Listen Up to Audiobooks August/September 2006
By Lisa Von Drasek

To read Lisa Von Drasek's related article Counting Days click here

Gossamer by Lois Lowry, read by Anne Twomey (Listening Library, 2006, ISBN: 0-739-33526-X, 3 CDs, 4 hours 30 minutes, $27.00, ages 9+).

Littlest One is a new fairy-like creature of a species of dream-givers. These tiny dream-givers collect memories from objects, and then weave them together to bestow comforting dreams on the unsuspecting sleeping human. Littlest One is assigned to a household with her mentor. An older woman and her foster son live in the house. This is a difficult case for Littlest, as there are few good memories to be found for this boy who has been damaged by parental abuse. Anne Twomey's superb reading strikes the perfect balance between the other-worldliness of the evening spirits and the daily lives of the human occupants. She gives voice to the characters without distracting mannerisms and creates an urgent engagement for the listener.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, read by Sissy Spacek (HarperAudio/ Caedmon, 2006, ISBN: 0-060-88869-5, 11 CDs, 12 hours, $49.95, ages 12+).

This Pulitzer Prize-winning story first published in 1960 has stood the test of time. We welcome this new audio edition with award-winning actress Sissy Spacek bringing us a new voice for Scout and this classic story of the American South. As this title is assigned reading in our eighth grade, it is essential that an excellent audio version is available for our students who need to hear as well as read the novel. A terrific reading guide is available with discussion points at the publisher's site: www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/to_kill_a_mockingbird1.asp

A Sound of Thunder and Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, read by Stefan Rudnicki (Blackstone Audiobooks, 2005, ISBN: 0-786-17626-1, 9 CDs, 10 hours, 30 minutes, $29.95, ages 12+).

"A Sound of Thunder" is the archetype of the time-travel tale. A travel agency sets up adventure trips to the past. One must be very careful, as the slightest change might have enormous consequences in the future. "Something Wicked This Way Comes" is the classic gothic tale of a sinister carnival, helmed by proprietor Dr. Dark, and the two 13-year-old boys who discover the carnival's secrets. This audio rendition is perfectly creepy for the Halloween season, and Stefan Rudnicki's sonorous tones bring a stern irony to Bradbury's classic stories.

To read Lisa Von Drasek's related article Counting Days click here

Lisa Von Drasek is Children's Librarian at the Bank Street College of Education in New York, NY.