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Audiobooks by Patricia MacLachlan
Browse audiobooks by Patricia MacLachlan, listen to samples and when you're ready head over to Audiobooks.com where you can get 3 FREE audiobooks on us
"From a Newbery Medal-winning author comes a contemporary classic that's perfect for new parents as well as families with new siblings on the way.
You were the first to smile. You were the first to cry. You were the first to lift your head, to look at the trees and flowers and sky.
There is nothing like the first experience of having a child, a life-changing experience that completely transforms the meaning of love. While all babies in the family are special, a new sibling can be an especially challenging emotional transition for the firstborn, and this unique story addresses those insecurities head-on in a most gentle and lyrical way. You Were the First is also a touching tribute to any baby's early milestones--those unforgettable moments that will always be cherished. From first smiles to first cuddles and even to that first kiss, here's a loving ode to every child's--and parent's--momentous "firsts.""
"In this middle grade novel by Newbery Award–winning author Patricia MacLachlan in her "signature lyric language delivered in spare but satisfying prose" (Booklist), a young girl tries to untangle her love of baseball from her complicated relationship with her professional pitcher father.
Lucy's father is a minor league baseball player, a professional pitcher hoping to get called up to the majors, and Lucy inherited his passion for the game. But she's never played pitcher. She worries her skills would be compared to her dad's and she'd never measure up. And his pitching may mean big things for his career and their family, but it's also what keeps him away from home so much of the year. Sometimes, Lucy isn't sure what would be worse: being bad at pitching or being great.
Still, this summer, Lucy wants to learn to throw the perfect knuckleball. She wakes up at the crack of dawn to practice in secret, without her friends Tex and Robin—or even the goats who watch them play. Even as she trains relentlessly, Lucy wonders if she'll ever feel brave enough to share her progress with her mom or dad. Can she prove to them, and herself, that she has what it takes?"
"ALA Notable Children's Recording 'A few notes of birdsong create the perfect prelude to this heartwarming story, beautifully narrated by Katie Schorr and George Guidall. In the midst of birdcalls, fluttering wings, and other environmental sounds, a girl remembers her grandfather's passion for birds and for sharing that joy with his grandchildren. ...' AUDIOFILE MAGAZINE"
"From the celebrated author of Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia MacLachlan, comes another humorous and poignant early middle grade novel. My Life Begins! explores how life begins for Jacob when his triplet sisters are born, and how siblings get to know each other as time, and love, evolve.
Jacob is nine years old when his life changes.
He wants a litter of puppies. But instead his parents have a different surprise. Jacob will be an older brother soon. And there won’t be only one new baby. There will be three! When the triplets are born, Jacob thinks puppies are cuter. The babies look identical to him and he gives them a name: “the Trips.”
For a school science project, Jacob decides to study the Trips. It feels like magic as they begin to smile, talk, and grow. Slowly, he gets to know each of them. They call his mother “Mama” and his father “Da.” But what will they call him? One day, one of the Trips calls him “Jay.”
As each of the triplets become unique and more special with each day, Jacob starts to wonder if “the Trips” is still a good name for them. They aren’t puppies, or a bunch of bananas, and they aren’t just “the Trips” anymore. What should he call them that will show what they mean to him? Can he figure out their “forever name?” And will he ever get a puppy?"
"Newbery
Medal–winning author Patricia MacLachlan paints a moving portrait of what it
means to be a family, the power of love, and the importance of bringing the
truth out into the light, in this beautiful and profound story about adoption.
Nora
and Ben’s younger sister Birdy loves to keep secrets. She surprises her family
more than once: She hides a kitten in her room. She writes a beautiful poem.
One day Birdy watches her mother spit into a tube, ready to send it off to find
out more about herself and where her family came from. Birdy spits into a tube,
too, when no one sees her.
But
when the test results come back, they are a surprise. Birdy is seemingly not
related to Nora and Ben’s parents. But if she is adopted, how could that have
happened without the children knowing?
