Audiobooks narrated by Shayna Small

The Real Education of TJ Crowley Audiobook

It’s 1968, during the heart of the Civil Rights Movement and TJ Crowley, a young white teenager, faces a critical choice when a Black family, the Washingtons, crosses the city’s racial redline and moves next door. As racial tensions surge, TJ questions his prejudices and forms secret friendships with his Black peers and the doctor next door, who becomes his mentor and sports coach. The story unfolds in the wake of the slaying of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., passage of the Fair Housing Act and school integration. Inspired by the author’s own story and historical events, including the characters of Dr. Val Brown, Josephine Brown and Sheila Brown Kinnard. The story plays out against the background of a nation divided over civil rights and the Vietnam War. As an immersive experience, The Real Education of TJ Crowley offers an authentic and relatable exploration of racial awakening and the ongoing fight for justice and equality. In so doing, it challenges us to confront our own biases and consider the choices we make in times of social change.

Grant Overstake, May Wuthrich (Author), A Full Cast, Ari Fliakos, Brittany Pressley, Dani Martineck, Dion Graham, Graham Halstead, John Wright, Johnny Heller, Kevin R. Free, Kirby Heyborne, Michael Crouch, Peter Berkrot, Shayna Small, Sheila Brown Kinnard, Tavia Gilbert, Thérèse Plummer (Narrator)

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Daughter of the Merciful Deep

A woman journeys into a submerged world of gods and myth to save her home in this powerful historical fantasy that shines a light on the drowned Black towns of the American South. "Our home began, as all things do, with a wish." Jane Edwards hasn't spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she's found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake. Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he might be the key. But as the stranger hints at gods and ancestral magic, Jane is captivated by a bigger mystery. She knows this man. Only the last time she saw him, he was dead. His body laid to rest in a rushing river. Who is the stranger and what is he really doing in Awenasa? To find those answers, Jane will journey into a sunken world, a land of capricious gods and unsung myths, of salvation and dreams made real. But the flood waters are rising. To gain the miracle she desires, Jane will have to find her voice again and finally face the trauma of the past. For more from Leslye Penelope, check out The Monsters We Defy.

Leslye Penelope (Author), Shayna Small (Narrator)

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The That Summer Night on Frenchman Street

Being there for her family is the most important thing to Jessamine Monet. And her family is complicated. Her twin brother Joel has a secret boyfriend, and her transgender cousin Solange is flourishing, despite the disapproval of Solange’s dying mother. Yet Jessamine doesn’t mind being caught up in family drama. Being busy keeps the water at bay—the water of memories, of Katrina, of past trauma. So when Tennessee Williams—a rich white boy named after the writer—asks her out, she hesitantly says yes. He’ll be like a library book, she figures, something to read and return. Falling for him is another burden she can’t afford to carry. Tennessee has always lived his life at the mercy of his mom’s destructive creativity and his dad’s hypermasculine expectations. Jessamine’s caring and aloof nature is a surprisingly welcome distraction. While she fights her attraction to him, Tennessee is pulled into her inner family circle and develops a friendship with Joel’s boyfriend, Saint Baptiste. Together Saint and Tennessee bond over the difficulty of loving the emotionally unavailable Monet twins. As senior year progresses, old traumas and familial pressures rise higher than hurricane waves. Can this group of friends make peace with each other, their families, and most importantly, with themselves?

Chris Clarkson (Author), Kirby Heyborne, Shayna Small (Narrator)

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Firsts and Lasts: 16 Stories from Our World...and Beyond!

An exciting fiction YA anthology that celebrates the new experiences and final moments teenagers face on their journey into adulthood from editor Laura Silverman and a cast of spectacular contributors. From first breakups and romantic vampire encounters to last band performances and the deadly end of a friendship, Firsts and Lasts is an anthology that is just as unpredictable as being a teenager. While each of these stories span different genres and styles, they all perfectly capture the big emotions-confusion, joy, uneasiness, and anticipation-that many teens experience as they grow up. Whether you are hopelessly in love and not sure how to tell your crush, going through loss and can't fully process it, or just trying to figure out where you belong in the world, this collection of sixteen stories has something for every reader. Stories written by: Adi Alsaid, Keah Brown, Monica Gomez-Hira, Kika Hatzopoulou, Shaun David Hutchinson, Amanda Joy, Loan Le, Joy McCullough, Yamile Saied Méndez, Anna Meriano, Nina Moreno, Tess Sharpe, Laura Silverman, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Diana Urban, and Julian Winters.

