Audiobooks narrated by Melissa Hughes

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)

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Riding Freedom

Charlotte Parkhurst was raised in an orphanage for boys, which suited her just fine. She didn't like playing with dolls, she could hold her own in a fight, and she loved to work in the stable. Charlotte had a special way with horses and wanted to spend her life training and riding them on a ranch of her own. The problem was, as a girl in the mid-1800s, Charlotte was expected to live a much different life-one without the freedoms she dreamed of. But Charlotte was smart and determined, and she figured out a way to live her life the way she wanted. Charlotte became an expert horse rider, a legendary stagecoach driver, and the first woman ever to vote. And she did these things at a time when they were outlawed for women. How? With a plan so clever and so secret-almost no one figured it out. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

Pam Munoz Ryan, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Pat Lessie (Author), Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

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The Deadhouse

A richly nuanced synthesis of history and suspense. One of New York City's most haunting buildings is the Deadhouse. This abandoned structure -- which sits on a small island in the middle of the East River like the ghostly remains of a castle -- plays in the imagination as a likely place for murder. It's the holiday season but there's little reason for cheer at one of New York's most elite colleges. A respected professor is dead, strangled and dumped in an elevator shaft. Lola Dakota's lifeless fingers clutch a few strands of hair, and a piece of paper in her pocket reads "The Deadhouse." Opportunistic murder seems unlikely as assistant DA Alexandra Cooper uncovers a distressing pattern of betrayal and terror. There's proof that Lola's husband wanted her dead. And why did Lola have a photograph of Charlotte Voight pinned to her office bulletin board? Charlotte left her dorm room eight months ago and vanished into the night. Are they both victims of the same predator? Perhaps most puzzling of all are the words "The Deadhouse." What was Lola's connection to this desolate place where people once endured slow and agonizing deaths? And what danger awaits Alex as she targets Lola's killer?

Linda Fairstein (Author), Blair Brown, Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

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The Double Life of Pocahontas

Pocahontas was the special favorite of her father, the great chief Pawhatan. And when the English settlers came to Virginia, she became a "sister" to Captain John Smith, who was "adopted" into her tribe. She was permitted to move freely between the Indian and white worlds, and her life seemed perfect. But soon there was trouble. Pocahontas was kidnapped by the settlers, who forced her to live like a white woman. She yearned for her father to meet the colonists' demands so all would be well again. But before Pocahontas made peace, she would be asked to turn her back on everything she loved-and to leave her Indian world behind forever. Highly acclaimed and winner of multiple awards, this book is recommended for Grades 4 and up.

Jean Fritz (Author), Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

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The Summerhouse

Three best friends, all with the same birthday, are about to turn forty. They plan to share this momentous occasion together at a summerhouse in Maine, taking stock of their lives and loves, their wishes and choices. But none of them expect the gift that awaits them at the summerhouse: the chance for each of them to turn their "what might have beens" into reality.... Leslie Headrick, Madison Appleby, and Ellie Abbott met nineteen years ago. These beautiful and extraordinarily talented young women shared both their twenty-first birthdays while revealing their hopes for the future. But life doesn't always go according to one's youthful imaginings. Leslie refuses to listen to what people are saying about ]let husband and his beautiful assistant. Madison dropped a modeling career to help her high school boyfriend recover from ail accident. Ellie, a bestselling author, and recently divorced from her narcissistic, philandering husband, has lost her belief in herself as a result of the divorce. When Leslie, Madison, and Ellie reunite at the summerhouse, each finds a puzzling card from a "Madame Zoya," offering them the chance to relive any three months from the past. Each woman will have to decide as she follows the dream that got away -- and each must choose the life that will truly satisfy, the longings that live deep inside her heart.