Nora
and Ben must learn when to keep a secret, and who to go to for help—and
eventually, how to solve this secret for the entire family."
"ALA Notable Children's Books • Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Primary Title • Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title
A delicate, stunning account of life on the prairie from Newbery medalist Patricia MacLachlan.
Cool summer mornings begin with the rose orange sun and the smell of earth, and fade into hot summer nights with a yellow moon, covered in a quilt of stars. There are wagon rides, farm dogs, trips into town, and games of kick the can. These are prairie days.
Patricia MacLachlan applies her lyrical, sparse voice to transport readers to the prairie of her youth in this stunning celebration of the beauty in the world.
'In sparse, lyrical prose, Newbery medalist MacLachlan extols the prairies of eastern Wyoming (circa the 1940s), where she was born. … Nostalgic, yet filled with timeless experiences.'—Booklist"
"Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia MacLachlan has written a magical and funny tale about the joy found in using words, sharing stories, and loving a wondrous dog: Rex.
Grace’s aunt is a writer. She works with words every day and teaches Grace interesting words like “melancholy” and “delirious.”
But Lily is often “flummoxed” by her writing. Her stories don’t go anywhere, her desk is a mess, and her writer’s group can’t help.
So Lily posts an ad for an assistant: A writer of books needs an assistant, a coach, a helper, for inspiration and some magic!
The next day, Grace opens the door, and there is Rex: a Labrador retriever who will change Grace’s life, and Lily’s. The word “amazing” is an everyday word for Rex, who inspires Lily, and helps Grace find the words to write her own story."
"When Louisa (short for Louisiana) is sent to stay with her grandparents for the summer, she’s not looking forward to it. While her brother is determined to find a way to stay on Deer Island forever, Louisa would rather be off having adventures with their globetrotting ornithographer parents. She’s a writer, and there’s nothing on all of Deer Island to write about—right? Louisa quickly discovers that small doesn’t necessarily mean quiet, and the island has plenty of scope for the imagination. It also has George, the boy who helps her see the world in a whole new light. The end of summer is coming fast, and Louisa must decide what she really wants: to travel the world with her parents or to stay on Deer Island with the people she’s only just learning to love?"
"Patricia MacLachlan, beloved author of the Newbery Medal-winning Sarah, Plain and Tall, has crafted another lyrical and touching novel for young readers about finding hope after the loss of a loved one.
Declan O’Brien always had a gentle word to share, odd phrases he liked to repeat, and songs to sing while he played basketball. His favorite song was ''Dona Nobis Pacem,'' “Grant Us Peace.” His family loved him deeply and always knew they were loved in return.
But a terrible accident one day changes their lives forever, and Fiona and Finn O’Brien are left without a father. Their mother is at a loss. What words are there to guide them through such overwhelming grief?
At the suggestion of their friend Luke, Fiona and Finn volunteer at an animal rescue shelter, where they meet two sweet dogs who are in need of comfort, too. Perhaps with time, patience, and their father’s gentle words in their hearts, hope will spark once more.
* Junior Library Guild Selection * Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year 2019 (9-12) *"
"Barkus is back! With new tricks. New friends. And lots more fun. The lovable Barkus and his lucky young owner romp through the pages of this delightful series from Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia MacLachlan. The simple text told in short chapters is just right for children ready to take their first steps toward reading on their own."
"Meet Barkus. Barkus is well-trained. Barkus is loyal. Barkus is generous. Barkus is family. The exuberant Barkus and his lucky young owner jump, whirl, and twirl across this delightful series from the award-winning Patricia MacLachlan."
"Teddy is a gifted dog, raised in a cabin by a poet named Sylvan. Sylvan always told him there are only two kinds of people in the world who can hear Teddy speak: poets and children. One day, when Teddy finds Nickel and Flora trapped in a snowstorm, he speaks and they understand him. They follow him to home, only now his owner is gone… What will Teddy do when his new friends go home? Can they help one another find what they have lost?"
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