Laura Silverman (Author), André Santana, Annie Q, Elena Rey, Emily Eiden, Frankie Corzo, Jamie K. Brown, Shayna Small, Tashi Thomas, Various, Victoria Villarreal, Vyvy Nguyen (Narrator)

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DanSing Pancakes' Healthy Choices Musical Story

The DanSing Pancakes’ Healthy Choices Musical Story is a new, edu-taining, high-action, illustrated children’s book written in rhymes, and with a “scan and play” audiobook by voiceover narrator and actress Shayna Small and with a hot new song, written and performed by legendary Platters® lead singer Joe Coleman. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington [DC] proudly had a cameo part in the fun song and will receive a percentage of every book sold. Please visit www.DanSingPancakes.com to meet Pablo & Priscilla Pancake and experience the fun and games on their website! Pablo and Priscilla Pancake were born suddenly in a frying pan at a home near yours. They bathe in bowls of syrup and they attend Panfry Primary School. There they encounter “human” classmates smoking, and talking about drinking and doing drugs. Through their adventurous story and a hot new song, the DanSing Pancakes help kids resist drugs, alcohol, and smoking while teaching them positive choices such as studying hard, eating healthy foods, and being good friends. Pablo and Priscilla help their friends lead healthy lives and fulfill their dreams. Wonderfully illustrated by a young artist and her mother, the story includes a cool “pledge” with fun coloring pages from the story and other interactive family activities to encourage kids to make healthy choices. It is a must-have book for every parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, uncle, guardian, older brother or sister to teach young kids these valuable lessons in a fun, child-friendly way. A portion of each book sold is donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington [DC] (https://www.bgcgw.org). Testimonial: 'I was so excited to see your book. I wanted to tell you about a little boy I read it to in the play therapy room. His mother, who has struggled with addiction and is on the verge of losing him, was in the lobby. He sang [your] song until he memorized it.'

Joe Coleman, Philip Auerbach, Rick Vitacco (Author), Shayna Small (Narrator)

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The Dark Place

You can only hide from your nightmares for so long. Seventeen-year-old Hylee Williams didn’t ask to disappear. She didn’t ask to move from Kansas City, Kansas out to the suburbs in Missouri. But she did disappear, and not only that, but when she vanished from our world, she materialized in a dark, twisted version of the night that changed her life forever: the night her older brother went missing. Just as Hylee realizes this moment could be the key to unraveling the truth about her brother, she’s yanked away from the dark place back to our world. Craving a sense of normalcy, she goes to a party with her best friend—where she meets Eilam Roads. Tall, handsome, and undeniably, inexplicably familiar, Hylee can’t help the pull she feels towards him. It’s a classic teen girl-meets-boy situation, until it happens again. She disappears, right in front of him. Together, Hylee and Eilam investigate the truth about time, space, and reality, with Hylee increasingly convinced her time travel holds the key to saving her brother. But the more they learn, the more Hylee begins to see darkness lurking in her world—and in herself. Britney S. Lewis’s sophomore novel combines the quotable relatability, swoony romance, and emotional resonance of John Green with the surrealist horror imagery and razor-sharp wit of Jordan Peele. At once haunting and enchanting and entirely unforgettable.

Britney Lewis (Author), Shayna Small (Narrator)

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Chain-Gang All-Stars: Squid Game meets The Handmaid's Tale in THE new dystopian novel of summer 2023

Brought to you by Penguin. Enter a world where, watched by millions, prisoners fight like gladiators for the ultimate prize: their freedom. Perfect for fans of The Handmaid's Tale, Squid Game and Watchmen **A MOST ANTICIPATED TITLE OF 2023 from The Independent, Elle, The Millions, Salon, Washington Post, Seattle Times, Huffington Post, Oprah Daily, The Week, Book Riot, Lit-Reactor, Goodreads, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus AND MANY MORE** Welcome to Chain-Gang All-Stars, the popular and highly controversial programme inside America's prison system. In packed arenas, watched by millions of live-stream viewers, prisoners compete as gladiators for the ultimate prize: their freedom. Fan favourites Loretta Thurwar and Hamara 'Hurricane Staxxx' Stacker are teammates and lovers. Thurwar is nearing the end of her time on the circuit, free in just a few matches, a fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. As she prepares for her final encounters, as protestors gather at the gates, and as the programme's corporate owners stack the odds against her - will the price be simply too high? *Roxane Gay's May Selection for the Audacious Book Club* 'Electrifying' GEORGE SAUNDERS 'Awe-inspiring' JESSAMINE CHAN 'A revelation!' TOMMY ORANGE ©2023 Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah(P)2023 Penguin Audio

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Author), Aaron Goodson, Lee Osorio, Michael Crouch, Shayna Small (Narrator)

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What They Found: Love on 145th Street

By the groundbreaking author of the award-winning Monster-a visionary who influenced and inspired a generation-this story take us back to the world of 145th Street: Short Stories to show how love can be found, and thrive, in the most unlikely places. Curtis finds love in Iraq as he struggles to stay alive in a war he doesn't want to fight, and Letha discovers her own beauty in the love of her child. There is the 'good daughter' who realizes that there's only one way to help her brother and her family. Other stories center on the daily drama of the Curl-E-Que beauty shop, or capture the slapstick side of passion. AWARDS FOR WALTER DEAN MYERS: New York Times Bestselling Author 3-Time National Book Award Finalist Michael L. Printz Award 5 Coretta Scott King Awards 2 Newbery Honors National Ambassador for Young People's Literature (2012-2013) Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement Children's Literature Legacy Award

