From: Betty Tisel <tiselfar>
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:35:40 -0500

Hi Everybody,

I'm responding to KT's question "are there audiobooks you have admired, even if you didn't like the print version of the book?" There are two titles that leap to mind (although they were not published recently).

I started to read a print copy of "I am the messenger" because I felt it was a "must-read". I just could not get into it. A few months later I saw an unabridged audiobook version..... The audiobook is masterfully narrated by an Australian-born actor. Hearing that voice, that accent, somehow opened my mind and that thrilling story rushed in.

Similar experience with the (unfortunately) abridged version of "Catherine Called Birdy". The young british actress who narrates the abridged version is SO PERFECT that the book became much more vivid to me, even though I loved it in print. (The unabridged version is read by an adult. What a gaffe.)

If we haven't talked about narrators yet, I say, thumbs down to all the bland bland narrations by glumpy readers with bland tv news accents (whether american or british). Thumbs up to almost everything produced by Bruce Coville's Full Cast Audio company. (graceling's out in June from Full Cast Audio!)


Breathlessly yours,



Betty Tisel Minneapolis Avid reader School library volunteer Book and reading advocate


On 4/13/09 10:23 AM, "Kathleen Horning" <horning at education.wisc.edu> wrote:

> It's been great to hear from past members of the Odyssey Award
> Committee. The amount of listening time the committee members have to
> put into their year is truly astonishing. So my question is about
> logistics: how much of an audiobook do you have to listen to before
> you know it's not award-worthy? Can you tell in the first 15 minutes?
> Are there fatal flaws? Or do you feel compelled to listen to all six
> hours of an audiobook you don't find distinguished?
>
> Second, are there audiobooks you have admired, even if you didn't like
> the print version of the book? In other words, are there books you feel
> are improved in audio?
>
> Thanks!
>
> KT
>
> Kathleen T. Horning
> Director
> Cooperative Children's Book Center
> 4290 Helen C. White Hall
> 600 N. Park St
> Madison, WI 53706
>
> Phone: 608-263-3721
> FAX: 608-262-4933
>
> horning at education.wisc.edu
> http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
>
>
>
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Received on Mon 13 Apr 2009 10:35:40 AM CDT