Here’s an update to the  YALSA podcast of the wonderful celebration of the first Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production during ALA Annual in Anaheim. At the end of the Booklist Books for Youth Forum, we all watched a video appearance by Jim Dale, narrator of the Harry Potter audiobooks. Dale shares some thoughts about recording Harry Potter, honors the Potter production team, and gives special thanks to the Odyssey Award committee: Jerene D. Battisti, Francisca Goldsmith, Natalie Hoyle, Sharon B. Grover, Teri S. Lesesne, Merri Lindgren, Connie C. Rockman, Sylvia Vardell, Sue-Ellen Beauregard.

Here’s the link to that video - enjoy your visit to Dale’s living room that looks straight out of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

Mary Burkey, Chair 2008 Odyssey Award committee

While I did not spend much time at the exhibits due to other commitments, I did bring home some ARCs to read. I spent most of the flight back to Houston reading TENDER MORSELS. I hope to finish the book this weekend. However, more than books, I brought back with me some terrific memories and some valuable information. (more…)

In this podcast listen to the full proceedings of the first ever Odyssey Award ceremony.  The Award is given to for the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults available in English in the United States. It is a joint award of YALSA and ALSC. (more…)

I just wanted to mention a couple of things happening with the Amazing Audiobook Committee. First of all we have our latest nominations listed on the website. Those are some of the most amazing examples we have listened to so far, the cream of the crop!

I also want to mention again that we live for your field nominations. Don’t hesitate, don’t be embarrassed or shy…just do it! Check out the nomination form.

Have you ever sat in on a committee meeting? Let me tell you, they are quite an experience that can’t really be described…only seen IRL. Just your luck, at the ALA Annual convention in sunny so cal, you can get that experience at the Amazing Audiobooks meeting. Don’t miss our lively conversations about some of our favorite titles that have already been nominated. The Amazing Audiobooks is meeting on Sunday, June 29 from 1:30 - 5:30 at Annual. We’ll be in Room 304 of the Anaheim Marriott and I hope to see you there.

Keep Listening! -nk

The Amazing Audiobook committee is still getting into the swing of things. I have just received our very first Listening Library box and the audiobooks are amazing. We got A Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray and Runemarks by Joanne Harris, two fantasy titles I have wanted to read. A Sweet Far Thing is book three in the series by Libba Bray and series titles are sometimes a quandary for us. I haven’t read or listened to A Great and Terrible Beauty or Rebel Angels, can I just jump in on the third title in a series? This is one of the many questions we have to ask ourselves with every title we listen too. Look for nominations soon from this excellent batch of titles.

In the meantime, check out the ones we have already nominated.

This year we have already nominated more titles than at the same time last year. We also already got one field nomination. We really appreciate those, because we can’t catch everything that is put out. I strongly encourage anyone who listens to something spectacular to do a field nomination.

Keep listening!

Nichole King
Amazing Audiobooks Committee