The major ALA literary awards were all announced at the Midwinter Meeting in Denver. Quite a few of the winning titles are available on Playaway. Here’s a partially annotated list in alphabetical order by title:
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
2009 Odyssey Award winner
2009 YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults - Fiction
Bloody Jack, Book 2: Curse of the Blue Tattoo
Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady
by L.A. Meyer
2009 Odyssey Award honor book
2009 YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults - Fiction
Books One and Two in the Bloody Jack series are available now.
Available on Playaway.
Bloody Jack, Book 3: Under the Jolly Roger
Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber
by L.A. Meyer
Books Three and Four in this series launch on Playaway April 1, 2009. Book Four will be called In the Belly of the Bloodhound. Book Five (Mississippi Jack) and Book Six (My Bonny Light Horseman) will be coming to Playaway later this year.
Available on Playaway.
The Burn Journals
by Brent Runyon
Available on Playaway exclusively from Recorded Books.
City of Thieves
by David Benioff
Available on Playaway from Blackstone Audio, exclusively until 8/1/2009.
A Clockwork Orange
by Anthony Burgess
The book that inspired the movie – as was often the case with Kubrick, his brilliant movie was based on a brilliant book in this case one by the prolific and far-ranging Anthony Burgess. So few students are even familiar with the film (which they consider dated) – even fewer know the book. Perhaps Tom Hollander’s skillful reading will engage students who find Burgess’s made-up Russian-English slang confusing.
Available on Playaway exclusively from Recorded Books.
The Compound
by S.A. Bodeen
2009 YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults - Fiction
A very fresh first novel from S.A. Bodeen. Suspenseful, thought-provoking, and highly accessible. Christopher Lane gives a top-notch reading.
Available on Playaway. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
by E. Lockhart
2009 Michael L. Printz honor book
Elijah of Buxton
By Christopher Paul Curtis
Fairest
by Gail Carson Levine
Finding Nouf
by Zoe Ferraris
2009 Alex Award winner (one of the 10 best adult books that appeal to teens)
Available on Playaway exclusively from Recorded Books.
The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
Newbery Medal winner
2009 YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults - Fiction
Available on Playaway exclusively from Recorded Books.
Just After Sunset
by Stephen King
Available on Playaway exclusively from Recorded Books.
Mudbound
by Hillary Jordan
2009 Alex Award winner (one of the 10 best adult books that appeal to teens)
Available on Playaway exclusively from Recorded Books.
Skybreaker
by Kenneth Oppel
2009 YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults - Fiction
Available on Playaway.
Three Girls and Their Brother
by Theresa Rebeck
2009 Alex Award winner (one of the 10 best adult books that appeal to teens)
Available on Playaway.
The Underneath
by Kathi Appelt
2009 Newbery Honor book
Available on Playaway.
Waiting for Normal
by Leslie Connor
2009 Schneider Family Book Award winner - middle-school category
The Schneider Family
Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for books portraying the disability experience for child and
adolescent audiences.
Available on Playaway exclusively from Recorded Books.
We are the Ship
The Story of Negro League Baseball
written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson
2009 Coretta Scott King Book Award winner - Author
2009 Coretta Scott King Book Award honors - Illustrator
2009 Robert F. Sibert Medal winner - most distinguished informational book for children
Kadir Nelson has a well-deserved reputation as a super-talented artist and illustrator. His illustrations earned him Caldecott Honors for Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad (2008) and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom (2007).
For this book, in addition to creating stunningly beautiful oil paintings for every page spread, Nelson steps into the role of author, telling the story of the Negro Leagues and the little-known history of African American baseball before Jackie Robinson. In addition to winning the Coretta Scott King author award, he also received honors for his role as illustrator.
Obviously, no audio-only version can stand in for Nelson's fabulous illustrations, but this is a great American story that absolutely should be made accessible to the widest possible audience, and audio can play a role. But definitely buy the print too!
Available on Playaway.
