TRAVELING THIS SUMMER?
HERE ARE SOME GREAT AUDIO BOOKS FOR TEENS TO TAKE ALONG
Click on the title to go to the Plymouth Library Catalog and see if a copy is available.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, read by the author.
In this semi-autobiographical story of Arnold Spirit Jr., or Jr. as he's known on the rez. A bright 14-year-old, this fledgling cartoonist and the target of bullies, leaves his Spokane Indian Reservation high school after throwing his 30-year-old geometry textbook at his teacher. Winner of the 2009 Odyssey Award presented by the American Library Association for best youth audiobook. Gr.8+
Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
A great science fiction adventure set on an airship in the Jules Verne genre, the audio book made by Full Cast Audio was an award winner. Great accents and sound effects. The sequel, Skybreaker, is equally good and the third book is due out soon. Gr. 6-10
Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer, narrated by Katherine Kellgren
Another adventure story, this is the first of six books about Mary “Jacky” Faber, an orphan in London, who disguises herself as a boy so she can board a British warship in search of pirates. Katherine Kellgren distinguishes herself with many accents, humor and attitude. Well-meaning Jacky always seems to jump to conclusions and makes a mess of things, though they get settled for a bit. Kellgren has recorded all of the books in the series. 2008 Odyssey Honor audiobook. Gr. 7+
The Compound by S.A. Bodeen, narrated by Christopher Lane
Eli’s billionaire father built the Compound to protect his family from nuclear devastation. Now, six years have passed and Eli finally begins to question his reality. Christopher Lane’s intense, well-paced narration adds to the pulse-pounding intensity of this non-stop thrill ride. Gr. 7+
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine Full cast audiobook
Aza does not look like her fellow Ayorthans, but she can sing like them. Feeling huge and ugly, she somehow becomes the favorite of the new queen, sharing a secret that could bring down a kingdom and destroy Aza's happiness. The Full Cast Family expertly reads and sings the story of Aza and Ayortha — a country where beautiful composing and singing are prized above everything. For musical theater lovers Gr. 5-9
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman narrated by the author
Gaiman reads his book perfectly. His sense of the macabre and his warmth for Bod infuse the recording about the boy who trundled out of bed one early morning and toddled across the street to the graveyard, thereby escaping being murdered. The ghosts and spirits of the graveyard agree to raise the boy, Nobody Owens. Winner of the 2009 Audie Audiobook of the Year Award. Gr. 5+
Heat by Mike Lupica, narrated by Paolo Andino
Michael Arroyo's dream is to make it to the Little League World series and play on the same field as his beloved Yankees. Listeners will instantly connect with the characters that Andino fills with personality and originality. Gr. 6-9
Mimus, by Lilli Thal, read by Maxwell Caulfield
Prince Florin is taken prisoner by a neighboring kingdom and is forced to become a court jester. Caulfield’s charming accent adds texture and excitement through his great characterizations and varied storytelling. Gr. 7+
Nation by Terry Pratchett, narrated by Stephen Briggs
After a tsunami, survivors Mau, a 13 year-old boy, and British teen Daphne set about rebuiling the island and helping straggling refugees who arrive. 2009 Odyssey Award Honor book. Gr. 7 - 10
Peak by Roland Smith, read by Ramon de Ocampo
Peak Marcello joins his father on an expedition to Mount Everest so that Peak will be the youngest person ever to reach the summit. De Ocampo puts the listener right in the middle of the action. Gr. 6+
Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney, narrated by Christopher Evan Welch
Young Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, starts work as an apprentice for the village spook, whose job is to protect ordinary folk from "ghouls, boggarts, and all manner of wicked beasties." This is the first in an amazing series, The Last Apprentice. Gr. 5-9
Samurai Shortstop by Allan Gratz, narrated by Arthur Morey
Toyo is happy to be at a new school, far from the scene where his uncle, one of the last saurai, committed ritual suicide. At Ishiko School, he is being groomed to become a leader of the new Japan but he feels drawn to the bushido code of the samurai. Morey’s narration comes alive on the baseball field, delivering play-by-play with the excitement and enthusiasm of a modern commentator. Gr. 7+
Sebastian Dark: Prince of Fools by Philip Caveney, narrated by Maxwell Caulfield
Accompanied by his sardonic buffalope Max, seventeen-year-old Sebastian Darke meets a spoiled princess and a diminutive soldier who aid in his quest to become court jester to the evil King Septimus. Gr. 6+
Skuldugery Pleasant by Derek Landy, narrated by Rupert Degas
Rupert Degas fleshes out a cast of characters including a “tweenage” girl, nefarious villains, and a skeleton detective. Music and sound effects mirror the mood of this bone-rattling mystery.
Gr. 5-8
Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas, narrated by Lorelei King
Rennie's life is changed forever at age thirteen; her brother is fighting in World War II and a Japanese internment camp opens near her small town. When a young girl is murdered, most of the townspeople believe it was someone from the camp. King's multidimensional voice brings the characters to life. This book won the 2008 Audie Award for Adult Fiction presented by the Audio Publishers Association. HS / Adults
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett, narrated by Stephen Briggs
A young witch-to-be named Tiffany teams up with the Wee Free Men, a clan of six-inch-high blue men, to rescue her baby brother and ward off a sinister invasion from Fairyland. With his Scottish accent, Briggs brings life to this witty book with lots of wacky characters. Gr. 6+
Teens: Participate in this summer’s Listening Library’s
Fantasy Road Trip Contest
CONTEST INFO: Listening Library is sponsoring a video contest for teens ages 13-18 to create short films that answer the questions, “If you could go on a road trip with a character from your favorite audio series, where would you go? What would you do along the way? How would you travel?”
HOW TO ENTER: teens can visit www.fantasyroadtripcontest.com for all the details about how to enter, video requirements and information about the authors and their books. Don’t miss the animated video introducing the contest!
WINNERS: Authors will judge the videos and then each author will pick a winner (for a total of three), who will receive an 8GB iPod Touch and a collection of signed audiobooks.
PARTICIPATING AUTHORS: Libba Bray, author of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, Tamora Pierce, author of the Beka Cooper series and Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
Questions or Comments? Contact Cathy Lichtman, Teen Librarian
