Joyfulness

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

New! If your only experience with The Wizard of Oz is the movie, you will be astounded and delighted to find that L. Frank Baum’s book is full of adventures, characters, and charm far beyond the wonder that the big-screen version conveyed.

When a tornado whisks young Dorothy away from Kansas with her faithful dog Toto, she finds herself in the mysterious Land of Oz, where unknown dangers and strange creatures await her. Can she find a way back home? Can her new friends the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man find courage, brains, and a heart? Searching for answers from the mysterious Wizard of Oz, and pursued by the forces of the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy and her companions must work together to complete their dangerous quest.

Jim Weiss’s fresh performance of this American classic introduces a new generation of listeners to the magic, wonder, and adventure of the Land of Oz.

The Adventurous Life of Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt boldly led the United States and much of the world into our Modern Age, farsightedly shaping today’s issues a century ago. From the Wild West to the White House, he led a life of non-stop, exhilarating adventures and public service he called “the life of action… striving to do deeds in a worthy cause.” His astonishing life shows how much one determined person can relish life, overcome challenges and benefit society.

GENIUS, TIMES FOUR: Scientists and Mathematicians Who Fought Diseases, Stopped Time, and Opened New Worlds

Award-winning author and storyteller Jim Weiss sets you right in the middle of the action as Marie Curie and her family triumph over poverty and personal loss to win six Nobel Prizes; as shy Isaac Newton remakes our understanding of the universe and the laws that govern it, then risks his life to destroy a criminal conspiracy that threatens a nation; as Albert Einstein builds the foundations of our modern world and then confronts the results with wisdom and humor; and as Gertrude Elion, Nobel Prize-winning, pioneering biochemist, parlays her joyous love of learning into medical breakthroughs that save thousands of lives and open professional doors for other women.

As dramatic as any great literary classic, and told in Jim Weiss’s warm, accessible style, these stories reveal the personal, professional and societal challenges these geniuses overcame, and shine a light on the nature of genius itself. And as a clear, family-friendly introduction to mathematics and science, listeners will find an inspiring, welcoming world opening up.

Swordsmen, Saints, and Scholars: Great Men & Women of the Middle Ages

When you hear the words “The Middle Ages,” do you picture a knight in armor atop a fiery steed, a stone castle fortified with drawbridge and moat, or an immense cathedral towering above a medieval town? The Middle Ages were all of these and more: a widely diverse cavalcade that lasted for nine or ten centuries, from the fall of Rome to the birth of the Renaissance, and covered many nations.

I, Too, Sing America: Stories and Poems Honoring Black Lives & History

To help students explore African-American history and culture, we have assembled this downloadable audio collection of biographies and folk tales. Jim Weiss tells of Harriet Tubman’s bravery, Satchel Paige’s wisdom, Langston Hughes’s creativity, and more. Included is a downloadable PDF of Susan Wise Bauer’s Teaching Guide on Dunbar’s poem, “Sympathy”, designed to help your students better understand the poet’s work and its place in American history.