It's Audiobook Time! A Review of The Island by Gordon Korman

     I don't listen to enough audiobooks.  I guess it's partly because I've always enjoyed reading books, and listening to podcasts or NPR (because I'm cool like that).  However, I'm discovering that I actually get more detail out of an audio book because I tend to skim "boring" parts when I read.  One book I've listened to recently is a book I've read and even taught, though it has been years since I've even looked at it: Gordon Korman's The Island.  There are three very slim volumes in the paperback set; very approachable for struggling readers.  The audio book is just as slim; the whole Book One only takes up two compact discs.
     In this story, six young teens are sent by their parents on an outing on board a ship.  Some are there as punishment.  Some are there as a character-building experience.  Some are there to recover from their distressing lives back home.  There is a storm, and the captain is killed, the first mate abandons them aboard the sinking vessel, and it's up to the kids to survive.
     One great benefit of audio books is that they can be enjoyed by a larger range of ages, including pre-literate toddlers and young children.  Though The Island as a book is recommended for grades 5-7, the audio book can be enjoyed by children much younger than that.  Content is the only barrier.  There is some content where people are thrown overboard off of a ship and die, which very young readers may find distressing.
     The reader, Halter Graham, does subtle justice to all of the characters.  The differences between the characters' voices are small but effective.  The dialogue is sufficient to differentiate the characters further, because each character is distinct and necessary to the story.  The quality of the audio is crisp and clear without any distortions, and there are no additional sound effects or music during the narrative.  Graham is a very effective speaker because he balances character and situation very well.  The characters never become melodramatic or unbelievable.  The narrative is unabridged, and split into very short tracks for easy excerpts. Each chapter claims several tracks, so it is easy to be specific in resuming the audio experience.
     Overall, Korman's work is stellar already; the choice of reader was excellent, and very enjoyable to listen to.  I look forward to continue listening to this short but very exciting trilogy.