Parents steel themselves for the nightly bedtime ritual, knowing they've had an exhausting day and there's still story time ahead. Teachers have a pupil who's dying to read, but can't quite crack the code. Grandparents know grandchildren who used to love to read, but haven't picked up a book in the last year or two. Some summers parents want to keep both learning and pleasure alive. Quandaries abound for those who want to encourage the love of reading and know that it is essential for school success. Current studies support something that audio book addicts have known for years...whatever the concern, audio books can provide solutions.
In today's fast-paced world, audios slow down the speed, provide relief for overtired adults, and are highly effective mood changers. Pop in an audio book to end a temper tantrum, or calm a class. Listening together encourages a secret literacy code. Later, a remembered phrase lightens spirits, or characters can be invoked to remind children of traits and behaviors. Hearing books aloud stretches comprehension, starts conversations and teases young children into falling in love with language.
-A new favorite character, Skippyjon Jones, the Siamese cat who thinks he's a Chihuahua, appears in his third series In Mummy Trouble and author Judy Schachner reads the language-rich, accent-filled, sound-stuffed story with mucho gusto!
-Rabbit Ears Treasury of Far East Folktales (Listening Library, $11.95, 1CD, 56 minutes) Rabbit Ears audios pair celebrities of stage, screen and recording studios. In their latest release, Sigourney Weaver and Ryuichi Sakamoto perform "Peach Boy" and William Hurt and Mark Isham enliven "The Boy Who Drew Cats".
At early reading stages, children need to have a variety of literary experiences. New readers find great support listening as they follow along with a printed version, matching sounds to written words. Seek out simple books with few words per page and cues that help them turn pages.
Norman Bridwell's Clifford, The Small Red Puppy (Scholastic, $3.99)traces Emily Elizabeth's early days with her big canine friend. Sound effects and music dimensionalize story, setting and characters.
-John Lord's The Giant Jam Sandwich tells of a small village beset by four million biting wasps and the townspeople's ingenious solution--carry the insects away in a giant jam sandwich! Music and soundscape by Michael Moss add everything from the to the buzz of a town meeting to that of the wasps who signal page turns. (Houghton, $9.95)
Children today are bombarded with visual images, sometimes to the detriment of their auditory and imaginative senses. First novels on audio help with comprehension, vocabulary and giving new readers the courage they need to forge ahead into longer independent readings.
-Find four of Marc Brown's short novels in The Arthur and Friends Collection (Listening Library, $19.95, unabridged, 2 CDs). Story lessons make the audio supportive for reading and for understanding growing-up issues.
-Mary Pope Osborne reads four fictional stories of time-traveling heroes Jack and Annie who discover "special magic" of friendship and community in Magic Tree House, Books 25-28 (Listening Library, $25.00, unabridged, 3 CDs)
Students struggling with reading skills can be overwhelmed by the pressures of demanding curriculum. Audio books keep readers learning. Researchers have shown audio books increase reading fluency, expand vocabulary, improve concentration, and help students who need more than visuals. An audio version of a book can make all the difference for a reluctant reader who fights finishing novels, or feels left out of the learning loop. Choose a plot-strong, short book, preferably by an author admired by peers, and a reader who engrosses listeners in the story.
-Brian Selznick's Invention of Hugo Cabret (Scholastic, $22.99, ages 9-12, unabridged, 3CDs, approx. 3 hours; ages 9-12) merges picture and text to tell the story of a twelve year old Parisan boy who lives by himself in a 1931 train station. This innovative storytelling style finds a new dimension in the audio version (Scholastic, $29.95, unabridged, 3CDs, approx. 3 hours + bonus author commentary DVD).
-For slightly older there's L.A. Meyer's Bloody Jack. Katherine Kellgren's coarse Cockney accents puts us on 18th century London streets where Mary Faber escapes poverty by disgusing herself and joining the British Navy for non-stop adventures. (Listen and Live, $29.95, unabridged, 6 CDs, 10-12)
Several recent studies concluded that reading for entertainment drops off significantly after a child reaches the age of eight, citing lack of time and inability to find good books. A little adult ingenuity might seduce older listeners back into stories. Audio books can be a way to lighten the load of students' overwhelming studies, help a teen survive cleaning a room that's gone without attention for several months, or ease a family road trip!
-Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" is read by Sissy Spacek whose light Southern accent complements the classic story of Scout, Jem and Atticus Finch who fight for fairness in a small Alabama town. (HarperAudio, $49.95)
-Sharon Dogar's Waves (Listening Library, $45, unabridged, 7 CDs, 8 hours) is the gripping story of Hal who's found his sister Charley washed up by the waves on a Cornwall beach, unconscious and a year later, as his parents wrestle with disconnecting her from life support. James Clamp reads all parts including a convincing portrayal of Charlie's voice filling Hal's mind, driving him to discover what happened to his sister.
Audios are great for introducing music, too! Two new jazz-promoting releases are:
-Louis Lion Sings Goodnight (a jazz musician daddy comes home and rhythmically prepares his two cubs for bed) and Philly Joe Giraffe's Jungle Jazz (a born drummer moves musically through the jungle with a bunch of lessons for children). (Both part of the Baby Loves Music come with CD and board book from Price Stern Sloan, $7.99).
-Story and orchestra instrument introduction are beautifully blended together in a new rendition of Sergei Prokofiev's classic Peter and the Wolf (Magic Maestro Music, $16.98)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art pairs music and art in Can You Hear It? (Abrams, $18.95, CD and book)