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#GreatReadPBS and Audiobooks

Categories: Audiobook Library

THE GREAT AMERICAN READ is an eight-part series, hosted by PBS, that celebrates the power of reading. Luckily, our print-disabled friends can participate in the Great American Read using their Learning Ally membership and downloading these books to their account.

We have compiled a short-list of books that have been highlighted by The Great American Read and get you and/or your child to join in on the fun and be a part of a National event.  Add these books to your bookshelf and check out the Great American Read specific book's web page to learn more about the author and find out how these beloved books have become part of our American culture and way of life.


The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Synopsis
Sparkling with mischief, jumping with youthful adventure, Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer is one of the most splendid re-creations of childhood in all of literature. It is a lighthearted romp, full of humor and warmth. It shares with its sequel, Huckleberry Finn, not only a set of unforgettable characters--Tom, Huck, Aunt Polly and others--but a profound understanding of humanity as well. The Great American Read - Tom Sawyer


Don Quixoteby Miguel de Cervantes

Synopsis
What begins as a middle-aged country gentleman absorbed with novels of chivalry deliberately evolves into a tale of purely imaginative knight-errantry in this highly influential work of the Spanish Golden Age. This first of modern novels was written in the experimental episodic form, allowing Don Quixote and his 'squire' Sancho Panza to go on quests that just as often as not land them in trouble or earn them the incredulity of those fully engaged in reality.  The Great American Read - Don Quixote


Anne of Green Gablesby L. M. Montgomery

Synopsis
A new edition of L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables in honor of the hundredth-year anniversary of the enduring classic. In addition to publishing Before Green Gables, we are issuing a special collectible edition of Anne of Green Gables, which will be a facsimile of the 1908 version and will feature the original cover art. Old and new fans alike will revel in this elegant keepsake of the timeless classic. The Great American Read - Anne of Green Gables


The Book Thiefby Markus Zusak

Synopsis
It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . . Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist-books. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. The Great American Read - The Book Thief


Charlotte's Webby E.B. White

Synopsis
Charlotte's Web is the story of a little girl named Fern who loved a little pig named Wilbur—and of Wilbur's dear friend Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful large grey spider who lived with Wilbur in the barn. With the help of Templeton, the rat who never did anything for anybody unless there was something in it for him, and by a wonderfully clever plan of her own, Charlotte saved the life of Wilbur, who by this time had grown up to quite a pig. How all this comes about is Mr. White's story. It is a story of the magic of childhood on the farm.  The Great American Read - Charlotte's Web


The Hunger Games ; 1by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis
A chilling tale of survival from the New York Times bestselling author. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the-death on live TV. One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor tohis or her district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capitol wins: one more year of fearful compliance with its rule. The Great American Read - Hunger Games


To Kill a Mockingbirdby Harper Lee

Synopsis
The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic. Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos.  The Great American Read - To Kill a Mocking Bird


Little Womenby Louisa May Alcott

Synopsis
One of the most popular books ever written about childhood charmingly recounts the homelife of four sisters: literary-minded Jo March; Meg, the older sister who marries a young tutor; fashionable and artistic Amy; and gentle, musically inclined Beth. An unforgettable depiction of mid-19th century New England life. Abridged.  The Great American Read - Little Women


Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Synopsis
The book is sailor Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, the white whale that on the ship's previous voyage bit off Ahab's leg at the knee. A contribution to the literature of the American Renaissance, the work's genre classifications range from late Romantic to early Symbolist. Moby-Dick was published to mixed reviews, was a commercial failure, and was out of print at the time of the author's death in 1891.  The Great American Read - Moby Dick


Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stoneby J.K. Rowling

Synopsis
For use in schools and libraries only. After 10 miserable years with his aunt and uncle, Harry Potter is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each book follows another year in Harry's education while more of his frightening destiny is revealed. The Great American Read - Harry Potter


A Game Of Thronesby George R. R. Martin

Synopsis
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.  The Great American Read - Game of Thrones


Visit The Great Read website to see the full list of recommended books and to participate in the various activities they have planned for the fall.


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Learning Ally empowers over 374,000 students with improved comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, and critical thinking skills. For over 70 years, we have helped transform the lives of struggling readers by bridging the gap between their reading capability and their academic potential as they confidently become lifelong learners who thrive in school and beyond.

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