24 HOURS IN ANCIENT ROME: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There
By Philip Matyszak
Read by Michael Page
Tantor Media, 2020
I absolutely loved this audiobook! Each chapter follows one person for one hour of one day in Emperor Hadrian's Rome (117-138 CE). It's wryly funny and surprisingly relevant. If history were taught like this, everyone would love it. Click to read my review for AudioFile Magazine. Thanks to Libro.fm for my copy. 👍👍
If you're not an audiobook fan, find a print copy and tell me what you think!
The Book of Boy
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Read by Tim Gerard Reynolds
Recorded Books, 2018
Suspend your modern beliefs and enter medieval France in the Jubilee year of 1350.
I recently reviewed The Book of Boy for AudioFile Magazine.(my review is linked here)I can't reprint my review in its entirety, but I highly recommend this unusual mystical, medieval fantasy which harbors more than one surprise. With one minor exception (that I address in my review), the narration is stellar. I assume that the print version is also excellent. It's received great reviews and has the bonus of being an illustrated novel.
Whether audio or print, I highly recommend that you read this one!
With the movie A Wrinkle in Time, set to release on March 9th, I thought it was a great time to revisit the book and highlight the new book, Becoming Madeleine: A Biography of the Author of A Wrinkle in Time by her Granddaughters.
I recently reviewed Becoming Madeleine written and narrated by Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Lena Roy (Listening Library, 2018)
At less than 3 hours, you can easily fit this in before the movie release. Becoming Madeleine covers Madeleine L'Engle's early years up to the point when she sold the Wrinkle in Time manuscript for publication. (It originally had a different title!) She had always planned to be a writer, and the book relies heavily on L'Engle's own words—in addition to books, she was a prolific writer of letters, journals, and postcards. Well worth a listen!
And here's a re-posting of the A Wrinkle in Time audiobook review that I featured in 2011, on the eve of the book's 50th anniversary:
L'Engle, Madeleine. 1993. A Wrinkle in Time. Read by Madeleine L'Engle. New York: Listening Library.5 hours, 17 minutes.
It's been many, many years since I've read A Wrinkle in Time,
and actually, I'm not sure that I liked it as a kid. I was never much
of a sci-fi fan. In any case, after reading last year's, When You Reach Me, I was inspired to read it again, but forgot about it until recently, when I downloaded the audiobook version.
I remembered some of the story, but had forgotten much. I didn't
remember the religious overtones in the latter half of the book (or
perhaps I never realized that Mrs. Who was quoting 1 Corinthians);
I certainly can't understand why this book has been challenged by
various groups over the years. I remember A Wrinkle in Time as
a sci-fi, fantasy, time-traveling book, which, it is. Although it was
written in 1962, Madeleine L'Engle did not record the audiobook until
the 1990s, when she was well into her seventies. At first, I wasn't
sure that I would like her narration - the voice perhaps too old, too
flawed - but that initial perception quickly faded. There is something
special about hearing an author read her own book. There is less room
for personal interpretation, but the listener can be sure that she is
understanding every nuance that the author wishes to convey. Minor
details cannot be misconstrued as important ones. Ambiguity only exists
if the author wishes it so. It was great to revisit this old classic.
The Astronaut Instruction Manual: Practical Skills for Future Space Explorers
by Mike Mongo, read by Mike Mongo with foreword by Alyssa Carson
Listening Library, 2017
47 minutes
If you'd read my blog for any length of time, you will know that I'm an avid fan of several things - two of them are nonfiction and outer space. I was happy for the opportunity to review the audiobook version of The Astronaut Instruction Manual.
Mike Mongo narrates his own book with an infectious enthusiasm for his topic guaranteed to draw you in to this practical and inspirational look at the future of space travel.
Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story
by Caren Stelson
Read by Katherine Fenton and John Chancer
Dreamscape Media, 2016
The survivors of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings are known as "hibakusha" in Japan. As with all combatants and victims of WWII, their numbers are dwindling; it is important for their stories to be told. Sachiko shared her personal story and that of her family with author Caren Stelson. Despite the horrific circumstances of the bombing, and a lifetime of related hardship, Sachiko remains amazingly positive. Her story is compelling and Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story contains the historical information that young people may need to put her story in context. I highly recommend it.
"Surreal would be the best description of this book if only it were not
based on truth. In 1853, Denmark exercised the death penalty for a final
time, cleaving the head from 15-year-old Niels Nelson."
