Tom Parks, Nick Podehl, Kate Rudd, Christina Traister (Brilliance Audio)

July 3 – July 9

TORN FROM TROY by Patrick Bowman, Narrated by Gerard Doyle (Post Hypnotic Press)

PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Narrated by Jim Dale (Brilliance Audio)

July 10 – July 16

CLAUDETTE COLVIN: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose, Narrated by Channie Waites (Brilliance Audio)

WHILE THE WORLD WATCHED by Carolyn Maull McKinstry with Denise George, Narrated by Felicia Bullock (Oasis Audio)

July 17 – July 23

THE CASE OF THE CRYPTIC CRINOLINE by Nancy Springer, Narrated by Katherine Kellgren (Recorded Books)

THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES II by Arthur Conan Doyle, Narrated by David Timson (Naxos AudioBooks)

July 24 – July 30

HEADSTRONG by Patrick Link, Performed by Deidrie Henry, Ernie Hudson, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine and Scott Wolf (L.A. Theatre Works)

THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE by Robert Louis Stevenson, Narrated by Scott Brick (Tantor Audio)

July 31 – August 6

DIVIDED WE FALL by Trent Reedy, Narrated by Andrew Eiden (Scholastic Audio)

THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE by Stephen Crane, Narrated by Frank Muller (Recorded Books)

August 7 – August 13

LIVING A LIFE THAT MATTERS by Ben Lesser, Narrated by Jonathan Silverman and Ben Lesser (Remembrance Publishing)

THE SHAWL by Cynthia Ozick, Narrated by Yelena Shmulenson (HighBridge Audio)

Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel

Erica has a pretty normal life--a group of crazy friends, an annoying little sister (who happens to be a genius), and a cute but loud baby brother.  Everything changes the day her mom comes home from the store with nine bikini tops.  That's the day Erica learns her mom has breast cancer, and in nine days she's having surgery.

The whole family is nervous and on edge about the cancer, and they all make promesas, promises to God about things they will do if God will help their mother.  Erica's promesa is to collect 500 sponsors for the race for the cure.  At first she thought this would be easy, but it doesn't take long to realize most people don't even want to listen let alone contribute to the cause.

To make matters worse, her genius little sister has skipped a grade and will be in middle school with Erica this year, but she's also taking 8th grade math which makes Erica feel like the biggest dummy in school.  Plus, Erica is picking up the slack at home by keeping the house clean, the laundry washed, and her baby brother occupied.  With everything going on, there isn't much time left for homework.

Read Diana Lopez's new book about a girls who wishes her friends and family could understand her as well as her mood ring does!

Lincoln's Grave Robbers

This is the true story of a gang of counterfeiters plotted to steal the body of Abraham Lincoln.  That's right.  I said TRUE!

In 1875 counterfeiting was a major problem in the US, but no one was more talented than Benjamin Boyd.  He could make coney (counterfeit money) so good it would fool the experts.  His arrest caused a stir in the counterfeiting rings of Chicago, and members of his gang come together in a smokey saloon to plot a way to get him out.

They figured they could steal Abraham Lincoln's body and hold it ransom for $200,000 that they would use to get Boyd out of prison.  Thus begins a tale of thieves, undercover informers, and secret service operations.

Read Steve Sheinkin's account of this true story including a special "Body Snatcher Bonus Section" that is pretty gross!

Here are some photos of Lincoln's tomb from my trip to Springfield a couple of years ago.

The cemetery is still fairly isolated like it was in 1875.

Lincoln's remains are sealed inside this marble box.

This is a back window to the monument, now barred to keep potential thieves and vandals away.  

Foul Trouble

Terrell Jamerson is the number one high school basketball player in the country, and everyone knows it.  His life is a constant stream of people trying to get on his good side in the hopes of getting a piece of the pie when Terrell goes pro.  The NCAA rules don't really seem to matter to any of these guys.  Shoe companies, agents, even some guys Terrell thought were friends all want in on the action.

His best friend and teammate Danny Wilcox hates those guys; he calls them the super friends.  He tells Terrell that if he gives in to the pressure those guys will own him.  Danny's dad, who also happens to be their coach, agrees.

This book follows Terrell and Danny as they try to navigate the murky waters of college recruitment through the summer and their senior year in high school.  The longer Terrell waits to make his decision, the sweeter the deals will get.  What will Terrell decide?  John Feinstein will have you on the edge of your seat waiting for Terrell's decision in his latest book!

The Rithmatist

Joel has wanted to be a rithmatist his whole life, but it just wasn't meant to be.  At least he has free tuition at Armedius Academy where he can snatch every crumb of knowledge about the rithmatic arts as possible.

The rithmatists have an important job, defending the United Isles from the wild Chalklings at Nebrask.  Chalkings are two dimensional creatures drawn with chalk.  When a rithmatist does the drawing, these creatures can come to life.  At Nebrask the tower is full of wild chalklings whose origins are unknown.  These creatures are in a constant battle to escape and devour anyone they come across.  The Rithmatist use defensive lines and circles to keep them contained.

Now the rithmatists seem to be under attack.  Several students have been kidnapped in rithmatc battles.  The chalk lines are there as evidence, but there are also strange markings no one has seen before.  Joel's job as a summer research assistant for a professor of rithmatics puts him right in the middle of the investigation and in the sights of a kidnapper who is more dangerous than anyone suspects.

Read this exciting opening book of a new series by Brandon Sanderson!

The Boy on the Wooden Box

When Leon Leyson moved to Krakow with his family in 1938, he thought his life would be full of excitement, but an invading force from Germany soon followed, and life changed for everyone.  The boys who once played with Leon began to bully him, and Nazis filled the streets with propaganda about the Jews.

Soon all the Jews were moved to the Krakow ghetto, a small area of the city walled off to contain them.  That is when things really turned frightening, and rumors of death camps and mass killings circulated in the ghetto.

Leon and his family didn't know if they would survive the Nazi occupation, but then his father was hired by Oskar Schindler.  Schindler's enamel works made pots and pans for the German war effort.  While Schindler partied with powerful members of the Nazi party, he argued his workers were highly specialized and necessary.

Leon and his family were still near death many times, and they faced the horror and uncertainty of the camps, and the family would not survive the war in tact, but thanks to Oskar Schindler, Leon and over 1,000 other Jews would survive the war.

This is the true story of the youngest person to be saved by Oskar Schindler.  It is a story of courage and humanity in a time of horror and cruelty.  A must read!

Teen Book Con Is Next Saturday

If you want to go on the bus with me, make sure you get your permission slip in ASAP!  For more information go to the Teen Book Con website.