Audio books are not a new phenomenon. In fact, the first ones were produced in 1932 to provide opportunities for the sight-impaired to access reading material and were vinyl records from The American Foundation for the Blind. (Source: PBS News Hour). The way in which audio books have been provided has changed as technology has evolved, from vinyl records, to cassette tapes, to listening booths in retail establishments.
There is a reason that audio books have caught on. In addition to being a convenient way to immerse oneself in a book, they provide many benefits for children. Audio books:
- help struggling readers understand the text better as they hear the correct intonations, pauses and so on.
- help them with pronunciation and expand their vocabulary.
- allow readers to access books at a slighter higher level than they could read on their own.
- give readers a full sensory experience.
- provide them with an oppurtunity to put down their sreens and still engage with a good book!
For adults, audio books provide similar benefits but also allow us to absorb a book while performing all the other tasks that take up our daily lives.
The following CaribbeanReads titles are available on Audio Book through Amazon, iTunes, and Audible.
- Adventure at Brimstone Hill
(Caribbean Adventure Series 1) by Carol Mitchell narrated by Dawn Mills
- The Protectors’ Pledge by Danielle Y. C. McClean
narrated by Danielle Y. C. McClean - Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure by Joanne C. Hillhouse, illustrated by Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné
- The Blessing of Charlie Sand by Amanda Smyth, illustrated by Colin Bootman
- Tata and the Big Bad Bull by Juleus Ghunta illustrated by Ann-Cathrine Loo