Hear that? Awesome Audio Books from the Children's Room: Action / Adventure / Mystery

Floors by Patrick Carman Charlie had his chocolate factory. Stanley Yelnats had his holes. Leo has the wacky, amazing Whippet Hotel. The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them - he is the maintenance man's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him . . . boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances. Leo had better be quick on his feet, because the fate of the building he loves is at stake . . . and so is Leo's own future!

The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan The first book in this groundbreaking multimedia series sends readers around the world on the hunt for the 39 Clues. Written by #1 New York Times bestseller Rick Riordan, and backed by $100,000 in prizes! Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her decendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue." Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 Clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.

A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner; Scholastic Multi-Platform Staff (Based on a work by) Scholastic's next multi-platform mega-event begins here! History is broken, and three kids must travel back in time to set it right! When best friends Dak Smyth and Sera Froste stumble upon the secret of time travel - a hand-held device known as the Infinity Ring - they're swept up in a centuries-long secret war for the fate of mankind. Recruited by the Hystorians, a secret society that dates back to Aristotle, the kids learn that history has gone disastrously off course. Now it's up to Dak, Sera, and teenage Hystorian-in-training Riq to travel back in time to fix the Great Breaks... and to save Dak's missing parents while they're at it. First stop: Spain, 1492, where a sailor named Christopher Columbus is about to be thrown overboard in a deadly mutiny!

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart; Del Roy (Read by) Children you must not come stop dangerous! The fabulous foursome readers embraced as The Mysterious Benedict Society is back with a new mission: to go on a mind-bending international scavenger hunt designed to engage their individual talents. As they search for all the clues and riddles Mr. Benedict has hidden for them, Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance face an unexpected challenge that will reinforce the reasons they were brought together in the first place and require them to fight for the very namesake that united them. JOIN THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY AT YOUR OWN RISK

The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch; Gilbert Ford (Illustrator) Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn't want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret.

Rowan Hood Returns by Nancy Springer Guy Longhead. Jasper of the Sinister Hand. Hurst Orricson. Holt, also Orricson, brother of Hurst.To anyone else, just four names. But to Rowan Hood, the gentle healer who has waited two long years to put names to the men who murdered her mother, they are fuel to feed her desire for revenge. And so she leaves the rowan grove that had become her home in Sherwood Forest, and along with her friends, sets off to seek these men. Yet she finds that the closer she draws to them, the farther she feels from the healer she has become.

The Doll People by Ann Martin A family of porcelain dolls that has lived in the same house for one hundred years is taken aback when a new family of plastic dolls arrives and doesn't follow The Doll Code of Honor.

George and the Big Bang by Stephen W. Hawking; James Goode (Narrated by)

In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz; Hugh D'Andrade (Illustrator) More Grimm tales await in the harrowing, hilarious companion to a beloved new classic Take caution ahead-- Oversize plant life, eerie amphibious royalty, and fear-inducing creatures abound. Lest you enter with dread. Follow Jack and Jill as they enter startling new landscapes that may (or may not) be scary, bloody, terrifying, and altogether true. Step lively, dear reader . . . Happily ever after isn't cutting it anymore. In this companion novel to Adam Gidwitz's widely acclaimed, award-winning debut, A Tale Dark & Grimm, Jack and Jill explore a new set of tales from the Brothers Grimm and others, including Jack and the Beanstalk and The Frog Prince.

The League of Beastly Dreadfuls by Holly Grant Anastasia is a completely average almost-eleven-year-old. That is, UNTIL her parents die in a tragic vacuum-cleaner accident. UNTIL she's rescued by two long-lost great-aunties. And UNTIL she's taken to their delightful and, er, authentic Victorian home, St. Agony's Asylum for the Criminally Insane. But something strange is going on at the asylum. Anastasia soon begins to suspect that her aunties are not who they say they are. So when she meets Ollie and Quentin, two mysterious brothers, the three join together to plot their great escape!

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall With over one million copies sold, this series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family from National Book Award winner andnbsp;New York Timesnbsp;bestseller Jeanne Birdsall is perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild and Edward Eager. This summer the Penderwick sisters have a wonderful surprise: a holiday on the grounds of a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon they are busy discovering the summertime magic of Arundel's sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the best discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel's owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures. The icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is not as pleased with the Penderwicks as Jeffrey is, though, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Which, of course, they will--won't they? One thing's for sure: it will be a summer the Penderwicks will never forget. Deliciously nostalgic and quaintly witty, this is a story as breezy and carefree as a summer day.

