Jingo Django

Jingo Django by Sid Fleischman


Join Jingo, make that Django, as he travels South on a whirlwind treasure hunt. He is discovering more about himself as well as about his unknown family.

Jingo is "apprenticed" to General Dirty-Face Scurlock by Mrs. Daggett who runs the orphanage. Scurlock sets up Jingo to be a chimney sweep - crawling up flues to chip away soot. His goal is to escape as quickly as he is able. With the help of a fellow sweep, he escapes, but only to be captured when he returns to hideout at the orphanage. Fortunately, someone else offers to apprentice Jingo - Mr. Peacock. Mrs. Daggett hands over the boy for a handsome profit and Jingo leaves with Mr. Peacock. Mr. Peacock offers Jingo a safe haven in his traveling wagon and an opportunity to pursue a treasure hunt he discovered on a whale's tooth.

Fleischman's story is from the 70's, but his tale will be enjoyed by young listeners today. Themes of adventure, mystery, and treasure never get old.

Charles Carroll narrates Django's story with a mellow tone. The heights and depths of adventure are never too loud or too soft. The even read is very nice. Carroll reminds me of a teacher sharing a story during school. This would be excellent for a family of wide ages to enjoy.

Reviewed from an Audiobook Jukebox copy. Thank you, AudioGo!

Small Steps

Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret

Peg was looking forward to 7th grade and the Homecoming celebration at school. Before the Homecoming festivities, her muscles began to jump and spasm during school. As Peg walked to class, she collapsed. She was taken home and only grew sicker. Her parents took her to the doctor. The doctor informed Peg and her parent that she had polio.

Peg Kehret revisits her journey from health to sickness and back again. She writes her history as a story with fictional dialogue between friends, family, and acquaintances. Though the dialogue is fictional, her experiences are true. She opens up and shares her struggles and successes of fighting polio. Peg shares the pain of illness and the aches of recovery. It's a beautiful story of courage, determination, family, friendship, and growing up. It's a story that children and adults will enjoy.

Susan Boyce is the narrator for Small Steps. Her gentle narration will delight listeners. Her voice is reminiscent of a beloved teacher reading a story aloud during school. This narrator and non-fiction piece will delight (and not bore) its listeners.

Reviewed from an Audiobook Jukebox copy. Thank you, AudioGo!

Audio Book Details...
Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret
Read by Susan Boyce
Produced by AudioGo
Number of Discs: 0
Total Time: 3 hours, 9 minutes
ISBN: MP3 download via AudioGo

The Spindlers

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver


Beware the Spindlers. They come at night and steal your soul. How do you know if the Spindlers have stolen a soul? Look in the eyes. The eyes will tell you. As haunting as Coraline or as strange as Alice's Wonderland, that's for the reader to decide.

For this reader, Coraline was way more terrifying than The Spindlers. The association with Wonderland is the location - going below. The book that came to mind to this audiobook lover was The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan. (It's all about spiders, too.)

Overall, the concept of The Spindlers can be daunting and a bit terrifying for younger listeners (or readers), so if the reader is open to fantastical fiction with a hint of horror this is an excellent book. I would also highly recommend this title to older siblings and/or young woman. The main characters are ladies - Liza, Mirabella, and the Queen (which isn't a focus until reflecting on this piece.) The older sibling theme is strongest and very relate able. Liza must rescue her brother's soul and she will give it her all. He might be too young to understand or care, but she knows it's her job to watch over him.

Simon Vance narrated The Spindlers. For a female heavy cast, he did an amazing job! Each character had a voice and the female voices were wonderfully different from each other. The Spindler's Queen was my favorite voice.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
Read by Simon Vance
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 4
Total Time: 4 hours, 50 minutes
ISBN: 9780449015001 or 0449015009

Two Years of Audiobooks

Adolescent Audio Adventures began on February 25, 2011. I wanted to share my joy of audiobooks with others who enjoy listening to books. It's been another amazing audio year and it's time to take stock of all the books I heard over 2012. Let's break it down...

Juvenile Fiction [estimated trt: 5 days, 4 hours, 57 minutes]
The Chronicles of Harris Burdick
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow
The Whites of Their Eyes
The Haunting of Charles Dickens
Floors
The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda
The Case of the Deadly Desperados
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes
The Willoughbys
War Horse
3 Below
Stealing Magic: a Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure
The Fire Chronicle
Arcade Catastrophe
The Mark of Athena
Alchemy and Meggy Swann
Fairy Realm 6 in 1 Collection
The Unseen Guest
The Spindlers

Adult [trt: ca. 18 hours]
The Help


20 books (and over 140 hours) were counted in this year's review. Quite a few less from last year, but with less time in the car, there are less hours to listen. I am looking forward to another great year of audiobooks! A couple series I'm looking forward to hearing include Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School, and The Books of Beginning. What book or books are you looking forward to hearing this year?

