Showing results by narrator "Mark Turetsky" in All Categories

When Louie and Ralphie Ratso set out to transform a cluttered lot into an arcade, they end up conquering a few surprising fears along the way in this follow-up to the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book The Infamous Ratsos. Louie and Ralphie Ratso have a genius idea: if they clear out the lot down...

A young boy wakes up to the sound of the sea, visits his grandfather's grave after lunch, and comes home to a simple family dinner, but all the while his mind strays to his father digging for coal deep down under the sea. With curriculum connections to communities and the history of mining, this beautifully understated and haunting story brings a piece of history to life. The ever-present ocean and inevitable pattern of life in a maritime mining town will enthrall children and move adult listeners.

Meet the Hooligan brothers, Henry, Hank, and Hector, who are fun-loving, go-cart-racing, up-for-anything boys - and they are expert pranksters! The school bully, Rock, picks on the boys, tries to outprank them, and especially tries to lay blame for his pranks on them. Enter a purple, blobby, friendly outer-space alien. He has come to Earth to earn badges for his extraterrestrial space-scout sash. The brothers name him Hoolie, and quickly learn about his alien ways.

When John Haskell's father dies, he leaves behind a mountain of debt for his family to overcome. John had never given much thought to his father's financial iniquities, but now he finds himself faced with the responsibility of paying back those who are owed. With the aid of an Indian trapper, John sets about the hard work of clearing his family's name. Through two harsh winters he goes fur trapping - and emerges a man on the other side.

An adventuresome youth determined to travel the world, Tom Whipple leaves his mother in New York and signs up for sea duty on a ship bound for Russia. As he sails, he makes up his mind to see the czar - and to present him with a gift.

This short story, pulled from Seven American Stories and originally published in Harper's in 1930, is a classic of historical fiction.

In this classic short story, Newbery Medal-winning author Walter D. Edmonds tells the story of Uncle Ben, who, free of his domineering wife for a spell, finds a whale in the bay while out with his friend, Henry. When they bring it back with them, they discover they can earn a little cash by turning it into a sideshow attraction.

Cadmus Henry, mounted on one of the finest mares in Virginia and perfectly turned out from head to toe, dreams of charging intrepidly into battle under the orders of General Lee himself. Unfortunately, young Cadmus can write and is therefore assigned to a desk. But when an unexpected chance to volunteer for scout duty presents itself, Cadmus jumps at it. He learns too late that rather than riding into battle and proving himself a hero, he will be floating over enemy lines in a balloon.

This collection features seven tales inspired by America's colorful history, from colonial times to the early 20th century, including the Newbery Medal winner "The Matchlock Gun". In "The Matchlock Gun", young Edward must protect his family from marauding Indians when his father is called away. In "Two Logs Crossing", John Haskell spends two harsh winters fur trapping with a wise Indian to pay off his father's tremendous debt.

Clumsy, diffident Dick Mount and clever Maggie Gordon live in isolated clearings in New York's Mohawk Valley. Both just 16, they are young and inexperienced - and unprepared for the tragedies that will befall them. When Dick's brothers are killed by marauding Indians in the fall of 1777 and Maggie's father falls desperately ill, they must turn to each other to face the perils of the time.

It's 1951, and 12-year-old Pete Collison is a regular kid in Brooklyn, New York, who loves Sam Spade detective books and radio crime dramas. But when an FBI agent shows up at Pete's doorstep, accusing Pete's father of being a Communist, Pete is caught in a real-life mystery. Could there really be Commies in Pete's family?

From The King in Yellow, by Robert W. Chambers, and set in the Latin Quarter of Paris, artist Jack Trent lives with his model Sylvia. The story takes place during the Seige of Paris in 1870, ending with the Germans shelling the Latin Quarter, and Trent arriving home to see a child scrawling "Here fell the first shell".

From The King in Yellow, this tale narrated by Mark Alexander begins: "The street is not fashionable, neither is it shabby. It is a pariah among streets - a street without a Quarter. It is generally understood to lie outside the pale of the aristocratic Avenue de l'Observatoire. The students of the Montparnasse Quarter consider it swell and will have none of it. The Latin Quarter, from the Luxembourg, its northern frontier, sneers at its respectability and regards with disfavour the correctly costumed students who haunt it. Few strangers go into it."

"The Profit’s Paradise" is a story from The King in Yellow narrated by Mark Turetsky, a collection of eight dreamlike poems by Robert W Chambers.

From The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, this story is set in the Latin Quarter of Paris, where a young artist falls in love with a nameless girl. He has no name, so he names her by the street. Rue Barree in English translates to Road Closed. Are there connotations here, or not?

In this 2009 National Book Award finalist, Rita Williams-Garcia proves that she has an “uncanny ability to project unique voices” ( Publishers Weekly). Jumped is told in alternating points of view between three girls as they struggle to make tough choices when they become involved in a fight at their urban high school.

While better known in his time for his mathematical and astronomical works, 11th-century Persian philosopher and poet Omar Khayyam is best known today for his romantic poetry collected in the Rubaiyat. This selection presents 365 of the approximately 1,000 quatrains, translated from the original Persian. Khayyam’s poetry draws listeners in with its lush imagery and timeless observations on the human experience and the metaphysical mysteries of our world.

Teacher, politician, philosopher, and student, Confucius offered wisdom and aphorisms on a variety of topics that transcend borders and time. Whether considering his own life, human nature, or a society’s responsibilities, Confucius’s teachings emphasize personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, and sincerity. He aimed to effect social and political reform, and left a legacy of wisdom that remains true today. Organized by topic, this collection of quotes, sayings, and lessons is often as entertaining as it is educational.

Published shortly after his high school graduation, “Beyond Lies the Wub” is the classic short story by science fiction master Philip K. Dick. Peterson, a crew member from a spaceship visiting Mars, purchases a giant, pig-like creature called a wub. Although Captain Franco means to make a meal of the strange beast, the wub proves to be likeable and intelligent by discussing the travels of Odysseus and the impact of myth on the human spirit.

When the Indian people, inspired by the words of Mahatma Gandhi, overthrew British rule, they proved that great political change could exist without violence. Revered both as a saint and a master politician in his native country, Gandhi proffered a philosophy that combined Thoreau’s doctrine of civil disobedience with many Hindu beliefs. A comprehensive introduction to this influential modern thinker, The Wisdom of Gandhi recounts his deeply held views on a variety of topics.