Airborn: an edge of the chair audiobook

Oppel, Kenneth. Airborn (unabridged)(audiobook)
Full Cast Audio, 2006. 10 CDs $45.00 978-1-933322-54-4
Fantasy

Matt, a young cabin boy aboard an airship, and Kate, a wealthy young girl traveling with her chaperone, team up to search for the existence of mysterious winged creatures reportedly living hundreds of feet above the Earth's surface.
There’s only one word to describe this Full Cast Audio’s version of Kenneth Oppel’s Airborn and that word is: outstanding. Oppel, of course, has written a fantasy that dares the reader to put the book down, but translating an author’s words to an audio book doesn’t guarantee the same reader involvement. In this case, Full Cast Audio has cast the perfect voices for the various characters in the story. A total of 32 different voices bring the story of Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries to life, and the pirates themselves are Jack Sparrow worthy. The beauty of the airship Aurora, the otherworldliness of the cloudcats and the danger posed by pirates come alive and envelop the listener. The cast doesn’t just read the story; the cast becomes the characters. Readers who say they don’t like fantasy, or science fiction will change their minds after listening to this presentation. Even if the print version is on the shelf, adding the audio version is highly recommended. RZ

Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein (audiobook by FullCast Audio)

Heinlein, Robert. The Rolling Stones read by David Baker & The Full Cast Family (unabridged). Full Cast Audio, 2005. 8CDS. $48.00 1-933322-31-4

Castor and Pollux (two mischievous twins) liven up a family trip to Mars. This audio book has taken a novel written in 1952 and turned it into a humorous family adventure for 21st Century readers to ponder. Today’s readers might speculate what scientific advances Heinlein noted have since become fact. (8cds/ 8hours)

Most all readers of science fiction have read and enjoyed Robert Heinlein’s, Rolling Stones. What is important in this instance is the exceptionally well done recording of the unabridged storyline. The cast is well chosen to portray the characters with nuances the listener can appreciate. The cast brings alive the intricacies of family life made up of intelligent, strong-willed members.
I particularly like the feisty grandmother . It is also fun to listen to the father control and guide the shenanigans the twins get into throughout the story. The vocal dynamics of the various cast members truely make this a memorable recording to be enjoyed for secondary students and adult listeners.
Note: The binding for this audio book is a good quality and appropriate for a library’s collection. The heavy duty flipbox contains plastic sleeves into which the 8 cds are stored. An alternate storage box is also available where the cds are bulk stored in a pocket. Both forms of storage will suffice in a library.
This is a very well directed audio tape that will relate well to many young readers. It is recommended as a basic item for any middle or high school media collection. It would make an excellent selection for a basic collections list for school libraries.

Directed by: Daniel Bostick
Produced: Bruce Coville and Daniel Bostick
Music: Todd Hobin
Recorded: Full Cast Audio www.fullcastaudio.com
Cast: David Baker (narrator), Daniel Bostick, Cynthia Bishop, Graydon Brown, Bruce Coville, Carolyn Fitzgerald, Len Fonte, Lanny Freshman, Brett Hobin, Corey Hobin, Todd Hobin, Victoria King, Phil Market, Richard McKee, Bill Molesky, Peter Moller, Alice Morigi, Spencer Murphy, Joey Panek, Kelly Parks, Katie Yohe.