Jude Deveraux (Author), Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

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In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

In 1947, the Year of the Boar, Sixth Cousin, also known as Bandit, leaves China with her parents for a new beginning in America. Proud of the American name that she chose herself, Shirley Temple Wong is optimistic that her new home will be the land of many opportunities. But it's harder than she expected. Though her classmates in Brooklyn come from a variety of backgrounds, Shirley is the only one who doesn't speak English, and she worries that she will never have a friend. Then she gets in a fight with Mabel, the tallest, scariest girl in the fifth grade. Though Shirley winds up with two black eyes, she is faithful to the code of childhood and doesn't tell anyone what happened. Her silence gains her the respect and friendship of Mabel, who gives her the gift that truly changes her life: baseball. Soon Shirley is the biggest Brooklyn Dodgers fan of all, listening to the radio to hear the triumphs and heartbreaks of the team and her hero, Jackie Robinson. In the hands of acclaimed author Bette Bao Lord, who based this remarkable novel on her own experiences as a young immigrant, Shirley's story resonates with hope, poignancy, and that special mixture of humor and seriousness that characterizes a child's view of childhood.

Bette Bao Lord (Author), Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

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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, KÃ¤the 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)

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The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre

Fourteen-year-old Rachel Marsh is nanny to John and Abigail Adams' children and witnesses firsthand how tension builds in the feisty New England town in the two years before it erupts into the Boston Massacre. Friends become foes and families divide as British troops arrive in 1768 to force the outspoken Bostonians to toe the line and obey the British government. But the idea of liberty and self-government has taken hold, and once considered, cannot now be set aside. At the same time, Rachel begins to take stock of her own life and future, and learns that to live life to its fullest and with integrity, one must seek the truth for oneself and take a stand. Ann Rinaldi, a master at making history come alive, creates an exciting front row seat for the listener as she uses the voice of young Rachel Marsh to underscore that American liberty was not easily won, but at great cost to those who would not let their dreams die. Recommended for Grades 6 and up.

Ann Rinaldi (Author), Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

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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)

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Joyful Noise/I Am a Phoenix: Poems for Two Voices

Paul Fleischman is a master of sound, incorporating a soaring, energetic musicality into his writing. His poems for two voices-Joyful Noise and I Am Phoenix-make for irresistable listening. Whether funny, sad, boisterous, or serene, each poem is a virtuoso performance-skillfully illuminating a unique personality from the natural world.

Paul Fleischman (Author), Melissa Hughes, Scott Snively (Narrator)

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Crewel Yule

Snow is not the only thing falling this December-spirits are, too. That's because this year's needlework convention in Nashville is tragically interrupted when Milwaukee shop owner Belle Hammermill tumbles nine stories to her untimely death. At first, Betsy Devonshire thinks the fall was just an unfortunate accident. The trouble is, Belle's unsavory reputation causes suspicions to flare. She has plenty of enemies with more than enough motive. Leave it to Betsy and the other knitting hands to unravel the clues that will put the killer to rest for a long winter's night. "This charming mystery is engagingly read by Melissa Hughes, who finds distinctive and realistic voices for its many female characters." --AudioFile

Monica Ferris (Author), Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

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Embroidered Truths

After her good friend Godwin has a nasty quarrel with John, his significant other, full-time needlework shop owner and part-time sleuth Betsy Devonshire finds herself with a roommate. Betsy doesn't mind having company, though Godwin is restless and unhappy over the sudden break-up. But sadness turns to grief when Betsy and Godwin discover John dead in his home, and Godwin is arrested for the murder. Betsy knows her friend couldn't be the killer, and sets out to prove it. What she learns is that John had a cat's cradle of secret dealings that had made him a bundle of money, and a lot of enemies. Now, Betsy has to untangle a web of lies if she's going to save Godwin-and find the murderer. "Spring in Minnesota is good for Betsy Devonshire, owner of needlecraft shop Crewel World until her manager and friend is accused of murder...A lighthearted tale."--Kirkus Reviews

Monica Ferris (Author), Melissa Hughes (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Melissa Hughes