"This collection of eight short stories contains gentle tales of fantasy
and magic--not the magic of wizards and wands, but of wishing mats and
enormous cats and gifts brought by the winds."
"Part of the high-interest series Secrets, this audiobook includes
support for reluctant readers through narrator Kelly Pruner's clear
diction, easy pacing, and decidedly conversational tone."
The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi
by Neal Bascomb
Read by Jason Culp
Scholastic Audiobooks, 2016
I reviewed this book for AudioFile Magazine, and it's the recipient of an Earphones Award.The Nazi Hunters chronicles the 16-year ordeal to capture the notorious Nazi, Adolf Eichmann. Narrator Jason Culp conveys a palpable sense of the fear and tension endured in dangerous and fraught circumstances.
Want to see the 2016 Best Audiobooks list as selected by AudioFile Magazine? You can receive free access to the complete guide and enter their contest for 6 months of free audiobooks. The guide is a great resource if you're in collection development with some budget money left over! Click here for details. The contest ends tomorrow!
Sharon Creech's customary poetic frugality with words is evident in Moo, a story of two siblings, a family's move to Maine, and an obstinate cow named Zora. The audio version is read by Brittany Presley. You can't go wrong with Sharon Creech, and the brevity of her offerings makes her a perennial reluctant-reader favorite.
by Wendy Spinale
Read by Fiona Hardingham, Steve West
Scholastic Audio, 2016 Everland is a *steampunk homage to Peter Pan, and the first in a series. The setting is London, renamed Everland after its defeat by the Germans and the ravages of a deadly virus that targets adults.
Everland is told from the dual perspectives of Gwen and Hook, and has two capable narrators. This is ostensibly a YA title so it has a hint of romance, but I think it's also appropriate for younger readers. It was a tad too sentimental in places and there were a few modernisms I would have left out (the word "snark" and a fist-bump come to mind), but it's a faithful re-working of the Peter Pan story and has great potential as a series.
Note: If you're not familiar with the steampunk genre, here's a primer that I've posted before:
*steam·punk [steem-puhngk] noun 1.a
subgenre of science fiction and fantasy featuring advanced machines and
other technology based on steam power of the 19th century and taking
place in a recognizable historical period or a fantasy world. 2.a subculture inspired by this literary and film subgenre: the fashions and gadgets of steampunk. Also, steam punk, steam-punk. Origin: 1985–90; modeled on cyberpunk
A Clatter of Jars is Lisa Graff's follow up to 2013's, A Tangle of Knots. I reviewed A Tangle of Knots in 2013, and declared, "If you read no other middle grade fiction book this year, you will have made a good choice." The magic doesn't wear off in A Clatter of Jars, a deftly
woven, magical realism story set in the same world as the preceding book, where many people possess Talents
- from the mundane (ability to understand frogs) to the powerful
(telekinesis). I particularly enjoyed this story because it features a boy who we may assume has some sort of spectrum disorder, and it has a subtle Lord of the Rings reference.
I often tell kids at the library that it's OK to start with a second book in a series if the first book is unavailable. (I don't like to see them go home empty-handed!) Most authors do a fine job of catching the reader up on prior events. However, because of the rich details of the world Lisa Graff has created, A Clatter of Jars is best read after A Tangle of Knots.
Save Me a Seat
by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan
Read by Josh Hurley and Vikas Adam
This is a perfect middle grade novel for highlighting how easily one can mischaracterize another's words or actions. It's also an inside look at the immigrant and disability experience. Teachers,
you should read this one and share it with your students!
I reviewed Save Me a Seat for AudioFile Magazine. The book spans only five days in fifth grade, the first week of school at Einstein Elementary School in Hamilton, NJ. Its sections are titled with the school lunch of the day —Chicken Fingers, Hamburgers, etc., and chapters alternate between Joe, a boy with auditory processing disorder (APD) and Ravi, a recent immigrant from India. Both boys are targets of the school bully—Joe, because of his disability, and Ravi because of his heavily accented English (which he himself cannot hear) and his family's style of food, dress, and manners.
Although Ravi was a favored, top-ranked student in his native Bangalore,
India, his accent and lack of knowledge about his new country land him
in the resource room at Einstein Elementary. Joe also visits the resource
room to learn coping skills for his APD. Initially, Ravi views Joe with
disdain —mistaking the outward signs of his disability for stupidity.
