Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – Audio CD

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Listening Library, 1999. ISBN 0807281956

Plot

Baby Harry's parents are killed by Lord Voldemort, but Harry is mysteriously spared. He not only repelled the attack by the evil wizard, he also drove Voldemort into hiding. Because he is orphaned, he is placed in the care of the Dursleys, his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. They have a doted upon son named Dudley who gets everything he wants and has two bedrooms to hold all his things. Harry sleeps in a cupboard under the stairs. When Harry is old enough to go away to school, letters mysteriously arrive addressed to him and his cupboard. The Dursleys are worried enough about their own appearance as Harry's guardians to move him to Dudley's spare bedroom. Despite Uncle Vernon's best efforts to stop the letters, they keep arriving. Finally Uncle Vernon takes the family away to an isolated island. Even so, on the stroke of midnight on Harry's eleventh birthday, Hagrid arrives to take Harry off to school at Hogwarts. Harry learns of his wizarding heritage and his reputation during a shopping trip with Hagrid in Diagon Alley. Outfitted for school, Harry returns to the Dursley's briefly before his trip to Hogwarts. On the train he meets Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They will all be sorted into the same house, Gryffindor, and become friends at school. Enemies are also on the horizon. Draco Malfoy, another student, makes clear his disapproval of Harry's fame. Professor Snape also appears to hate Harry. The strange Professor Quirrell teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts and seems ill at ease around Harry. Harry and his friends learn to play quidditch, fight a troll, elude Filch, and find out what the three-headed dog in the forbidden corridor is guarding. All the while, it becomes clearer to Harry that he is destined to do something important in his young life. All is in good fun, and we all know how it ends.

Critical Evaluation

The author has created a simply marvelous and complete reality for Harry and his friends to inhabit. The reader can slip easily into pure delight and wonder as they wend their way into Harry's life and world. The narrator, Jim Dale, pulls out all the acting stops to create all the characters in the book with just his voice.

Annotations

Young Harry Potter learns of his past and his destiny as he goes away to school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is put to the test when he faces Voldemort for the second time in his young life.

Author

J. K. Rowling has written a series of seven novels about Harry Potter.

Genre

Fiction -- fantasy

Curriculum Ties

Language Arts

Booktalk Ideas

Discuss the beginning of Harry's story and ask listeners to contribute their favorite details without revealing the ending of the book.

Listening Level/Interest Age

Grade 3 (age 8) and up.

Challenge Issues and Defense

There has been religious controversy over the use of magic portrayed in a positive light.

Why is it here?

Jim Dale is awesome to hear read this book.

Henry Huggins – Audio CD

Cleary, Beverly. Henry Huggins. Harper Children's Audio, 2001. ISBN 978-0694525256

Plot

Henry Huggins is a typical 1950s third-grader. One day he goes to the drugstore for an ice cream cone. There he meets a stray dog. The dog is hungry and thin, so Henry offers him his ice cream cone. They bond instantly. Henry takes his new dog, Ribsy, home by bus and police car. Henry has other adventures as he fills his house with jars of guppies that multiply prodigiously. He goes into business selling earthworms to raise money for a new football. Ribsy enters a dog show and wins "most unusual" dog. Eventually Ribsy's old owner arrives on the scene. Will Ribsy choose Henry or his old life?

Critical Evaluation

This book is good, fun reading for boys and girls. Henry lives in a time when children rode buses alone, boys had paper routes, and neighborhoods were filled with playing children. The audio CD edition is read by Neil Patrick Harris. He does an amazing job as he captures the voices and personalities of all the characters in the book. The story is introduced by the author. This book is the first in a series of books about Henry.

Annotations

Henry Huggins finds a new dog, Ribsy, and has many adventures. He learns to be responsible for his dog, his guppies, and his paper route.

Author

Beverly Cleary won many awards for the children's books she wrote. She began the Henry Huggins series when worked at a library and could not find enough books for young boys to read.

Genre

Fiction

Curriculum Ties

Language Arts

Booktalk Ideas

Read aloud the passage of the book in which Henry meets Ribsy. Share the illustrations with the group. Then discuss lost and found pets with the group.

Listening Level/Interest Age

Grade 3 -6 (age 8 – 12).

Challenge Issues and Defense

none

Why is it here?

Henry Huggins is a classic introduction to a wonderful series and a wonderful author for young tweens.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes – Audio CD

Ullman, Liv (narrator) and Winston, George (guitar accompanist). Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Windham Hill Records, 1995. ISBN 0-39921-771-1

Plot

Young Sadako is terminally ill with leukemia because of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. In the hospital, she begins folding paper cranes. He hopes that folding 1000 of them will return her to health. On this audio CD, Sadako's story is gently narrated by Liv Ullman with guitar accompaniment by George Winston. The CD includes the story with narration and music plus all of the solo guitar music alone.

Critical Evaluation

The story is familiar to many children and adults. This audio re-telling with guitar music is an enjoyable way to experience the story for the first time or to hear it again. This audio recording was originally produced as the soundtrack for a short film. Liv Ullman's voice is tender and full of emotion throughout the story. Her Norwegian accent adds a foreign feel to her narration. George Winston's guitar accompaniment is subtle and adds to the story. His "Birds in Flight" melody is played on a guitar but sounds like Japanese music. I enjoyed listening to this story again with my children.

Annotations

Liv Ullman and George Winston tell Sadako's story through spoken words and music.

Author

This audio recording is based on the book of the same title written by Eleanor Coerr. The author based her story on Sadako's biography, Kokeshi.

Genre

Fiction -- history

Curriculum Ties

Language arts – biographical stories

Social Sciences – world history

Visual arts – origami

Performing arts – guitar

Booktalk Ideas

Have a workshop where children learn (or teach each other) how to fold paper cranes.

Listening Level/Interest Age

Grade 3 to 6 (age 8 to 12).

Challenge Issues and Defense

None.

Why is it here?

Sadako's story is a touching reminder of the beauty of hope and our need for peace.