The world's largest reviewer of books, multimedia, and technology for children and teens
In Janie Face to Face, Caroline B. Cooney wraps up her popular thriller romance series that debuted more than 20 years ago about a young girl who discovers her face on a milk carton, setting in motion a series of rollercoaster events that affected many lives. Read the review of the audiobook narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan.
In Orphan Train Rider: One Boy’s True Story, Andrea Warren tells about the amazing and often tragic westward journey of more than 200,000 children between 1854 and 1930 in search of families. Be sure to read the review of the audiobook narrated by Laura Hicks.
With another school year on the horizon, the focus of August’s Listen In column is on the relationships that children and teens make—with other kids and with adults—to help them navigate the stormy waters of growing up. The ten audiobooks featured are excellent for group listening and for generating discussions about what’s happening to the young people in the stories, from the poignant depiction of friendship in The Other Side to the real drama wrought by abuse in Eleanor and Park.
Darius and Twig both dream of leaving their poor neighborhood for better and safer lives. Narrator Brandon Gill does a great job differentiating between the two boys as they make their way through the obstacles set before them. Be sure to read the review of the audiobook version of Walter Dean Myers’s novel.
The London Symphony Orchestra, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Moscow, the Toronto Chamber Orchestra, and several other professional groups give instrumental voice to a wide variety of birds in excerpts from 20 classical pieces in Listen to the Birds. Read the starred review.
The Bari Koral Family Rock Band offers a delightful collection of 10 child-friendly songs in Anna and the Cupcakes. Be sure to read the starred review.
Find out what happens when Joshua, a sixth grader, becomes “gyfted” with the power of spontaneous combustion in Joshua Dread, a starred audiobook review. Narrator Maxwell Glick perfectly captures the comic antics of author Lee Bacon’s superheroes and villains.
Meridith LeVande’s DVD, Monkey Monkey Music: Let’s All Make a Circle, features 15 original songs that will get children up and moving.
Performed by Recess Monkey, Deep Sea Diver is an ocean-themed album of terrific songs for kids, set in a submarine, that travels the seven seas discovering musical treasures. Check out the starred review.
I Like Everything About You (Yes I Do!), performed by the Crosspulse Percussion Ensemble, features melodies, rhythms, and instruments from around the world, with an emphasis on African Music. Check out the starred review of this unique album.
Be sure to check out the starred audiobook review of Holly Black’s Doll Bones, a tale of friendship and the trials of growing up set against the backdrop of a spooky ghost story. Nick Podehl expertly voices all the characters.
Singer/songwriter Nina Stone hits all the right notes with her second album, Sha Doo Be Doop. Find out how in the starred review.
Visit Central America with the Kratt brothers as they share information about the diversity of and the animals inhabiting the rainforest in the DVD production, Wild Kratts: Rainforest Rescue. Be sure to check out the review.
Paul Spring brilliantly uses storytelling in each of his songs to take listeners on a journey beyond the surface music in his latest album, Home of Song. Read the starred review.
Erica S. Perl’s When Life Gives You OJ receives stellar treatment in the audiobook version narrated by Abigail Revasch. Read the starred review of this delightful story.
Silicon Valley will be quite “useful in a number of classroom settings as well as for individual research or casual viewing, especially by those with a curiosity about how today’s technology revolution actually began.” Check out the rest of this starred review.
“Audio is a great doorway to a love of literature,” says Katherine Kellgren, award-winning young adult audiobook narrator, lifelong audiobook listener, and supporter of a SYNC, the free YA audiobooks program. SLJ caught up with Kellgren for a candid chat about her start in the field, the joys—and challenges—of narrating YA literature, the importance of audio in boosting kids’ literacy, and her upcoming projects. Kellgren even stopped by our offices to record a few video segments.
Check out the starred review of Deep Down: A Story form the Heart of Coal Country, a DVD from New Day Films that explores the controversial topic of mountaintop removal mining.
The winners of the Audie Awards, the audiobook industry’s equivalent of the Oscars, were announced at the 18th Annual Audies Gala held at The New York Historical Society in New York City on May 30, 2013 and hosted by Daniel Handler (author of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” series written under the name Lemony Snicket). The awards, sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA), recognize distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment.
The 14 songs performed by Mr. Steve on his latest album, Orangutan Van,/em>, perfectly balance catchy melodies, smart lyrics, and humor. Read the starred review and see why this is quirky fun for the whole family.