In each chapter, the boys recount the same scene, allowing the reader or listener to fully understand how our perception of an event is shaped by our cultural, family, and personal background. I'm sure that the printed book is wonderful as well, but the use of dual narrators in the audiobook really hammers home the differing perspectives.
I recently began working in a library with many new Indian-American families, and reading Save Me a Seat was enlightening. The challenges involved in
adapting to a new country are many and cannot be overlooked. I'm so glad I listened to this one!
I'm over at the ALSC Blog today - complaining about stuffed animals.
Max Braun CC
BY-SA 2.0 *
Feel free to join me if you're so inclined.
In other news, I hope you've been downloading your free books from SYNC. Two free books are available each week beginning on Thursday. The books for that week are available for one week only. Books are yours - forever - no strings attached.
"SYNC is a free summer audiobook program for teens. Starting May 5th
2016, SYNC will give away two complete audiobook downloads a week -
pairs of high interest titles, based on weekly themes. Sign up for
email or text alerts and be first to know when new titles are available
to download at www.audiobooksync.com."
Today is the last day to get Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts, and I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. Tomorrow, it's How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon (with a full cast narration!) and The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson.
Below are the titles for the next few weeks (there are more to come after these!):
The Wild Robot, a novel for ages 8 and up, is a departure from Peter Brown's usual offering of picture books (Creepy Carrots, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, My Teacher is a Monster - and more), but his customary excellence is just as apparent.
The link to my review is above, however, I'd like to highlight a few things. The Wild Robot premise is unique and thought-provoking - a robot designed with AI and programmed for self-preservation and nonviolence, is marooned on an island with animals, but no humans from which to learn. The narrator, Kate Atwater, does a stellar job (see review) and sounds a bit like Susan Sarandon. The audio book is unique in that the beginning and the closing chapters have sound effects including music and sounds of nature.
For car trips, young readers, struggling readers, and sheer entertainment, you can't beat a picture book/audio book combo for younger kids.
Though schools and libraries may still keep book/CD kits in their collections, the truth is, CD players are not that common anymore. Newer computers don't come with a standard CD/DVD drive, cars don't always have them, and the only people I know who still have "boom boxes" are children's librarians.
That's why I was happy to receive a copy of a new VOX (TM)"audio-enabled" book. In my photo, the book is plugged into the wall for charging, but I did that just for show because a book with a plug cracked me up! In truth, it arrived fully charged and ready to go - no plug required. (I didn't test it for battery performance.) The audio recording and speaker are built right into the book and operated by a simple control panel - power, play, pause, volume, forward, and back. There is also a standard headphone jack. The audio is of comparable quality to any conventional children's book. The book itself also seemed as sturdy as any, and was not overly heavy or burdensome.
Perhaps other companies have similar offerings, but this is the first book of its type that I've seen. I think it has possibilities, and that the days of the book/CD kit are numbered. I passed my copy along to a school superintendent who agreed that it might be a useful addition to his school's collection. I did not inquire as to the price. I was interested solely in the format.
If you can get your hands on one, it's worth checking out.
(I'm not going to review the book, Don't Push the Button!, but will merely note that it is in a vein very similar to the wonderful Press Here by Herve Tullet. Kids will likely enjoy it.)
Note: As always on my blog, I review books and materials for educational purposes only, and receive nothing of value other than the review copy, its associated marketing materials, and the occasional thanks or consternation of its author or publisher.
Although I reviewed a print version ofInfinity and Mebook several years ago (my original review is linked here), I recently had the opportunity to review the audio version for School Library Journal. My review as it appeared in the February, 2016, edition of SLJ is below.
HOSFORD, Kate. Infinity and Me. 1 CD w/tr book. 44 min. Live Oak Media. 2015. $29.95. ISBN 9781430120049.
K-Gr 3—A small girl, Uma, ponders infinity while gazing at stars, “How many stars were in the sky? A million? A billion? Maybe the number was as big as infinity.” Uma proceeds to ask friends and family how they conceive of infinity. They define it in quantities of numbers, time, music, ancestors—even spaghetti! Finally, she settles on her own measure of infinity,
quantified in something that is personal and boundless. Narrator Nancy
Wu is accompanied by a full cast of characters, music, and sound effects
that complement the text and the book’s full-bleed, painted
illustrations by Gabi Swiatkowska. Background sound effects include a
bicycle bell, the “tinkling” of stars, chattering voices, and churning
gears. A sense of wonder is embodied in Wu’s narration, the
illustrations, and the overall production. The audiobook contains two
tracks, one with page turn signals and one without. VERDICT This is an
intriguing introduction to a mathematical concept, perfect for those
seeking to inspire very young people to wonder about math and science.
