Free Sync Audiobooks For Teen Summer Program Encourages Literacy Through Listening
01Portland, ME — The SYNC Audiobooks for Teens program, sponsored by AudioFile Magazine and powered by OverDrive, kicks off its seventh year with an exciting lineup that includes bestselling and award-winning authors such as Chinua Achebe, M.T. Anderson, Laura Ruby, Andrew Smith, David Levithan, and Tamara Ireland Stone. SYNC gives away two FREE audiobook downloads every week each summer. In 2016, 30 titles will be given away over 15 weeks starting May 5th. Teens, librarians, club leaders, and educators may sign up for email or text alerts and can learn more at www.audiobooksync.com.
SYNC creates weekly thematic pairings of or award-winning Teen-focused titles mixed with classics and frequently assigned reading to encourage access to fine books and performances, as well as listening skills required for literacy. During the summer of 2015, the SYNC program gave away more than 129,000 downloads to 41,000 participants.
“We are so pleased by the number of participating publishers who have provided such an exciting list of titles. Teens everywhere will be enticed to try an audiobook this summer,” says AudioFile Magazine Founder Robin Whitten.
Any individual may participate by downloading the OverDrive App to their device of choice and returning to the SYNC website each Thursday after 7am Eastern Time to download the new audiobook pair for the week. The program is starting even earlier in 2016 to assist teachers and school librarians with getting students in the habit of taking advantage of SYNC before they head out for summer break. With the continued discussions of “Summer Slide,” SYNC helps to keep teens engaged and stimulated throughout the summer. Public librarians have also successfully utilized SYNC as part of their summer reading programs.
SUMMER 2016 SYNC TITLE LINEUP
May 5 – May 11
VIVIAN APPLE AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Katie Coyle Narrated by Julia Whelan (Dreamscape Media)
THE GREAT TENNESSEE MONKEY TRIAL by Peter Goodchild Performed by Edward Asner, Bill Brochtrup, Kyle Colerider-Krugh, Matthew Patrick Davis, John de Lancie, James Gleason, Harry Groener, Jerry Hardin, Geoffrey Lower, Marnie Mosiman, and Kenneth Alan Williams (L.A. Theatre Works)
May 12 – May 18
THE SIN EATER’S DAUGHTER by Melinda Salisbury Narrated by Amy Shiels (Scholastic Audio)
DIVINE COLLISION: AN AFRICAN BOY, AN AMERICAN LAWYER, AND THEIR REMARKABLE BATTLE FOR FREEDOM by Jim Gash Narrated by Brandon Batchelar (Oasis Audio)
May 19 – May 25
100 SIDEWAYS MILES by Andrew Smith Narrated by Kirby Heyborne (Tantor Media)
THIS BOY’S LIFE by Tobias Wolff Narrated by Oliver Wyman (HighBridge Audio)
May 26 – June 1
EVERY LAST WORD by Tamara Ireland Stone Narrated by Amy Rubinate (Ideal Audiobooks)
EGG & SPOON by Gregory Maguire Narrated by Michael Page (Brilliance Audio)
June 2 – June 8
WORDS IN THE DUST by Trent Reedy Narrated by Ariana Delawari (Scholastic Audio)
THE BOY BORN DEAD: A STORY OF FRIENDSHIP, COURAGE, AND TRIUMPH by John Driver Narrated by David Ring, David Wideman, and John Driver (christianaudio)
June 9 – June 15
ZAC AND MIA by A.J. Betts Narrated by Kristin Condon and Nicholas Mondelli (Dreamscape Media)
I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson Narrated by Julia Whelan and Jesse Bernstein (Brilliance Audio)
June 16 – June 22
HOW IT WENT DOWN by Kekla Magoon Narrated by Cherise Boothe, Shari Peele, Kevin R. Free, Avery Glymph, Patricia R. Floyd, Brian Hutchinson, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Ezra Knight, Peter Jay Fernandez, Hubert Point-Du-Jour, and Korey Jackson (Recorded Books)
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN EX-COLORED MAN by James Weldon Johnson Narrated by Alan Bomar Jones (Tantor Media)
June 23 – June 29
BOY MEETS BOY by David Levithan Narrated by Nick Robideau and a full cast (Full Cast Audio)
DONNY’S BRAIN by Rona Munro Performed by Paul Fox, Jared Harris, Siobhán Hewlett, Moira Quirk, and Sophie Winkleman (L.A. Theatre Works)
June 30 – July 6
THE OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA: THE SECRETS BEHIND WHAT YOU EAT (YOUNG READERS EDITION) by Michael Pollan Narrated by MacLeod Andrews (Listening Library)
GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE by Andrew Smith Narrated by Philip Church (Listening Library)
July 7 – July 13
THE YOUNG WORLD by Chris Weitz Narrated by Spencer Locke and Jose Julian (Hachette Audio)
SYMPHONY FOR THE CITY OF THE DEAD: DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH AND THE SIEGE OF LENINGRAD by M.T. Anderson Narrated by M.T. Anderson (Brilliance Audio)
July 14 – July 20
FAT ANGIE by e. E. Charlton-Trujillo Narrated by Angela Dawe (Brilliance Audio)
ON THE JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta Narrated by Rebecca Macauley (Bolinda)
July 21 – July 27
MANDELA: AN AUDIO HISTORY by Nelson Mandela Narrated by Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, and Joe Richman (HighBridge Audio)
THINGS FALL APART by Chinua Achebe Narrated by Peter Francis James (Recorded Books)
July 28 – August 3
JUBA! by Walter Dean Myers Narrated by Brandon Gill (HarperAudio)
PENNIES FOR HITLER by Jackie French Narrated by Humphrey Bower (Bolinda)
August 4 – August 10
THE BOOK OF UNKNOWN AMERICANS by Cristina Henríquez Narrated by Yareli Arizmendi, Christine Avila, Jesse Corti, Gustavo Res, Ozzie Rodriguez, and Gabriel Romero (Penguin Random House Audio)
MOST DANGEROUS by Steve Sheinkin Narrated by Ray Porter (Listening Library)
August 11 – August 17
BONE GAP by Laura Ruby Narrated by Dan Bittner (HarperAudio)
CLASSIC AMERICAN SHORT STORIES by Jack London, Ambrose Bierce, Stephen Crane, Kate Chopin, James Fenimore Cooper, Mark Twain, and O. Henry Narrated by William Roberts, Garrick Hagon, and Liza Ross (Naxos AudioBooks)
About AudioFile Magazine
AudioFile is the #1 source in the world for audiobook reviews with over 37,000 titles professionally reviewed. Nearly 400 new audiobooks are reviewed every 60 days. AudioFile features narrator and author profiles and awards exceptional performances with the coveted Earphones Award. www.AudioFileMagazine.com
About OverDrive
OverDrive is the leading digital distribution platform, supplying the industry’s largest catalog of eBooks, audiobooks, streaming video and periodicals to 34,000 libraries, schools and retailers worldwide. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio USA and is owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten. www.overdrive.com
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If you would like more information, please contact SYNC Manager Michele Cobb at 401-354-9100 or [email protected]You can follow SYNC on Twitter @AudiobookSYNC.
