Looking for the best audiobooks to recommend to young readers? The ALSC Notable Children’s Recordings list “includes recordings for children 14 years of age and younger of especially commendable quality that demonstrate respect for young people’s intelligence and imagination; exhibit venturesome creativity; and reflect and encourage the interests of children and young adolescents in exemplary ways.” You can view the committee’s full list of 2020 selections here—and join us in celebrating the 10 outstanding Listening Library picks below!
“Venkatraman’s narration is filled with emotion and her voicing develops compelling characters even further.”—Booklist, starred review
“Captivating narration…A smart addition to any middle school library.”—School Library Journal, starred review
Hear more from the author in her moving guest blog post and podcast episode of This is the Author!
“Every portrayal of every character, major and minor, bursts with personality.”—AudioFile, Earphones Award
“A topnotch recording of a beloved book and a must for all audio collections.”—Booklist, starred review
Hear more about this production in this special podcast interview with illustrator Melissa Sweet!
Previous series praise: “Humorous, clever writing is made even funnier by top-notch narration.”—Booklist, starred review
“A full cast brings a ton of energy to this audiobook.”—AudioFile Earphones Award
“Full of the best kind of punk-rock energy”—AudioFile
“Abigail Revasch’s narration honors the linguistic beauty of American Sign Language in this poignant story of Iris, a deaf girl who records a song for a whale unable to communicate with other whales.”—2020 Odyssey Honor Audiobook
“[Revasch] expressively narrates Iris’s ASL conversations and mental musings…conveys the linguistic beauty of ASL in this insightful glimpse of deaf culture.”—AudioFile Earphones Award
“Amir Abdullah excels at performing a large cast of mythical characters, embodying everyone from the powerful John Henry to the hysterical Gum Baby, as young Tristan has to figure out how to save the world.”—ALSC NCR Committee
“Abduallah weaves [the characters’] voices seamlessly throughout the recording. This tour-de-force is highly recommended.”—Booklist, starred review
Also named a Booklist Editors’ Choice Youth Audiobook of 2019: “This audiobook is truly brought to life by non-binary actor Martineck, whose ability to create voices for the multitude of characters (most of them aliens) is an amazing feat.”—Booklist, starred review
“Turpin reads with a musical African English accent. She makes fine distinctions among the characters’ voices and embodies Adele’s swiftly shifting emotions.”—Booklist, starred review
Click here to view the 2020 list of YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults!