Squish Audio Collection: 1-4: Super Amoeba; Brave New Pond; The Power of the Parasite; Captain Disaster Audiobook

About the Authors

Jennifer L. Holm is the author of the 1999 Newberry Honor book, Our Only May Amelia. In addition to writing novels for young adults, she produces television commercials and lives in Brooklyn.

Matthew Holm and Jonathan Follett met in middle school, where they started a rock band that rarely left Matt’s basement. Today, Matt is an award-winning illustrator and frequent collaborator with his sister, Jennifer L. Holm, on graphic novels. Jon is a user-experience designer and an internationally published expert on information design and emerging technologies. Despite living on separate coasts, Matt and Jon still collaborate on creative projects together, proving that the bonds forged in middle school can never be broken.

About the Narrators

Fred Sanders, an actor and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has received critics’ praise for his audio narrations that range from nonfiction, memoir, and fiction to mystery and suspense. He been seen on Broadway in The Buddy Holly Story, in national tours for Driving Miss Daisy and Big River, and on such television shows as Seinfeld, The West Wing, Will and Grace, Numb3rs,Titus, and Malcolm in the Middle. His films include Sea of Love, The Shadow, and the Oscar-nominated short Culture. He is a native New Yorker and Yale graduate.

Jim Meskimen is a stage, film, and television actor who has appeared in many well-known movies and television shows. He acted in Apollo 13 and Frost/Nixon for director Ron Howard, both of which were nominated for Best Picture Oscars. His television appearances include The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Friends, Lie to Me, Criminal Minds, and Parks and Recreation. He is also a painter, award-winning audiobook narrator, and audiobook director for Galaxy Audio.

Jorjeana Marie has worked extensively as an actress, comedian, writer, and audiobook narrator. Her narrations have earned her several Earphones Awards. She has performed in hundreds of commercials and starred in the pilot Listen to Grandpa, Andy Ling with Elliott Gould. She is a stand-up comic who has opened for Richard Lewis, Louie Anderson, and Kathleen Madigan. Her video game credits include Final Fantasy, Crackdown 2, and Star Guardians. She loves reading so much it gets her into trouble.

Kirby Heyborne is a musician, actor, and professional narrator. Noted for his work in teen and juvenile audio, he has garnered over twenty Earphones Awards. His audiobook credits include Jesse Kellerman’s The Genius, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and George R. R. Martin’s Selections from Dreamsongs.

Marc Cashman, Earphones Award–winning narrator, was named one of the “Best Voices of the Year” by AudioFile magazine. His voice can be heard on radio, television, film, and video games. He also instructs voice actors through his classes, The Cashman Cache of Voice-Acting Techniques, in Los Angeles.

Mark Deakins is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator and actor whose television appearances include Head Case, Star Trek: Voyager, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His film credits include Intervention, Star Trek: Insurrection, and The Devil’s Advocate. He wrote, directed, and produced the short film The Smith Interviews.

Maxwell Glick is an actor based in Los Angeles. He has appeared on television in guest roles in numerous shows such as The Office and Castle. He also has voiced numerous commercials, audiobooks, and cartoons. Originally a regional theater actor, Glick has played Arpad in She Loves Me, Matt in The Fantasticks, and Eugene in Brighton Beach Memoirs. A New York native, he is a graduate of Boston College.

Rob Shapiro is a musician, writer, voice actor, and Earphones Award–winning narrator. He performed several seasons of radio comedy on Minneapolis Public Radio and voiced the titular lion in Leo the Lion. He is a musician and composer with his critically acclaimed band Populuxe. He is also a business consultant and software system designer.

Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than five thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than nine hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.

René Ruiz studied music education at the University of Texas and has won acclaim in local productions and musical revues, including roles in West Side Story, A Chorus Line, and Forever Plaid. He also spent many years working for Walt Disney World as a featured actor, singer, and announcer. 

Tonya Cornelisse is an award-winning actress and voice-over artist. She has worked both on and Off-Broadway, in over thirty films big and small, and in television. She studied at New York City’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she double majored in theater and psychology and was lucky to have the opportunity to be mentored and perform alongside Alan Arkin.

Andrea Emmes is an actress and audiobook narrator. She started as a SAG-AFTRA equity actor and has been performing for over twenty years on stage, TV, and film. She is an Audible Approved Narrator known as “the Girl with a Thousand Voices,” her wide range of character voices and dynamic, emotionally invested performances has reviewers and listeners alike commenting on how she effortlessly pulls listeners in, has versatility and charisma, and is quite suited for young adult literature. She has won the LA Music Award for Best Contemporary Christian Artist for her 2008 debut release album I’m On My Way.” She earned an AA in fine arts and a BS in art and design.