[“This quiet jewel is sure to spark contemplation and conversation": SLJ
10/12 review of the Carolrhoda book.]
Below is my review of the audio book version of Dead Boy by Lauren Gale and read by Robbie Daymond. Great plot with some unexpected turns.
GALE, Laurel. Dead Boy. 5 CDs. 6 hrs. Listening Library. 2015. $35. ISBN 9781101916827. digital download.
Gr 5-7–Crow was once a regular boy who played baseball and had friends and loving parents. But now, he’s dead. At first, being dead wasn’t so bad, but then his rotting flesh began attracting maggots. He couldn’t eat or sleep. His parents divorced. His mother will tell him only that his parents “wished him back to life,” but what kind of life? He’s trapped in a house kept purposefully cold to slow the putrefaction of his flesh. When Melody and her father move in next door, she and Crow become secret
friends against the wishes of their parents. Together, they begin to unravel the terrible
secret of his parents’ wish. Their forbidden friendship will be tested as they face a series of deadly challenges in their quest for the truth. Though the book’s description promises humor, narrator
Robbie Daymond’s presentation of Crow is morose and forlorn. His cheerful portrayal of Melody
offers the only break from the macabre atmosphere. VERDICT - Not for the squeamish, this one will be best for middle school fans of ghoulish favorites like The Night Gardener (Abrams, 2014) or The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls (S. & S., 2012). [“A great recommendation to middle grade
fans of dark humor”: SLJ 7/15 review of the Crown book.]
Under a Painted Sky, a debut YA novel set in 1849,, was recommended to me by an adult library customer who said his mother enjoyed it. I was happy to receive an opportunity to review this unique historical fiction, adventure, romance novel for AudioFile Magazine. A link to my review is below, as well as the official book trailer. The review contains an audio excerpt. Enjoy.
Under a Painted Skyby Stacey Lee. Read by Emily Woo Zeller.
Tantor Audio, 2015. 10.25 hrs.
The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
Read by Ray Panthacki
Simon & Schuster Audio, 2015
7.25 hrs
Grades 5-9
Christopher Rowe, is a lucky lad. Plucked from the orphanage for his
intellectual potential, Christopher is apprenticed to the kindly
apothecary, Master Benedict Blackthorn. Despite his lowly
upbringing, relayed by narrator Ray Panthacki's hint of a Cockney
accent, Christopher receives training in Latin, astronomy, ciphers,
potions, and other tools of the apothecary's trade. In the midst of a
suspicious atmosphere following great political upheaval, a mysterious
cult of murderers arises. Christopher will need all his skills and more
to decode a series of clues to a dangerous plot that threatens to upset
the balance of world power. Panthacki clearly defines each of The Blackthorn
Key's large cast of characters, creating distinctive voices that
reflect their standing in British society. Christopher's best friend is
Tom, an apprentice baker. Like Harry Potter and Ron, they are a
memorable pair, and their dialogue sounds honest and warm. Whether in
terror, danger, or mere horseplay, the listener feels the emotion in and
between the characters. The only thing that slows the pace of
adventure in this gripping mystery is the occasional reading of lengthy
ciphers. Print readers may well try their hand at decoding them, but for
listeners, they're primarily a drag on the action. The setting is as
rich as the plot in this mid-17th century adventure brought to life by
veteran actor Ray Panthacki.
Lincoln's Spymaster: Allan Pinkerton, America's First Private Eye by Samantha Seiple, Read by Danny Campbell
Scholastic Audiobooks
3.5 hours
Best for upper middle grades and/or high school
I recently reviewed Lincoln's Spymaster for AudioFile Magazine. A link to my review of this biography of the nation's most famous private investigator is here: [http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/107600/] Pinkerton's is a compelling story, well-told and read.
Antietam, Md. Allan Pinkerton ("E. J. Allen") of the Secret Service on horseback, Creator(s):
Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882, photographer, Source: Library of Congress
