Audiobooks Narrated by John C. Brown

Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (And What the Neighbors Thought)

History comes to life in this dynamic volume! It's no secret that Beethoven went deaf, that Mozart had constant money problems, and that Gilbert and Sullivan wrote musicals. But what were these people-and other famous musicians-really like? What did they eat? What did they wear? How did they spend their time? From Bach to Mozart, George Gershwin to Woody Guthrie, Beethoven to Gilbert and Sullivan, you'll learn all about their lives and music, what they were really like and what inspired these geniuses of musical expression. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

Kathleen Krull (Author), John C. Brown, Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought)

Not all governments have been run by men. Lives of Extraordinary Women turns the spotlight on the women who have wielded power, revealing their feats-and flaws-for all the world to see. Here you'll find twenty of the most influential women in history: queens, warriors, prime ministers, first ladies, revolutionary leaders. Some are revered. Others are notorious. But they were all real people with private interests and personalities. What were they really like? What did they do for fun? Did their neighbors gossip about them? What were their tragedies and their triumphs? In this grand addition to their highly praised series, Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Hewitt celebrate some of the world's most noteworthy women-including Elizabeth I, Harriet Tubman, Eva Peron, Eleanor Roosevelt. Wild or mild, hated or beloved, each of these women dared to stand up and be a leader. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

Kathleen Krull (Author), John Brown, John C. Brown, Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (And What the Neighbors Thought)

Which writer dressed solely in white? Who ate chocolate for breakfast? Who liked to challenge houseguests to swallow goldfish? Learn this and more about twenty literary luminaries, ranging from Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare to Louisa May Alcott and Mark Twain, who are profiled in this entertaining and informative collection. Winner of A School Library Journal's Book of the Year Award, Lives of the Writers is both an indispensable reference tool and an exhilarating gossipfest. Author Kathleen Krull makes learning fun, painting realistic portraits of Hans Christian Andersen, Edgar Allan Poe, Frances Hodgson Burnett, the Bronte sisters, Emily Dickinson, E.B. White, Jack London, Murasaki Shikibu, Miguel de Cervantes, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jane Austen, and more. Krull serves up an outstanding introduction to the classics of literature for the whole family, while telling us all the real - and at times wacky - stories behind their writers. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

Kathleen Krull, Melissa Hughes (Author), John Brown, John C. Brown, Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (And What the Neighbors Thought)

Whether visiting museums and galleries or taking Art History courses, we often marvel at the brilliant artwork, but learn little about the artists behind the creations. Kathleen Krull's acclaimed Lives of the Artists examines 20 brilliant artists and tells us why their neighbors had so much to whisper about. From DaVinci to Rembrandt, van Gogh to Matisse, and Picasso to Warhol, you'll learn about both their artistic masterpieces and their personal messes. Fun and lighthearted, yet full of solid information, trivia, and provocative commentary, Lives of the Artists presents objective, 3-dimensional biographies of the world's great artists. Here are inside views of twenty writers-people of all shapes, sizes, temperaments, and lifestyles, from various countries and historical periods: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Peter Bruegel, Sofonisba Anguissola, Rembrandt van Rijn, Katsushika Hokusai, Mary Cassatt, Vincent Van Gogh, Käthe Kollwitz, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Marcel Duchamp, Georgia O'Keeffe, William H. Johnson, Salvador Dali, Isamu Noguchi, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Andy Warhol. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

Kathleen Krull (Author), John Brown, John C. Brown, Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

Lives of the Presidents--Now Including George W. Bush and Barack Obama: Fame, Shame (And What the Ne

Which president barked likes a dog-and why did another bark like a seal? Who threw lavish dinner parties with twenty-nine courses-and who was so disliked that his parties were boycotted? Which president had eighty pairs of pants? And which liked to remove his pants (and everything else) for a dip in the pool, expecting everyone around him to skinny-dip too? The presidents of the United States have been different not only in politics, but also as people. Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Hewitt look at our nation's fearless leaders with the eye of a gossipy neighbor, dishing the dirt on bad habits, bad fashion, and bad manners (and more than a few good things in between). Lives of the Presidents has long been a favorite in this popular and solidly researched series of collective biographies. Updated to include Barack Obama and George W. Bush, this acclaimed volume is perfect for presidential buffs and trivia lovers of all ages. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

Kathleen Krull (Author), John C. Brown, William Dufris (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought)

Which president barked likes a dog-and why did another bark like a seal? Who threw lavish dinner parties with twenty-nine courses-and who was so disliked that his parties were boycotted? Which president had eighty pairs of pants? And which liked to remove his pants (and everything else) for a dip in the pool, expecting everyone around him to skinny-dip too? The presidents of the United States have been different not only in politics, but also as people. Kathleen Krull looks at our nation's fearless leaders with the eye of a gossipy neighbor, dishing the dirt on bad habits, bad fashion, and bad manners (and more than a few good things in between).

Kathleen Krull (Author), John C. Brown, William Dufris (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

My Brother Sam is Dead

The classic story of one family torn apart by the Revolutionary War. All his life, Tim Meeker has looked up to his brother Sam. Sam is smart and brave, and is now a part of the American Revolution. Not everyone in town wants to be a part of the rebellion. Most are supporters of the British, including Tim and Sam’s father. With the war soon raging, Tim knows he will have to make a choice between the Revolutionaries and the Redcoats, and between his brother and his father. “This stirring and authoritative novel earns a place beside our best historical fiction…A memorable piece of writing.”—Horn Book

Christopher Collier, James Lincoln Collier (Author), John Brown, John C. Brown (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free