I love audiobooks! I listen to them in the car as much as I can. They make my car trips bearable. If I try to listen to the radio I find myself switch stations over and over, but with an audiobook, I hit play and go!
So because of that, I was super interested to learn what middle grade and young adult books are finalists for the Audie Awards!
Here they are!
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, written and narrated by Pablo Cartaya, published by Listening Library
Patina by Jason Reynolds, narrated by Heather Alicia Simms, published by Simon & Schuster Audio
Refugee by Alan Gratz, narrated by Michael Goldstrom, Kyla Garcia, and Assaf Cohen, published by Scholastic Audio
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng, narrated by Kivlighan de Montebello, Brittany Pressley, Michael Crouch, Graham Halstead, Jason Culp, and a Full Cast, published by Listening Library
Wedgie & Gizmo by Suzanne Selfors, narrated by Johnny Heller and Maxwell Glick, published by HarperAudio
Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray, narrated by January LaVoy, published by Listening Library
Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork, narrated by Roxana Ortega and Christian Barillas, published by Scholastic Audio
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, narrated by Bahni Turpin, published by HarperAudio
Solo by Kwame Alexander, with Mary Rand Hess, narrated by Kwame Alexander, music by Randy Preston, published by Blink
You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins, narrated by Sneha Mathan, Shivali Bhammer, Priya Ayyar, and others, published by Listening Library
I've read all but one (Cosmo and Wedgie) of the middle grade nominees with my ears. They're all good. Refugee is incredibly powerful. Don't listen while driving. I spent the last one and a half discs crying and sobbing. I recently read Patina and thought the narrator did a great job. I read the arc of Epic Fail with my eyes first, then listened to the author read his work. See You in the Cosmos is my least favorite of the four. The performances were good. The audio treatment of the book brought it to life, I just didn't buy into the premise.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the YA, I need to read You Bring the Distance Near and Disappeared. I love Stork. Solo was nicely read by the author. Kwame Alexander can make record label information sound like a poem. The addition of the mc's music as performed by Randy Preston added interest. January LaVoy owns The Diviners books! Her range of voices is just incredible. Bahni Turpin was her usual amazing self in THUG.
Happy reading!
b