2013 Audie Award Finalists

This just in audiobook listeners...

"The Audio Publishers Association (APA) has announced finalists for its 2013 Audie
Awards® competition, the only awards program in the United States devoted entirely to honoring spoken word entertainment. Winners will be announced at the Audies Gala on May 30, 2013, at the New-York Historical Society in New York. Writer Daniel Handler [aka Lemony Snicket], longtime friend and supporter of the audiobook industry will emcee the event."

Since this blog celebrates adolescent audiobooks, here are the finalists for young listeners:

CHILDRENS 8-12
Same Sun Here, by Silas House and Neela Vaswani, Narrated by Silas House and Neela Vaswani, Brilliance Audio.
Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, Narrated by Diana Steele, Nick Podehl, and Kate Rudd, Brilliance Audio.
The Freedom Maze, by Delia Sherman, Narrated by Robin Miles, Listening Library/Books on Tape.
The Cheshire Cheese Cat, by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall White, Narrated by Katherine Kellgren and Robin Sachs, Listening Library/Books on Tape.
Splendors and Glooms, by Laura Amy Schlitz, Narrated by Davina Porter, Recorded Books.

CHILDRENS up to 8
We Are America, by Walter Dean Meyers, Narrated by Dion Graham with a Multi-cast, Live Oak Media.
The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case, by Alexander McCall Smith, Narrated by Adjoa Andoh, Listening Library/Books on Tape.
Sylvester & The Magic Pebble, by William Steg, Narrated by James Earl Jones, Simon & Schuster Audio.
Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion, by Mo Willems, Narrated by Cher Mo and Trixie Willems, Weston Woods Studios.
A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip C. Stead, Illustrated by Erin E. Stead, Narrated by David de Vries, Weston Woods Studios.

To see the full press release, please visit: http://www.audiopub.org/press/Audies2013PR.pdf

Happy listening, friends!

Fairy Realm 6 in 1 Collection

Fairy Realm 6 in 1 Collection by Emily Rodda

Fairy Realm 6 in 1 Collection contains the first six books of the Fairy Realm series by Emily Rodda. The complete series is as follows...

Book 01 - The Charm Bracelet
Book 02 - The Flower Fairies
Book 03 - The Third Wish
Book 04 - The Last Fairy-Apple Tree
Book 05 - The Magic Key
Book 06 - The Unicorn
Book 07 - The Star Cloak
Book 08 - The Water Sprites
Book 09 - The Peskie Spell
Book 10 -  The Rainbow Wand

Since I read The Fairy Realm series a few years ago, I only listened to book one, The Charm Bracelet. If you know of young readers you enjoy fantasy stories, I would highly recommend this series. The books average around 120 pages, so these books would be appropriate for readers interested in their first chapter book (usually around third grade).

The audiobook was produced by Bolinda Audio located in Victoria, Australia. This is my first listen from Bolinda Audio. The chapter headings were read by a gentleman, but the chapters were read by a woman, Lucy Bell. Music was added at the opening and close of each chapter as well as the segments when the story led to The Fairy Realm. The delicate, music box like melody fit the book well.  Lucy Bell shares the story fittingly. Her Australian accent is not usual to hear in the US, but it does not take away from the story. I believe young listeners will enjoy her voice.

An interesting side note was the echoing quality of the recording. I would attribute it to the recording room, but it could have been added as a sound effect.  The faint echo was bothersome to me, but I will let other listeners decide for themselves. At different points during the tale, the echo effect worked very well for the story setting.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Fairy Realm 6 in 1 Collection by Emily Rodda
Read by Lucy Bell
Produced by Bolinda Audio
Number of Discs: 12
Total Time: 10 hours, 55 minutes

Alchemy and Meggy Swann

Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman


Ye toads and vipers! Meggy Swann journeyed to London to be with her unknown father. When she arrives, the alchemist sees her and shows his great disappoint that she is not a he. Meggy feels unloved and unwanted in a filthy new place. Will London ever be home to an unlucky girl?

Karen Cushman excels at historical fiction. Her view of the the Elizabethan age / Shakespearean era is wonderful. She takes Meggy on a journey, not only to a new location, but to learn about herself. Meggy must overcome her physical handicap and fear of people's hate. Meggy learns to be stronger and happier. She discovers a love for London and for her fellow man. If a reader would ever be in need of historical insults, they only need read the whit of Meggy and her friend Roger. Her author's note at the end also adds insight and facts that she woven into her tale.

