Audiobooks narrated by Kurt Kanazawa

Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp

"Questions fill Min’s mind. How can they lock us up when we haven’t done anything wrong? MINORU “MIN” TONAI, a young American citizen, and his family must leave everything behind as they are rounded up and unjustly imprisoned following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. From 1942 to 1945, Min, his mother, and his siblings are sent to an incarceration center in Colorado called Amache, surrounded by barbed wire and guarded day and night by armed soldiers. In Unbreakable, the powerful book Min and his friend Jolene Gutiérrez wrote together, Min’s strength is symbolized by the small, smooth stone his father gives him before being led away by FBI agents. This book captures the harshness of the incarceration camp and the resourcefulness of those who were unjustly imprisoned, as well as the joyful reunion of Min and his papa. By sharing this compelling and inspiring real-life story, it was always Min’s and Jolene’s wish to keep a brutal chapter in history from being forgotten so it will never be repeated. "

Jolene Gutiérrez, Minoru Tonai (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

Audiobook

Shibu's Tail

"A tale about a tail, and a cat with some VERY big feelings. Shibu the cat has a lot of feelings and thankfully his fluffy tail helps him express them all! But one day, Shibu realizes that all the other cats are keeping their feelings (and their tails) tucked away. Maybe it would be better to try and fit in? From two extraordinary debuts comes a delightful story on navigating life's highs, lows, and all the big emotions in between. 'Thomas’ cogent text and her focus on emotional intelligence will resonate with caregivers.'—Kirkus (starred)"

Tess Thomas (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

Audiobook

How to Catch a Babysaurus

"The newest adventure in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series—do YOU have what it takes to catch the most unique creature yet? The How to Catch Kids are at it again! When one of them is about to gain a new sibling, the team tries to trap the Babysaurus—a curious little creature who loves adventure and learning new things! But will the Babysaurus be a nuisance or your new best friend? The perfect gift for new siblings ages 4–10, this fun dinosaur book is filled with silly rhymes sure to delight young readers and parents alike. With STEAM concepts and classic hilarity and chaos, How to Catch is a phenomenal Christmas or holiday gift! There are rumors of a stinky beast, quite small, but loud, it's true! This could just be our new best friend, and to catch him we need YOU!"

Alice Walstead (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

Audiobook

Leif's Gift

"A boy’s green thumb grows wild in this playful debut about the merriment and mishaps of collecting houseplants. Leif lives above his parents’ café, and his green thumb has turned his bedroom into a jungle. Begonias, ferns, ivy, peperomias—his plants twist and twine around the furniture and creep and crawl across the walls. Leif’s parents worry he’s gone overboard, but Leif knows he can never have too many houseplants. But then important things begin to go missing in the overgrowth, and Leif must find a way to make his plants a little less—and maybe share a little more. Leif’s Gift is a whimsical and delightful celebration of a young boy’s passions that reminds us that the best gifts we give are the ones we grow."

Michael Wang (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

Audiobook

I Will Forget This Feeling Someday (Light Novel)

"A BOND AND A LOVE THAT STRETCHES ACROSS TIME AND PARALLEL DIMENSIONS Suzuki Kaya lives an everyday, ordinary, boring life. That is, until a dazzling light appears before him at a defunct bus stop, showing him a vision of a girl from another world. From that moment, Kaya's life changes as they strive to find ways to meet one another from across dimensions, and maybe... even fall in love."

Yoru Sumino (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Siren, the Song, and the Spy

"In this second vibrant fantasy from Maggie Tokuda-Hall, companion to her best-selling debut, The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, a diverse resistance force fights to topple an empire in a story about freedom, identity, and decolonization. By sinking a fleet of Imperial Warships, the Pirate Supreme and their resistance fighters have struck a massive blow against the Emperor. Now allies from across the empire are readying themselves, hoping against hope to bring about the end of the conquerors’ rule and the rebirth of the Sea. But trust and truth are hard to come by in this complex world of mermaids, spies, warriors, and aristocrats. Who will Genevieve—lavishly dressed but washed up, half-dead, on the Wariuta island shore—turn out to be? Is warrior Koa’s kindness toward her admirable, or is his sister Kaia’s sharp suspicion wiser? And back in the capital, will pirate-spy Alfie really betray the Imperials who have shown him affection, especially when a duplicitous senator reveals xe would like nothing better? Meanwhile, the Sea is losing more and more of herself as her daughters continue to be brutally hunted, and the Empire continues to expand through profits made from their blood. The threads of time, a web of schemes, shifting loyalties, and blossoming identities converge in Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s remarkable companion to The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, as unlikely young allies work to forge a new and better world."

Maggie Tokuda-Hall (Author), André Santana, Angela Tran, Krysta Gonzales, Kurt Kanazawa, Rachanee Lumayno (Narrator)

Audiobook

Wat Takes His Shot: The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru Misaka

"Growing up, Wat Misaka wasn’t the tallest kid on the basketball court, but he was fast and he loved the game! In his Japanese American basketball league, Wat dribbled with speed and shared the ball as much as he scored. Encouraged by his father to always do his best, Wat applied this mindset to every challenge in his life. As Wat spent more time on the court, his passion for the game grew. He played in college at the University of Utah during WWII, a time when many Japanese Americans were stripped of their freedoms and incarcerated by the US government. Wat fought against racism and brought his best to every game. His team-player mentality made him shine on and off the court, and he became an inspiration to his Japanese American community. After helping his team win the national championship, Wat was drafted by the New York Knicks, making him the first non-white athlete to play in the NBA. Wat’s motivational story of rising to a challenge and bringing your best to everything you do is a reminder of the power we each have to inspire others—if we just take our shot! A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection"

Cheryl Kim (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

Audiobook

Shermy & Shake, the Not-So-New Kid

"Shermy is excited to start second grade. He has styled his hair with gel. He is making friends with the kids who play soccer at recess. And he’s being a good helper to his new teacher, Mr. Craig, who often loses track of things. When his out-of-town friend, Shake, shows up, things seem to be going even better! That is, until Shermy realizes that Shake is stealing the spotlight. But Shake’s mom and stepdad are looking to buy a house in Shermy’s neighborhood, which means these two long-distance friends will now be no-distance friends. Can their friendship survive the closeness—and the classroom? Or will having Shake in the neighborhood be too much of a good thing?"

