Media Madness

Are we there yet?

“Mom, are we there yet?”

“How much longer?”

I am sure many parents out there have heard these plaintive cries from their young ones on those long drives to the summer vacation destination. And of course getting there takes much longer than coming home!  The Henrietta Public Library has a solution to this problem, listening to books on compact discs or cassettes!

Many of our books on compact disc can be enjoyed by the whole family. Classic stories such as Dodi Smith’s 101 Dalmatians, Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, or Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White come alive when read aloud.  Jim Dale, the multi-voiced talent of the Harry Potter books, reads the delightful tale of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. Peter Pan and 101 Dalmatians are the original literary stories, and are much better than the Disney versions. The Jules Verne tale of Around the World in Eighty Days is also a great adventure story also read impeccably by Mr. Dale.

Though not recommended for younger readers because of the “darker” plot; Mr. Dale will also be back performing the final book in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  I have ordered this title on cassette and compact disc, as with the books we are taking reserves at the reference desk – so place your hold soon! 

Other titles which the whole family can enjoy include:  Jeanne Birdsall's The Penderwicks : A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, Fudge-a-mania by Judy Blume, and the Newbery winner by Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux or The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

So, no matter how far you are traveling this summer, or just hanging around the backyard, books on compact discs can make time fly!  Have a safe and happy July! 

                   
Nancy R. Maxwell
Audio-Visual Librarian