Winner of the 2025 Audie Award Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award IPPY Award - Outstanding Audiobook of the Year In a time of national division, a teenager faces a choice of conscience-to hold on to the life he's known or find the courage to stand up for the future he's come to believe in. Sit in the director's chair with this Scriptbook Edition , designed to be experienced alongside the full-cast audio drama. Follow every word as fifteen actors bring twenty-four characters to life in a powerful, immersive read-and-listen experience. "Performed by a gifted cast, this slice of our history stays with the listener." - AudioFile Magazine Wichita, summer 1968. The Civil Rights Movement is a time of turmoil and change. New fair-housing laws and the integration of schools promise equality, but not everyone is ready to accept this new reality. Your father is gone. Your brother is a soldier in Vietnam. Your mother is losing it. Then the Washingtons-a Black family with a daughter your age-cross the invisible redline and move in right next door. You're thirteen, walking into a newly integrated junior high with sports dreams, a temper you can't always control, and classmates unlike any you've ever known: Eric, your wannabe-hippie best friend; Andy, the brainy athlete from Alabama; Leon, who declares he's "The Greatest," like his idol Muhammad Ali; and Ivy, the fearless girl you can't ignore. A man from your mother's past appears- an old flame who fuels her hate and fear. He makes himself at home in your house. He orders you to help build the fence between your yard and hers. Your mother warns, "Stay away from them or you're grounded for life!" As tensions mount at home, haunting music drifts through the fence separating your house from theirs. You decide to step across, entering a world of possibility and danger. Rooted in the author's own journey and the lived experiences of others, this unforgettable drama gives voice to a period of history not unlike our own. A story of who we were-and who we can be. It demands to be both read and heard. ADVISORY: Contains violent content and racist language. Best suited for mature YA readers and adults. Classroom educators, book-group leaders, and solo readers: unlock bonus materials and purchase the award-winning audio drama. QR code inside. PRAISE FOR THE AUDIO DRAMA "Performed by a gifted cast, this slice of our history stays with the listener." - AudioFile Magazine (Earphones Award) "The YA Audie winner The Real Education of TJ Crowley: Coming of Age on the Redline will sweep you away to the turbulent times of the Civil Rights Movement as one boy learns valuable lessons. Replete with a full cast and exceptional sound design, plus gospel music from the ARISE Ensemble, it's easy to see why this one was the winner." - Audible "This immersive audio dramatization earned an Earphones Award from AudioFile Magazine before capturing the much-deserved Audie. A cast of 15 actors plus a music ensemble lend their immense talents to this fast-paced, suspenseful, important, and revelatory coming-of-age story." - Barnes & Noble "As seen through the eyes of seventh grader TJ Crowley, this page-turner offers an immersive, unflinching, and profoundly compassionate tale that plunges the listener deep into the social and racial strife of Wichita, Kansas, 1968. The excellent, fearless performances vividly bring the grim truths of America's racial legacy to life, but the light of kindness and hope is always shining." - Maryrose Wood , award-winning author of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place and Alice's Farm: A Rabbit's Tale "Once I started listening to this audio drama, I couldn't stop. This production handled a sensitive topic with such brilliance it reminded me of an old radio drama series. After finishing the program, I immediately chose it for one of our teen book club selections. Students found it engaging and suspenseful-a history lesson and a story that made them feel hopeful about the capacity for individual and social change." - Leslie M. Martino , educator, adjunct professor, and author of The Joy of Slow: Restoring Balance and Wonder to Homeschool Learning "Tapped every emotion of the human experience... well written and exceptionally directed... a bird's-eye view of race relations in 1960s America. This production deserves all the praise and accolades that have come its way!" - Amber Dekkers , poet, actress, educator PRAISE FOR THE NOVEL "A deftly crafted, thought-provoking, and solid work of YA historical fiction... not just about confronting external challenges, but about the personal transformation that occurs when we challenge inherited beliefs." - Midwest Book Review "Set in an explosive moment in America's racial history... this story prompted me to consider my own moral courage... I was on the edge of my seat, rooting for TJ as he gained clarity." - Debby Irving , author of Waking Up White " TJ Crowley offers a model of