Red: the True Story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtliff; Tara Sands (Read by) The New York TimesBestseller Can't wait for Beauty and the Beast to hit theaters? Satisfy your fairy tale cravings with RED, which abounds with brave heroines, gnomes, dwarves, beauties, and beasts Red is not afraid of the big bad wolf.She s not afraid of anything . . . except magic. But when Red s granny falls ill, it seems that only magic can save her, and fearless Red is forced to confront her one weakness. With the help of a blond, porridge-sampling nuisance called Goldie, Red goes on a quest to cure Granny. Her journey takes her through dwarves caverns to a haunted well and a beast s castle. All the while, Red and Goldie are followed by a wolf and a huntsman two mortal enemies who seek the girls help to defeat each other. And one of them just might have the magical solution Red is looking for. . . . Liesl Shurtliff weaves a spellbinding tale, shining the spotlight on a beloved character from her award-winning debut, Rump. "Red is the most wonder-filled fairy tale of them all -- Chris Grabenstein, New York Times Bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. "Moving and filled with hope . . .the charm of Shurtliff's retelling is how she imbues the storybook tropes with vibrant humanity." Shelf Awareness, starred review And don't miss Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk, "a delightful story of family, perseverance and courage" (Booklist). From the Hardcover edition."

Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen "The hottest sleuth to appear in children's books since Nancy Drew" (The Boston Globe) is back! Don't miss the first book in the series that's been described as "a combination of Carl Hiaasen's Flush and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books" (School Library Journal) and hailed as "nonstop whodunits" (Kirkus Reviews)!   Grams told me my binoculars were going to get me into trouble. I just didn't believe her. Until I saw a man stealing money from a hotel room across the street--and he saw me.   What Sammy should have done was put down the binoculars and call 911. What she does instead is tighten up the focus to get a better look. There's something really familiar about this crook. And then--in a quintessential Sammy move--she waves.   Thus begins the inadvertent sleuthing career of a regular kid, just trying to make it through junior high. Sammy doesn't go looking for trouble, but it finds her--with frequently hilarious results.   Praise for the Sammy Keyes series:   "If Kinsey Millhone ever hires a junior partner, Sammy Keyes will be the first candidate on the list. She's feisty, fearless, and funny. A top-notch investigator!" --New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton   "Sammy is smart-mouthed and hard-hitting . . . the sleuth delights from start to finish. Keep your binoculars trained on Sammy Keyes." --Publishers Weekly   "The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)" --Midwest Children's Book Review

Swindle by Gordon Korman Ocean's 11... with 11-year-olds, in a super stand-alone heist caper from Gordon Korman! After a mean collector named Swindle cons him out of his most valuable baseball card, Griffin Bing must put together a band of misfits to break into Swindle's compound and recapture the card. There are many things standing in their way -- a menacing guard dog, a high-tech security system, a very secret hiding place, and their general inability to drive -- but Griffin and his team are going to get back what's rightfully his . . . even if hijinks ensue. This is Gordon Korman at his crowd-pleasing best, perfect for readers who like to hoot, howl, and heist.

When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke (Read by)

The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry In this hilarious novel, written in the voice of eighth-grader Wyatt Palmer, Dave Barry takes us on a class trip to Washington, DC. Wyatt, his best friend, Matt, and a few kids from Culver Middle School find themselves in a heap of trouble-not just with their teachers, who have long lost patience with them-but from several mysterious men they first meet on their flight to the nation's capital. In a fast-paced adventure with the monuments as a backdrop, the kids try to stay out of danger and out of the doghouse while trying to save the president from attack-or maybe not.

The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye by Nancy Springer; Katherine Kellgren (Narrated by)

The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer; Katherine Kellgren (Narrated by); Kate Rudd (Narrated by) The Case of the Left Handed Lady

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett; Brett Helquist (Illustrator) This bewitching first novel is a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery, disguised as an adventure, and delivered as a work of art. When a book of unexplainable occurances brings Petra Andalee & Calder Pillay together, strange things start to happen: seemingly unrelated events connect, an eccentric old woman seeks their company, & an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal. As Petra & Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth they must draw on their powers of intuition, their skills at problem solving, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has left even the FBI baffled?

Murder at Midnight by Avi Newbery Medalist and master storyteller Avi returns to Scholastic with a tantalizing prequel to his bestselling medieval mystery MIDNIGHT MAGIC. A plot to overthrow King Claudio is brewing in the Kingdom of Pergamontio. Scholarly Mangus the magician -- along with his street-smart and faithful new servant boy, Fabrizio -- have been marked as easy scapegoats for the traitor lurking within the king's court. Together, these two unlikely partners must gather clues to solve the mystery and prove their innocence before the stroke of midnight. . . or face death! Intricate plotting, surprise twists, and lively prose make for another suspenseful page-turner that stands alone or sets the stage for MIDNIGHT MAGIC!

The Red Blazer Girls by Michael D. Beil The perfect series for kids who loved THE LEMONADE WAR series and are ready for more mysteries Edgar Award Nominee for Best Mystery "With wit, cunning, snappy dialogue and superior math skills, "The Red Blazer Girls "represent the best of girl-detectives while still feeling relatable and real. Nancy Drew would be right at home with this group." -- "Huffington Post"'s 15 Greatest Kid Detectives List It all began with The Scream. And ended with . . . well, if we told you that, it wouldn't be a mystery But in between The Scream and The Very Surprising Ending, three friends find themselves on a scavenger hunt set up for a girl they never met, in search of a legendary ring reputed to grant wishes. Are these sleuths in school uniforms modern-day equivalents of Nancy, Harriet, or Scooby? Not really, they're just three nice girls who decide to help out a weird lady, and end up hiding under tables, tackling word puzzles and geometry equations, and searching rather moldy storage rooms for "the stuff that dreams are made of" (that's from an old detective movie). Oh, and there's A Boy, who complicates things. As boys often do. Intrigued? "The Red Blazer Girls "offers a fun, twisty adventure for those who love mystery, math (c'mon, admit it ), and a modest measure of mayhem. Michael Beil, a New York City high school English teacher and life-long mystery fan, delivers a middle-grade caper that's perfect for middle-grade readers who have finished THE LEMONADE WAR series and are ready for more advanced mysteries