Walter Dean Myers (Author), Amanda Alcántara, Brandon Gill, Emana Rachelle, Heather Alicia Simms, James Fouhey, Jaqwan J. Kelly, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Kamali Minter, Karen Murray, Khaya Fraites, Shayna Small, Tyla Collier, William Demeritt (Narrator)

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Financial Feminist: Overcome the Patriarchy’s Bullsh*t to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Lov

From the globally-recognized personal finance educator and social media star behind Her First $100K, an inclusive guide to all things money—from managing debt to investing and voting with your dollars Tori Dunlap was always good with money. As a kid, she watched her prudent parents balance their checkbook every month and learned to save for musical tickets by gathering pennies in an Altoids tin. But she quickly discovered that her experience with money was pretty unusual, especially among her female friends. It wasn’t our fault. Investigating this financial literacy and wealth gap, Tori found that girls are significantly less likely to receive a holistic financial education; we’re taught to restrain our spending, while boys are taught about investing and rewarded for pursuing wealth. In adulthood, women are hounded by the unfounded stereotype of the frivolous spenders whose lattes are to blame for the wealth gap. And when something like, say, a global pandemic happens, we’re the first to have jobs cut and the last to re-enter the workforce. It's no wonder money is a source of anxiety and a barrier to equality for so many of us. But what if money didn't mean restriction, and instead, choice? The ability to luxuriously travel, quit toxic jobs, donate to important organizations, retire early? The freedom to live the life you want, and change the world while you do it? Tori founded Her First $100K to teach women to overcome the unique obstacles standing in the way of their financial freedom. In Financial Feminist, she distills the principles of her shame- and judgment-free approach to paying off debt, figuring out your value categories to spend mindfully, saving money without monk-like deprivation, and investing in order to spend your retirement tanning in Tulum. Featuring journaling prompts, deep-dives into the invisible aspects of the financial landscape, and interviews with experts on everything money—from predatory credit card companies to the racial wealth gap and voting with your dollars—Financial Feminist is the ultimate guide to making your money work harder for you (rather than the other way around.) Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Tori Dunlap (Author), Graham Halstead, Jaime Lamchick, Samantha Tan, Shayna Small, Tori Dunlap (Narrator)

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Whiteout

Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of interwoven narratives, Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance—by the same unbeatable team of authors who wrote the New York Times bestseller Blackout! As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm? No one is prepared for this whiteout. But then, we can’t always prepare for the magical moments that change everything. From the bestselling, award-winning, all-star authors who brought us Blackout—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—comes another novel of Black teen love, each relationship within as unique and sparkling as Southern snowflakes.

Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Dhonielle Clayton, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, Tiffany D Jackson, Tiffany D. Jackson (Author), Alaska Jackson, Bahni Turpin, Danielle Shemaiah, James Fouhey, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Kevin R. Free, Korey Jackson, Shayna Small (Narrator)

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Lightyear

This junior novelization retells the exciting story of Disney and Pixar’s animated feature film Lightyear Lightyear is a sci-fi action-adventure and the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear—the hero who inspired the toy. The film reveals how a young test pilot became the Space Ranger that we all know him to be today. The thrilling film is all retold in this junior novelization that’s perfect for girls and boys ages 6 to 9.

Meredith Rusu (Author), Shayna Small (Narrator)

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Harlem Sunset

Named a 2022 People Magazine best book of the summer! A riveting Harlem Renaissance Mystery featuring Louise Lloyd, a young Black woman working in a hot new speakeasy when she gets caught up in a murder that hits too close to home... Harlem, 1927. Twenty-seven-year-old Louise Lloyd has found the perfect job! She is the new manager of the Dove, a club owned by her close friend Rafael Moreno. There Louise meets Nora Davies, one of the girls she was kidnapped with a decade ago. The two women-along with Rafael and his sister, Louise's girlfriend, Rosa Maria-spend the night at the Dove, drinking and talking. The next morning, Rosa Maria wakes up covered in blood, with no memory of the previous night. Nora is lying dead in the middle of the dance floor. Louise knows Rosa Maria couldn't have killed Nora, but the police have a hard time believing that no one can remember anything at all about what happened. When Louise and Rosa Maria return to their apartment after being questioned by the police, they find the word GUILTY written across the living room wall in paint that looks a lot like blood. Someone has gone to great lengths to frame and terrify Rosa Maria, and Louise will stop at nothing to clear the woman she loves.

Nekesa Afia (Author), Shayna Small (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Shayna Small