Our 2018 picks!
At long last, we’ve got our end of the year picks for you all. Be sure to tune into the Youth Media Awards Monday, Feb. 12, at 8 a.m. MT to check out this year’s winners. We will be tweeting our reactions here @earsodyssey
Lizzie
- An early perennial favorite for me was The Hate You Give narrated by Bahni Turpin. Bahni Turpin’s narration really kicks into another level with her trademark believable emotionality and characterizations.
- I was also a big fan of Book Of Dust narrated by Michael Sheen. As someone whose never read/ listened to any of the Pullmans’ other books ( shame on me I know…) Sheen’s narration helps a new listener grasp and awe at the many nuances of Pullman’s characters and themes.
The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas, read by Bahni Turpin. HarperAudio, 2017.
The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage: Volume 1, by Philip Pullman, read Michael Sheen, 13 hours and 7 minutes, Listening Library 2017.
Natalie
- One of my favorites this year was Scythe, narrated by Greg Tremblay. Tremblay’s ability to handle a dual narration, especially one with both male and female narrators, made this a standout title for me.
- A more recent listen that has stuck with me is The Stars Beneath Our Feet, narrated by Nile Bullock. Bullock captures the ebb and flow of accents in a diverse neighborhood and hits the perfect youthful note for the book’s preteen protagonist.
Scythe, by Neal Shusterman, read by Greg Tremblay. 10 hours, 32 minutes. Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio, 2017.
The Stars Beneath Our Feet, by David Barclay Moore, read by Nile Bullock. 6 hours, 19 minutes. Listening Library, 2017.
Sarah
- I’m going to second Lizzie’s positive take on The Hate U Give. I loved the way that Bahni Turpin captured Starr’s growth from cautious and wounded to strong and confident. I listened to this months and months ago, but Turpin’s warm, passionate narration sticks with me even now.
- Picture book audiobooks can be hugely moving and entertaining, and Trombone Shorty is just that. With Dion Graham’s talented voice, this audiobook is a fully realized experience, a dizzying concoction of voices, music, and color that satisfies absolutely.
The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas, read by Bahni Turpin. 11 hours, 40 minutes. HarperAudio, 2017.
Trombone Shorty, by Troy Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier, read by Dion Graham. 13 minutes. Live Oak Media, 2017.
Ears on the Odyssey 
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