Kirby Larson (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

Audiobook

Innocent When You Dream

"80-something Dan Yamada has been rendered speechless after a stroke, and as he lies in bed, he vividly recalls his life, from his days in the World War 2-era internment camps, to serving in the US Army, to his one true love. At his bedside in the present, his adult children fight over his care and legacy, all while Dan tries to communicate his poignant final wish. Includes an interview with playwright Ken Narasaki. This play is sponsored by the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, a state-funded grant project of the California State Library. Recorded at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood, in January 2024. Directed by Anna Lyse Erikson Producing Director: Susan Albert Loewenberg An L.A. Theatre Works full cast recording, starring: Kurt Kanazawa as Frank Fujiyama John Miyasaki as Young Dan Yamada Suzy Nakamura as Joy Yamada-Hanke Ken Narasaki as Dr. Park Rosie Narasaki as Young Grace Hamamoto Sharon Omi as Adult Grace Hamamoto Sab Shimono as Dan Yamada Greg Watanabe as Merv Yamada Senior Producer: Anna Lyse Erikson Prepared for audio by Mark Holden Recorded and edited by Neil Wogenson Designed and mixed by Charles Carroll for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood. Senior Radio Producer: Ronn Lipkin Foley Artist: Stacey Martinez "Blue Skies" performed by Kurt Kanazawa"

Ken Narasaki (Author), Greg Watanabe, John Miyasaki, Ken Narasaki, Kurt Kanazawa, Rosie Narasaki, Sab Shimono, Sharon Omi, Suzy Nakamura (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Tatami Time Machine Blues: A Novel

"In the boiling heat of summer, a broken remote control for an air conditioner threatens life as we know it in this reality-bending, time-slipping sequel to The Tatami Galaxy. During a scorching August in Kyoto, our protagonist and his worst friend, Ozu, are locked in a glaring contest in a four-and-a-half-tatami-mat room. Ozu has spilled Coke on the air conditioner’s remote control—the only AC in Shimogamo Yusuisuiso, their famously shabby sweatbox of an apartment building. Vengeful and despairing, our protagonist discusses countermeasures with his secret crush, the reliably blunt Akashi, when Tamura, a strange young man with a bad haircut, appears. Tamura claims to be a time traveler from 25 years in the future, and shows off the time machine he uses to travel. Our protagonist has a brilliant idea: the sweetest revenge would be to go back one day in time and retrieve the functioning remote control. His simple fix is complicated by Ozu and several others who are also eager to take a ride back in time. But in attempting to alter the past, our protagonist foresees the world's extinction. Even more troublingly, Akashi mentions she’s bringing someone to the upcoming bonfire . . . and it's not him. Only one thing remains certain: it's going to be a very long month. Obliteration? Salvation? Coca-Cola? Castella cake? What does the time machine hold for our (not quite) heroes? It all depends on which one gets there first. Translated from the Japanese by Emily Balistrieri"

Tomihiko Morimi (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

Audiobook

No Ordinary Thing

"When a mysterious customer tells Adam great things await him in the attic of his uncle’s bakery, he brushes off the exchange. It’s 1999 in New York City—and Adam has already met his fair share of oddballs and eccentrics. But days later, in the attic, Adam makes a discovery that quickly sets him off on a whirlwind adventure. And Adam soon suspects he may not be the only one aware of his extraordinary secret when a tall man with long eyebrows and a thin mustache appears to be following his every move. … With words that are warm, witty, and wise, debut author G. Z. Schmidt has written a fantastical novel that celebrates pluck in the face of adversity, and the timelessness of human nature."

G.Z. Schmidt (Author), Kurt Kanazawa (Narrator)

Audiobook

Diverse Energies

"“No one can doubt that the wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed, but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men. No one can doubt that cooperation in the pursuit of knowledge must lead to freedom of the mind and freedom of the soul.” —President John F. Kennedy, from a speech at University of California, March 23, 1962 In a world gone wrong, heroes and villains are not always easy to distinguish and every individual has the ability to contribute something powerful. In this stunning collection of original and rediscovered stories of tragedy and hope, the stars are a diverse group of students, street kids, good girls, kidnappers, and child laborers pitted against their environments, their governments, differing cultures, and sometimes one another as they seek answers in their dystopian worlds. Take a journey through time from a nuclear nightmare of the past to society’s far future beyond Earth with these eleven stories by masters of speculative fiction."

Cindy Pon, Daniel H. Wilson, Ph.D., Ellen Oh, Greg Van Eekhout, K. Tempest Bradford, Ken Liu, Malinda Lo, Paolo Bacigalupi, Rahul Kanakia, Ursula K. Le Guin (Author), Catherine Ho, James Chen, Jasmin Walker, Kurt Kanazawa, Neil Shah, Nick Walther, Shaun Taylor-Corbett (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Kurt Kanazawa

Join Our Community