Alchemy and Meggy Swann would be an terrific book for classrooms or book club. Many discussions can arise about a variety of topics. History alone is one of the them, but Cushman brings up family, friends, physical handicaps, and pets just to name a few.

Katherine Kellgren reads Meggy's story. Kellgren is one of my favorite readers. Her furious back and forth between Meggy and Roger are enjoyable as well as the repeated phrase, "Ye toads and vipers!" Extra praise for singing a Capella throughout the short novel!

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman
Read by Katherine Kellgren
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 4
Total Time: 4 hours, 23 minutes

Arcade Catastrophe

The Arcade Catastrophe by Brandon Mull


Belinda White from the Sweet Tooth Candy Shop is gone. Mr. Sebastian Stott, a friendly magician, took over the shop and adopted a girl named Lindy. Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon have included Lindy in their group and enjoy hanging out at the Candy Shop. Life returned to normal after Mrs. White disappeared from town with her magical candy, but the next town over, Walnut Hills, has some suspicious goings-on. Stranger still, is the disappearance of magical policeman John Dart and magician Mozag. Now they must decide if they should help their missing friends and see what's happening in Walnut Hills.

It's the return of magical treats and amazing adventures! If you enjoyed the first book, The Candy Shop War, you will enjoy the continuing story in The Arcade Catastrophe. The friends you knew in the original tale reappear to fight new enemies and make new friends. Mull's second book is an excellent continuation. He combines mystery, adventure, magic, and candy together for an irresistible reading treat.

Mulls ends the novel with hints at another book to come. This novel can be enjoyed as a complete novel, but the idea of another book is very exciting!

Reader R. C. Bray shares the adventure of Arcade Catastrophe. His low timbre is amazing at creating different characters. It was a slight shock to move from different narrators (book one used Emily Janice Card), but after the first disc the story rolls along at a wonderful speed.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Arcade Catastrophe by Brandon Mull
Series: Book Two, The Candy Shop War
Read by R. C. Bray
Produced by Shadow Mountain
Number of Discs: 9
Total Time: 10 hours, 45 minutes

The Mark of Athena

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

The Mark of Athena picks up from The Son of Neptune. The Greek and the Roman camps need to work together. Members from each camp form a team to complete the latest quest, but dark forces (Gia and her minions) are against them. Romans believe the Greeks are against them, so they are planning to retaliate. The quest team keeps an eye on the Roman camp's movements, but know they need to journey to Europe to complete their quest - especially Annabeth, who needs to find The Mark of Athena.

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

With only part of the quest complete, the cliff hanger is monumental. Bring on the next book, Riordan!

His characters remain true as they continue on their journey. The relationships between the young men and women progress naturally as they fight along side each other, worry over one another, seek to help each other, and hope their relationship will survive this great undertaking.

Joshua Swanson returns to narrate the newest Heroes of Olympus book. He cleverly portrays a wide range of characters. I hope he can return for the next novel to keep it consistent.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
Series: Book Three, The Heroes of Olympus
Read by Joshua Swanson
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 12
Total Time: 15 hours, 9 minutes

The Fire Chronicles

The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens

The three siblings return to another orphanage in hope of safety from their enemies. Unfortunately, their enemies find them and the children are on the run. Kate took ownership of the Emerald Atlas and reigned over traveling through time. Yet, as she escaped from an enemy she lost consciousness and trapped herself in the past. With Kate missing, Michael is head of the family and is entrusted to care for his little sister, Emma. Michael, Emma, Dr. Pym and Gabriel join forces to fight the their enemies, find the Fire Chronicle, and look for a way to bring Kate back to them.

Oh, John Stephens! There were no words when I finished listening to The Fire Chronicle. I could only give a loud shout of protest that the story was done. I don't want to give any details away from this amazing story. I want you to read it or listen to it. Stephens continues the chase scenes and the fight between good and evil. You think you can follow the story then an amazing twist arrives to make you stop and ponder, "What will happen next!?" It was so difficult to wait for The Fire Chronicle and now the waiting has intensified for book three. I think book three will be the most anticipated book for 2013.

The amazing Jim Dale returns to read The Fire Chronicle. His characters remain true to the first book and the new characters are equally fun and imaginative. My favorite voices were, well, come to think of it, hard to pinpoint. It was just amazing. I hope Dale will read the next installment of The Books of Beginning.

Reviewed from a library copy.


Audio Book Details...
The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens
Series: Book Two, The Books of Beginning
Read by Jim Dale
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 10
Total Time: 12 hours, 30 minutes