An Argument for Audio

Audio books live off most folk's radar (uh oh, the evangelist in me is kicking in). No doubt part of the reason is expense. Audio books are not cheap and if you get most of your books from a bookstore, you're probably disinclined to pay the extra cash for a book on CD.

Fortunately, public library collections of audio books have absolutely bloomed in the last five years or so. Naturally, some libraries are better at building and maintaining these collections than others. So you'll need to experiment. I've discovered that some of the smaller libraries near my house have the best audio collections. This is probably because of differing collection development philosophies. Also, a library may have a great audio collection in the children's room, but not in their young adult section only to be very strong in the adult section. Investigate your best sources.

Many libraries provide access to audio books remotely. If your library subscribes to NetLibrary or OverDrive Books, you can download a book to your computer or MP3 without leaving home. Many of these collections remain relatively small now, but surely they will trump CD collections in the next decade.

I often hear folks claim they can't follow a story on audio as well as when they read. Audio certainly is easier for auditory people, and print favors the visual among us. That said, listening to an audio book takes a bit of practice. (And wouldn't the world be a better place if we all upped our listening skills?) So, find something you'll like and stick with it. Listen to an old favorite. (Jim Dale's recording of the Harry Potter series is nothing short of amazing!) Try a collection of short stories or essays. Collections of folk tales or myths are a great selection for car rides of mixed age groups.

Schools seem to perpetuate a pervasive belief that listening to an unabridged book is somehow not legitimate. Well, hogwash. If getting information from outside a brain to inside a brain is the goal, students, parents and educators should embrace every way available to make that happen. If form should follow function, then the brain should be able to pick how to best absorb new information. If audio works and it's available, it should be used. In the case of auditory learners (and if you're a parent, do you even know if your kid is auditory or not?) audio books are clearly the better choice.

Another instance where audio can trump print is in humor writing. I have repeatedly found that I've pick up on an author's humor when I hear them read their prose far better than when I read it. Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes leaps to mind as a powerful example. A sad tale, McCourt's reminiscence is not without dozens of humorous anecdotes which just don't get delivered as effectively in print as they do in audio. Add to that the musicality of McCourt's lovely Irish brogue -- Angela's Ashes becomes a different book when you hear it -- I would argue a better book.

Books I think should be required listening:

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (Jim Dale set the standard when he began recording the Rowling's books ten years ago.)

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (Actor Peter Coyote makes this tweener book a breath-taking tale sound like non-fiction. Excellent for any age. )

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (McCourt reads his own book, beautifully!)

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

For younger readers:

Anything John McDonough reads. My son and I grew to love his voice so much we sought out books he narrates. Avi's Poppy series is an excellent example.

Brian Jacques reads his own Redwall books, with additional voices for various characters. Jacques has something of a Scottish brogue and if his stories aren't alluring enough in print, his voice will charm the most reluctant reader.

One final argument for audio: Do you commute with your teenager to school everyday? Lots of young adult books -- as well as adult titles -- make for excellent shared listening. They can also provide some safe common ground for all kinds of discussion. I happen to love young adult literature, but it's largely ignored by adults, which is too bad since there's lots of excellent writing to miss. (But that's another blog.)

Some titles you might like listening to with your teen:
Feed by M.T. Anderson

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

The Book Thief by Marcus Zuzak (although you'll want to take a look at the print edition to see painted pages -- which will make sense once you hear the book)

Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series

Charles Higson's Young Bond series

Thanks for hanging in there on this rather long sermon! Go get an audio book!