Audiobooks by Daniel Nayeri

"Once there was and once there wasn’t … So begins every tale in the Persian tradition. But in a nod to the delight and relevance of such tales for today’s audience, Daniel Nayeri begins with a trip to his grandfather’s farm outside of Isfahan. Along the way, they stop at the house of Saba and Abbas, a childless couple who so love kids that they built a Ferris wheel made of car parts and scraps so they can hear the sounds of laughter and play. There, our young narrator begs Abbas for one of his famous stories—and is rewarded with the tale of three brothers, a giant, a captive princess, and a perfect lemon, so sweet it can cure sadness itself. This tale is both ancient and modern, wistful and whimsical, sweet and supremely satisfying."

Daniel Nayeri (Author), Fajer Al-Kaisi (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Knot Is Not a Tangle

"Knots are necessary and imperfection is a gift in this poignant audiobook about an Iranian boy learning to make a new family rug with his grandmother, from an award-winning duo. Here's something to remember: Even a rug can be a precious thing. One morning, a young boy is woken up early by his grandmother. It's time to make a new rug for the family. Together, they wash and dye the wool. When it's time to knot the threads, the young boy grows nervous. He wants to make it perfect. But why aren't the colors right? And why can't he weave as swiftly as his grandmother? In this lyrical audiobook about imperfection, tradition, and togetherness, A Knot is Not a Tangle explores the memories woven into one family's Persian rug, and is a gentle reminder of imperfection's greatest gifts."

Daniel Nayeri (Author), Daniel Nayeri (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story

"A thrilling WW2 hidden history masterfully told by award winner Daniel Nayeri 1941. The German armies are storming across Europe. Iran is a neutral country occupied by British forces on one side, Soviet forces on another. Soldiers fill the teahouses of Isfahan. Nazi spies roam the alleyways. Babak and his little sister have just lost their father. Now orphans, fearing they will be separated, the two devise a plan. Babak will take up his father's old job as a teacher to the nomads. With a chalkboard strapped to Babak's back, and a satchel full of textbooks, the siblings set off to find the nomad tribes as they make their yearly trek across the mountains. On the treacherous journey they meet a Jewish boy, hiding from a Nazi spy. And suddenly, they are all in a race for survival. Against the backdrop of World War II comes an epic adventure in the faraway places. Through the cacophony of soldiers, tanks, and planes, can young hearts of different creeds and nations learn to find a common language? Master storyteller Daniel Nayeri keeps you on the edge of your seat, uncertain to the very end."

Daniel Nayeri (Author), Daniel Nayeri (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Little Bit Super: With Small Powers Come Big Problems

"In these hilarious stories by some of the top authors of middle grade fiction today, each young character is coping with a minor superpower—while also discovering their power to change themselves and their community, find their voice, and celebrate what makes them unique. Everyone knows that superheroes are supposed to have awesome powers like strength or invisibility or flight. But what happens when you’re a mostly regular kid . . . who’s just a little bit super? In these hilarious and thought-provoking stories from today’s top middle grade authors, a group of kids are each coping with a recently discovered minor superpower. One can shape-shift—but only part of her body, and only on Mondays. Another can always tell when an avocado is perfectly ripe. One can even hear the thoughts of animals in the pet store—which can be about as heart-tugging as you might imagine. It’s hard enough to be in middle school even without some weird ability, but these kids not only find their way to owning their unique powers and potential, they use them to change things for the better . . . and getting there with them is half the fun! These playful tales prompt readers to consider what their own superpower might be, and how they can use it. 'Award-winning contributors keep delightfully inclusive and accomplished company in this emotionally grounded, compassionate collection. . . . These are not your run-of-the-mill, cape-and-tights-clad superheroes. These are kids with relatable struggles learning to embrace that quirky bit of themselves that makes them unique.' —ALA Booklist (starred review) Written by Pablo Cartaya, Nikki Grimes, Leah Henderson, Jarrett Krosoczka, Remy Lai, Kyle Lukoff, Meg Medina, Daniel Nayeri, Linda Sue Park, Mitali Perkins, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Gary D. Schmidt, Brian Young, and Ibi Zoboi; coedited by Leah Henderson and Gary D. Schmidt."

Brian Young, Daniel Nayeri, Gary D. Schmidt, Ibi Zoboi, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Kyle Lukoff, Leah Henderson, Linda Sue Park, Meg Medina, Mitali Perkins, Nikki Grimes, Pablo Cartaya, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Remy Lai (Author), Gary Tiedemann, Greta Jung (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams

"A new all-ages adventure tale from Printz Medal Winner, Daniel Nayeri This is the tale of an exciting journey along the Silk Road with a young Monk and his newfound guardian, Samir, a larger than life character and the so-called 'Seller of Dreams'. The man is a scammer; his biggest skill being the ability to talk his way into getting what he wants. While that talking did save Monkey's life, it has left a lot of people furious with Samir- furious enough to hire assassins. Monkey decides to try and save Samir from the attempts on his life-as a way to pay off his debt! If he can save Samir six times, he'll be a free man...but will they all survive that long? For fans of The Little Prince and Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories."

Daniel Nayeri (Author), Daniel Nayeri (Narrator)

Audiobook

Everything Sad is Untrue: (a true story)

"At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls 'Daniel') stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and talks about poop too much. But Khosrou's stories, stretching back years, and decades, and centuries, are beautiful, and terrifying, from the moment his family fled Iran in the middle of the night with the secret police moments behind them, back to the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy...and further back to the fieldsnear the river Aras, where rain-soaked flowers bled red like the yolk of the sunset had burst over everything, and further back still to the jasmine-scented city of Isfahan. Like Scheherazade in a hostile classroom, Daniel weaves a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth. And it is (a true story)."

Daniel Nayeri (Author), Daniel Nayeri (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks by Daniel Nayeri

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