"Talking Books for Children"

Spring is here! Many families are beginning to plan summer vacations.  With family trips come hours of driving, numerous restroom stops, and cheerful little voices shrieking “Are we there yet?” To lower the stress of family bonding, the Columbus Public Library has a wonderful collection of juvenile audio books that are sure to entertain and make the journey seem shorter.

Audio books are not just wonderful companions for children on planes, trains, and automobiles, they also serve as vital learning tools. Students with reading difficulties are often encouraged by parents and teachers to read along with an audio book. This practice enables them to navigate through the story more easily. It also helps students keep up with their classmates in core classes such as English. For those who are audio learners, sound recordings aid in reading comprehension as well.

Listening to audio books will energize the literary experience. Texts are brought to life by readers who keep the story’s plot captivating. Because sound recordings use a variety of voices for different characters, teachers will bring different reading styles into the classroom.

Over 300 audio books are available in the library’s children’s collection. Many of the titles are winners of prestigious awards like the Newbery Medal. For example “Ginger Pie” by Eleanor Estes, “The Trumpeter of Krakow” by Eric P. Kelly, and “The Westing Game” by Ellen Raskin are among the awarding-winning books. We have other great titles such as the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and the newly released “Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket including “The Bad Beginning,” The Carnivorous Carnival,” and “The Hostile Hospital.” Children may check out three sound recordings on their library card and can enjoy their selections for three weeks. This allows plenty of time to listen to favorites over and over again before returning them.

When you and your family start making summer vacation arrangements, remember to stop by the Columbus Public Library and check out some of the great audio books available! I guarantee they will make travel time more enjoyable for everyone. If you have any questions regarding the children’s audio book collection, please feel free to contact me at 564-7116 ext. 4.