SYNC Summer 2013

SYNC YA Literature into Your Earphones

2 Free Audiobook Downloads Each Week

May 30 - August 15, 2013

Teens and other readers of Young Adult Literature will have the opportunity to listen to bestselling titles and required reading classics this summer.   Each week  from May 30 - August 15, 2013, SYNC will offer two free audiobook downloads.

The audiobook pairings will include a popular young adult (YA) title and a classic that connects with the YA title's theme and is likely to show up on a student's summer reading lists.  For example, Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys (Scholastic Audiobooks), the first book in a bestselling series about a group of teenagers search for the supernatural ley lines, will be paired with the Latino classic of magical realism, Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima (Recorded Books).

To find out when you can download titles to listen to on the run this summer, visit www.AudiobookSync.com or text syncya to 25827.  

SYNC Titles

Summer 2013

May 30 - June 5, 2013

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, read by Rebecca Gibel (AudioGO)

The Tempest by William Shakespeare, read by a Full Cast (AudioGO)

June 6 - June 12, 2013

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 1: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood, read by Katherine Kellgren (HarperAudio)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, read by Wanda McCaddon (Tantor Audio)

June 13 - June 19, 2013

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Will Patton (Scholastic Audiobooks)

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, read by Robert Ramirez (Recorded Books)

June 20 - June 26, 2013

Once by Morris Gleitzman, read by Morris Gleitzman (Bolinda Audio)

Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr., read by Dion Graham (christianaudio)

June 27 - July 3, 2013

Rotters by Daniel Kraus, read by Kirby Heyborne (Listening Library)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, read by Jim Weiss (Listening Library)

July 4 - July 10, 2013

Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford, read by Nick Podehl (Brilliance Audio)

She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith, read by a Full Cast (L.A. Theatre Works)

July 11 - July 17, 2013

The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann, read by Peter Altschuler (HarperAudio)

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, read by Simon Vance (Tantor Audio)

July 18 - July 24, 2013

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, read by Erin Moon (Recorded Books)

Hamlet by William Shakespeare, read by a Full Cast (L.A. Theatre Works)

July 25 - July 31, 2013

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, read by Charlie McWade (Scholastic Audiobooks)

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, read by Steve West (Blackstone Audio)

Aug 1 - Aug 7, 2013

Death Cloud by Andrew Lane, read by Dan Weyman (Macmillan Audio)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, read by Ralph Cosham (Blackstone Audio)

Aug 8 - Aug 14, 2013

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis, read by Katherine Kellgren (Brilliance Audio)

Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, read by Miriam Margolyes (Bolinda Audio)

Aug 15 - Aug 21, 2013

Sold by Patricia McCormick, read by Justine Eyre (Tantor Audio)

Let Me Stand Alone by Rachel Corrie, read by Tavia Gilbert (Blackstone Audio)

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The Disney Channel and Young Adult Books

Growing up I watched the Disney Channel. The first time I watched it was when they did these little ads/bumpers on it:


This bumper was seen, not sure of the exact year, but way back before 1993, that I do know. My age is showing lol

Anyway, they use to have amazing movies for kids and on top of that really good moral ending with some cool music for my generation to enjoy. A few good examples are movies like "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century", "Smart House", "The Paper Brigade", "Brink", "Wish Upon a Star", "Halloweentown", and many others that were good!

So over time as the Disney Channel has changed (more like the last decade!), they have started running out of ideas for movies for the kids of this new generation (i.e. - ages 9 to 14, the tweens to young teens).

A good example of this when they took the book, A Wrinkle in Time, and well basically they kind of butchered up the amazing well nominated and award book for over 30 years! The trailer looks great, but so many fans were disappointed. I never got a chance to watch mostly because I stopped watching the network around that time, but also because I never got around to re-read the book and watch the movie. Also if you haven't read the book yet, this is one to add to the list or if you have some kids of your own, this is a GREAT book to have them do for a book report, which is how I ended up reading the book in the first place. Something I don't regret almost 13 years later!

Also they have no taken another well known book and turn it into a DCOM*, Geek Charming. I saw the trailer and it kind of is too "fluffy" of a trailer and from the looks of things the script writers seem to be missing their mark more as time goes on for kids who watch this network. My first piece of evidence to that was, Hanna Montana, something I was once forced to watch, not a bad show but really wasn't that great either in teaching kids things that were practical nor educational either; something that can be found on OLD shows I use to watch on Disney (i.e. - So Weird, The Jersey, In A Heartbeat, Flash Foward, Bug Juice, etc...).

So now the question begs, will they ever start playing reruns of the old movies/shows or will they have to come up with new material in hopes that it'll impress the kids and their parents?

And lastly, I leave everyone with a video of Disney Channel Original Movies from 1996-1999, a golden era of smart, funny, and good acting based movies for kids! I mean you've got Amy Jo Johnson, Katherine Heigl, Kyle Howard, Erik von Detten, Katey Sagal, Joey & Andy Lawrence, and a few other well known actors. Enjoy!



*i.e. - Disney Channel Original Movie

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More Books Coming to the Small Screen?

Over on FEARNet, there is talks of a VERY popular YA series being developed and a paranormal series as well:

Proving the love affair between the CW and paranormal fiction is alive and well, the network is developing TV series based on Kim Harrison's bestselling supernatural detective series The Hollows and Cynthia Hand's Unearthly. Details after the jump.

According to Deadline, The Hollows and Unearthly are two new projects that CSI showrunner Carol Mendelsohn is developing with The CW: "Carol Mendelsohn Productions is behind Unearthly, a supernatural drama based on the book by Cynthia Hand and written by Hellcats creator Kevin Murphy, and The Hollows, based on the book series by Kim Harrison and penned by Jordan Hawley (Smallville)."

Here are the official descriptions of the shows on the company's slate:

Unearthly (CW), based on the book by Cynthia Hand
A girl who realizes that her destiny is to become an angel.
EP/W: Kevin Murphy
EP: Robin Schorr

The Hollows (CW), based on the bestselling book series The Hollows by Kim Harrison
Set in an urban fantasy world, Rachel Morgan, a PI witch, works with local law enforcement agencies to combat threats both mundane and supernatural. 
EP/W: Jordan Hawley

Regarding The Hollows, Harrison's publisher Harper Collins, who knows it's best to strike when the iron is hot, commented via email press release, "That's a tall order for a production company to bring 11 of the most beloved urban fantasy novels to life on the small screen.  Fortunately, Harrison created a visually stunning, comprehensive world guide, The Hollows Insider [pictured above], which went on sale from Harper Voyager [this week].  The guide features the extensive case files of Devin Crossman, a blogger who sometimes reports for The Hollows Gazette.  Devin has developed an unhealthy obsession with witch/demon Rachel Morgan and has set out to examine every aspect of her life, thus illuminating for fans every aspect of the world of The Hollows."

So do you guys think this will work or will just be way off base when it gets translated to television?

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