Skink - No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen Carl Hiaasen serves up his unique brand of swamp justice in the New York Times bestseller Skink--No Surrender.   A National Book Award Longlist Selection   When your cousin goes missing under suspicious circumstances, who do you call? There's only one man for the job: a half-crazed, half-feral, one-eyed ex-governor named Skink. Skink joins 14-year-old Richard on a breakneck chase across Florida, undaunted by lightning storms, poisonous snakes, flying bullets, and giant gators. There are a million places cousin Malley could be, a million unpleasant fates that might have befallen her, but one thing is certain: in the Florida swamp, justice is best served wild. SUNSHINE STATE AWARD FINALIST!

Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket; Seth (Illustrator); Liam Aiken (Read by) In a fading town, far from anyone he knew or trusted, a young Lemony Snicket began his apprenticeship in an organization nobody knows about. He started by asking questions that shouldn't have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published, in four volumes that shouldn't be read. This is the first volume.

The Cay by Theodore Taylor; Michael Boatman (Read by) For fans of Hatchet and Island of the Blue Dolphins comes Theodore Taylor s classic bestseller and Lewis Carroll Shelf Award winner, The Cay. Phillip is excited when the Germans invade the small island of Curacao. War has always been a game to him, and he s eager to glimpse it firsthand until the freighter he and his mother are traveling to the United States on is torpedoed. When Phillip comes to, he is on a small raft in the middle of the sea. Besides Stew Cat, his only companion is an old West Indian, Timothy. Phillip remembers his mother s warning about black people: They are different, and they live differently. But by the time the castaways arrive on a small island, Phillip s head injury has made him blind and dependent on Timothy. Mr. Taylor has provided an exciting story The idea that all humanity would benefit from this special form of color blindness permeates the whole book The result is a story with a high ethical purpose but no sermon. New York Times Book Review A taut tightly compressed story of endurance and revelation At once barbed and tender, tense and fragile as Timothy would say, outrageous good. Kirkus Reviews * Fully realized setting artful, unobtrusive use of dialect the representation of a hauntingly deep love, the poignancy of which is rarely achieved in children s literature. School Library Journal, Starred Starkly dramatic, believable and compelling. Saturday Review A tense and moving experience in reading. Publishers Weekly Eloquently underscores the intrinsic brotherhood of man. Booklist "This is one of the best survival stories since Robinson Crusoe." The Washington Star . A New York Times Best Book of the Year . A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year . A Horn Book Honor Book . An American Library Association Notable Book . A Publishers Weekly Children s Book to Remember . A Child Study Association s Pick of Children s Books of the Year . Jane Addams Book Award . Lewis Carroll Shelf Award . Commonwealth Club of California: Literature Award . Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People Award . Woodward School Annual Book Award . Friends of the Library Award, University of California at Irvine"

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen This award-winning contemporary classic is the survival story with which all others are compared—and a page-turning, heart-stopping adventure, recipient of the Newbery Honor. LOST Brian Robertson, sole passenger on a Cessna 406, is on his way to visit his father when the tiny bush plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness. With nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present, Brian finds himself completely alone. Challenged by his fear and despair -- and plagued with the weight of a dreadful secret he's been keeping since his parent's divorce -- brian must tame his inner demons in order to survive. It will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed.

Hurricane by Terry Trueman; Ramon de Ocampo (Narrated by); Jonathan Davis (Narrated by) Dangerous weather is always a fascinating subject for young readers--and with Hurricane, Trueman offers listeners a thrilling story about a tiny town in Honduras that is about to experience the terrifying force of an enormous hurricane.

Shipwreck by Gordon Korman Six kids. One shipwreck. One desert island. Luke, J.J. Will, Lyssa, Charla, and Ian. They didn't want to be on the boat in the first place. They didn't want to be stuck at sea with a bunch of strangers. But when you're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there's no easy way out. And when a terrifying storm hits, there's no way to fully prepare. It's all about survival.

Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson; William Dufris (Read by) When eleven-year-old Jack Martel crawls out of his pup tent on the first morning of his camping trip with his mom in Acadia National Park, he notices right away that something isn't right. Where is his mom's tent, and their rental car? And where is his mom? Any other kid might panic, might even go to the police. But Jack isn't like other kids. And his mom isn't like other moms.Jack knows that it's up to him to find his mom before someone figures out what's happened and separates them forever. But finding his mom in the state of Maine isn't the same as finding her in their neighborhood back in Boston. With nothing but a small plastic elephant to keep him company, Jack begins his search, starting with all the places they'd planned to visit together. But as the search drags on, a dark thought plagues him: once he finds his mom, will he ever be able to forgive her?