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"The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri Length: 10 hours and 5 min. ISBN: 0-7393-0695-2 New York Times Best Seller Listen to an excerpt with:     Windows Media Player     Real Player

The Namesake follows the Ganguli family through its journey from Calcutta to Cambridge to the Boston suburbs. Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli arrive in America at the end of the 1960s, shortly after their arranged marriage in Calcutta, in order for Ashoke to finish his engineering degree at MIT. Ashoke is forward-thinking, ready to enter into American culture if not fully at least with an open mind. His young bride is far less malleable. Isolated, desperately missing her large family back in India, she will never be at peace with this new world.

Soon after they arrive in Cambridge, their first child is born, a boy. According to Indian custom, the child will be given two names: an official name, to be bestowed by the great-grandmother, and a pet name to be used only by family. But the letter from India with the child’s official name never arrives, and so the baby’s parents decide on a pet name to use for the time being. Ashoke chooses a name that has particular significance for him: on a train trip back in India several years earlier, he had been reading a short story collection by one of his most beloved Russian writers, Nikolai Gogol, when the train derailed in the middle of the night, killing almost all the sleeping passengers onboard. Ashoke had stayed awake to read his Gogol, and he believes the book saved his life. His child will be known, then, as Gogol.

Lahiri brings her enormous powers of description to her first novel, infusing scene after scene with profound emotional depth. Condensed and controlled, The Namesake covers three decades and crosses continents, all the while zooming in at very precise moments on telling detail, sensory richness, and fine nuances of character.

Tags: the namesake, jhumpa lahiri, education, fiction, k-12 educators, parents & family, students, india, mit, interpreter of maladies, boston, gogol

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"Twisted" by Laurie Halse Anderson Length: 6 hours and 25 min. ISBN: 0-7393-4884-1 New York Times Best Seller Listen to an excerpt with:     Windows Media Player     Real Player

High-school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background: average student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But ever since he got busted for spraying graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father’s boss’ daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy, and Tyler’s secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in the school, in his family, and in the world.

In Twisted, the acclaimed Laurie Halse Anderson tackles a very controversial subject: what it means to be a man today. Fans and new readers alike will be captured by Tyler’s pitch perfect, funny voice, the surprising narrative arc, and the thoughtful moral dilemmas that are at the heart of all of the author’s award-winning work.

Tags: twisted, laurie halse anderson, k-12 educators, parents & family, young adults, high school, graffiti, family, dysfunctional, crush

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"Miracle on 49th Street" by Mike Lupica Length: 5 hours and 59 min. ISBN: 0-7393-3861-7 New York Times Best Seller Listen to an excerpt with:     Windows Media Player     Real Player

Josh Cameron has it all: a World Championship ring with the Boston Celtics, an MVP award, a clean-cut image, and the adoration of millions. What he doesn’t have is family — until the day 12-year-old smart aleck Molly Parker confronts him in a parking lot and claims to be his daughter, the only daughter of Jen Parker, Josh’s college sweetheart and the still the only girl he’s ever loved.

Trouble is, Jen Parker died last year, and now Molly has tracked down the father she never knew, the one her mother never wanted her to know about. Josh Cameron cares about two things only: himself and basketball. The last thing this superstar wants or needs is a 12-year-old daughter. Yet this isn’t just any 12-year-old. Mr. World Champion has finally met his match.

Tags: miracle on 49th street, mike lupica, fiction, kids, parents & family, sports, boston celtics, molly parker, mvp, daughter, jen parker, college girlfriend, father, mother, josh cameron, basketball, superstar, world champion

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"Swordbird" by Nancy Yi Fan Length: 3 hours and 48 min. ISBN: 0-0612-3398-6 New York Times Best Seller Listen to an excerpt with:     Windows Media Player     Real Player

The blue jays and cardinals of Stone-Run Forest have always lived harmoniously, side by side. But the fate of the forest and all its inhabitants is in jeopardy when the sinister hawk Turnatt turns the two bird tribes against each other.

According to legend, only Swordbird, Son of the Great Spirit, has the power to conquer evil and restore peace to the land. But is he real or just a myth? Can Swordbird arrive in time to save the forest…or will it be too late?

Thirteen-year-old author Nancy Yi Fan has woven a captivating tale about the birds of Stone-Run Forest and their heroism, courage, and resourcefulness as they search for peace.

Tags: swordbird, nancy yi fan, k-12 educators, kids, parents & family, blue jays, cardinals, tribes, hawk, forest

He holds the secret that can end the world.

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest alchemist of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects, the Book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won’t know what’s happening until it’s too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true.

And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

Tags: the alchemyst: the secrets of the immortal nicholas flamel, michael scott, k-12 educators, kids & young adults, parents & family, science fiction & fantasy, young adults, harry potter, alchemy, alchemist