Showing results by narrator "June Angela" in All Categories

Set in the early postwar years, it probes the destructive effects of war and the transition from a feudal Japan to an industrial society. Ozamu Dazai died, a suicide, in 1948. But the influence of his book has made "people of the setting sun" a permanent part of the Japanese language, and his heroine, Kazuko, a young aristocrat who deliberately abandons her class, a symbol of the anomie which pervades so much of the modern world.

Gangly, outspoken 12-year-old Frankie Addams yearns to belong to the “we of me,” and in a Southern kitchen, pours her heart out to the family cook, Berenice. One of the most beautiful plays ever written about loneliness and love.

When a hidden evil emerges from the depths of the ocean, the tight-knit town of Baywood is caught in a climate disaster of mysterious origins: an unusual wave of sea snails enter the estuary and transform wildlife, seascapes, and finally, people. Once infected, residents start “deading”: collapsing and dying, only to resurrect, changed in ways both physical and fundamental. After the government isolates Baywood, paranoia and surveillance run rampant. A newly formed cult called the Risers starts targeting those who are not deading.

"You should be here; he's simply magnificent." These are the final words a biologist hears before his Margaret Mead-like wife dies at the hands of Godzilla. The words haunt him as he studies the kaiju (Japan's giant monsters) on an island reserve, attempting to understand the beauty his wife saw. Every story in the collection turns to the fantastic, the mysticism of the past, and the absurdities of the future to illuminate the spaces we occupy when we are at our most vulnerable."

When the unnamed narrator of Marie Mutsuki Mockett’s stirring second novel returns to Carmel, California, to care for her mother, she finds herself stranded at the outset of the disease. With her husband and children back in Hong Kong, and her Japanese mother steadily declining in a care facility two hours away, she becomes preoccupied with her mother’s garden—convinced it contains a kind of visual puzzle—and the dormant cherry tree within it. She soon starts a torrid affair with an arborist who is equally fascinated by her mother’s garden, and together they embark on reviving it.

Jin and Suja meet and fall in love while studying at university in Pyongyang. She is a young journalist from a prominent family, while he is from a small village of little means. Outside the school, North Korea has fallen under great political upheaval, plunged into chaos and famine. When Jin returns home to find his family starving, their food rations all but gone, he makes a rash decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

The Japanese wisdom of chowa (pronounced like power) offers a fresh approach to being, showing us how to create space and symmetry at work, at home, and in our relationships. Chowa is an ancient philosophy and set of practices that enable us to discover what matters most in our individual lives, and help us transform our way of thinking about ourselves and others.

Meet Lily Lemon Blossom, a delightful little girl who loves adventures and playing with her friends. Lily invites you to see her lovely room and meet her many friends, including Bunny Rabbit and Josephine, her kitten who is always by her side. A quick peek into Lily's room will tell you quite a lot about her. The room comes alive with its vibrant colors and huggable plush toys. It's a happy place for a happy little girl and her friends.

Have you ever wondered how people counted to 100 before modern numbers were invented? A basic explanation of Roman numerals, examples of how they are used today, and step-by-step instructions on how to use them are explored in this newest addition to the How Do series. The How Do series is a great introduction to various STEM topics, each presented in a format that encourages audiences to ask questions and guess the answers before exploring the science behind them.

In our divided climate with heightened concerns and emotions over inclusion, racism, and activism, The Essential Diversity Mindset offers a transformative approach to diversity - as a mindset, not as a formula. Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (not enforcements, compliances, or statistics) drive diversity outcomes. The Essential Diversity Mindset provides answers to businesses, organizations, and people searching for alternate perspectives and strategies to advance diversity and inclusion.

The youngest daughter of a high-ranking samurai, Etsu was destined to become a priestess and was molded for that path by some of the best teachers. But her fate changed when she was married off to a businessman and sent across the world to America. Finding herself miles away from the life she had imagined, she had to learn all about a new world - and come to terms with how it was changing her beliefs about what she had been taught and what she still held dear from her upbringing in Japan.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the US government sent thousands of Japanese American citizens to detention camps. In 1945, three Japanese-American sisters return to their farm in Stockton, California, after years in an internment camp, but the once prosperous family finds it’s not easy to pick up the pieces of their former lives. As the details of their deceased father’s final arrangements emerge, the sisters must work together to keep their dreams alive.

The Magic Mommy series, is a rare collection of stories you'll want to listen to over and over again. Marvin and the Surprise Package takes a funny view of sibling rivalry, and weaves it into a sweet lesson on sharing. You'll look forward to the very last line, when the author, Karin McCay, leaves you with a magical twist that is sure to bring a smile.

The Magic Mommy series is destined to become a classic. Book one, Marvin and the Magic Bubble, will leave kids giggling over this backyard adventure that gets out of control. Parents will enjoy it, too, especially the whimsical twist at the end that gives Mommy the ultimate edge.

On My Way to the Lilikoi Tree is a story that takes place on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. This island is known as "The Gathering Place" where Fluffy Fluff (the rabbit) meets Honu (the turtle), Hula-Hula (the bear), and the Hinas' (two seal pups). Their adventure begins in their quest to find the lilikoi tree. They explore the island through sharing, caring, and harmony in the spirit of aloha.

On this adventure, Mr. Waldorf visits the Empire State of New York. On this journey, he tours the famous Statue of Liberty, explores Niagara Falls, tries ice skating in Rockefeller Center, hikes the Adirondacks, and climbs the Empire State Building. Silly Mr. Waldorf has a tendency to misplace his favorite reading spectacles and can't seem to find them while traveling New York. Will you help him find them and learn all about the Empire State?

Two marvelous animal fables: "How Birds Got Their Colors" and "The Argument", the third in the Little Birdy books. In "How Birds Got Their Colors", you will learn why some birds have such colorful feathers and others are dull and plain. "The Argument" tells the story of how stubborn pride can lead to unhappy outcomes. Both tales are in the classic tradition of animal fables made famous by Aesop, Kipling, and others.

You are the artist! In this unique series of books - you are the artist. As you listen to this adventure, you can draw, sketch, color, make patterns, and create as much as your imagination allows. In this adventure, Sam dreams of being deep in the ocean. Who or what is Sam? What does the ocean look like? What does the creature who Sam meets look like? Create your own illustrations, drawings, and sketches as you enjoy exploring the ocean with Sam.

You are the artist! In this unique series of books - you are the artist. As you listen through this adventure you can draw, sketch, color, make patterns, and create as much as your imagination allows. In this adventure, Sam dreams of going to space. Who or what is Sam? How does Sam get in to space? What does space look like? Who does he meet? Create your own illustrations, drawings, and sketches as you enjoy exploring space with Sam.

Velina Hasu Houston's Tea uses history and poetic writing to weave a drama about Japanese "war brides" living in Kansas.