Parents' Choice Awards for Five Hachette Audio Titles
New York, NY – Hachette Audio is happy to share the news that five of its audiobook titles are being honored by the Parents’ Choice Foundation this year. Winning titles ranged from inspirational nonfiction to a story in verse about a refugee child finding hope, to fun fiction with heart from bestselling authors. These five audio editions are based on books available in print and ebook formats from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and JIMMY Patterson Books.
Anthony Goff, VP and Publisher of Hachette Audio said: “Our production staff is comprised of some of the most talented audio directors, producers, engineers – and of course narrators – in the business. It’s always such a pleasure to hear their work, and never more exciting than when they tackle creative projects in adapting books from Hachette Book Group’s young readers division. We are so grateful to collaborate with the brilliant LBYR & JIMMY teams, and work to make sure our audio editions bring the stellar storytelling of our illustrious authors to life in a dazzling way.”
A Gold Award went to the young readers’ edition of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai’s memoir – I AM MALALA: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (which was also recognized in audio with a GRAMMY award for Best Children’s Album earlier this year), with co-writer Patricia McCormick, and read by Neela Vaswani. The Parents’ Choice review had this to say about I AM MALALA: “Her message is empowering, but the story itself feels like a riveting coming-of-age narrative about a young girl, who happens to be growing up in the shadow of the Taliban…. Neela Vaswani, an accomplished writer and activist herself, has a lyrical voice, and reads this compelling story in a way that will leave listeners disappointed when it ends.”
Hachette’s second Gold honor was bestowed on Chris Colfer’s author-read audiobook edition of THE LAND OF STORIES: BEYOND THE KINGDOMS, the fourth in this #1 New York Times bestselling series from the fan-favorite young author and tv/film star. “With the rich material Colfer’s written, and his natural acting skills, it’s no surprise the narration feels flawless. He gives his dysfunctional characters (a mix from classic children’s literature and fairy tales) the perfect narrative sturm und drang,” said Parents’ Choice on the selection.
James Patterson’s HOUSE OF ROBOTS received the Parent’s Choice “recommended” seal, as did THE RED PENCIL, written and read by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Of HOUSE OF ROBOTS, Parents’ Choice said: “The story is read by the author’s 16-year-old son Jack, who has an impressive command of voice. There are very distinct personalities – particularly in the dialogue between robots and humans – and [he] captures that nuance with charm,” while THE RED PENCIL is “read beautifully by its best-selling, award-winning author. Scenes and images are spare but sharp. Pinkney’s vocal skill sets off the colloquial language, adding to the rich and musical narration.” “Shouldn’t You Be in School?” is praised by Parents’ Choice as “Fun Stuff:” “Few authors have more fun with or command of language than Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket) whose prose is in brilliant form here, tossing off dry wit, puns and clever language like so many nickels…. There are twists and turns and delightful vocabulary lessons; it’s a smorgasbord of story.”
The honored audiobook editions are available as digital downloads online where books and music are sold, and can be found on CD online, in your local bookstore, or library. Print and ebook editions are available from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and JIMMY Patterson Books, and can be found wherever books are sold.
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Parents’ Choice Foundation, established in 1978 as a 501c3, is the nation’s oldest nonprofit guide to quality children’s media and toys. Best known for the Parents’ Choice Awards® program, the Parents’ Choice Award Seals are the Foundation’s internationally recognized and respected icons of quality. Fewer than 25% of the products submitted receive any level of commendation.
Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest trade and educational publisher in the world. Hachette Audio is a publisher of a variety of popular genres in audio form, which matches HBG material with talented actors, composers, and producers to find its fullest expression. Their audiobooks are primarily based on material published in print and online by Grand Central Publishing, Little, Brown & Company, FaithWords, Center Street, Orbit, JIMMY Patterson, Hachette Books, Black Dog & Leventhal, and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and have been recognized for the highest quality of content and production with numerous GRAMMY, Audie, Listen Up! And Earphone awards. Unabridged and abridged titles are available on CD and as digital downloads.
www.HachetteBookGroup.com / www.HachetteAudio.com
