2019 Partners
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*SYNC audiobooks are intended for personal use only and may not be copied and distributed under any circumstances.
*Titles in the SYNC program appeal to a wide range of interests, maturity, and ability levels. Please preview the materials to decide if the titles match your personal needs.
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Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Even when we know a lot about the achievements of a famous person, learning more about them during the parts of their lives before they became well known can both surprise and inspire us. This week’s pair of free audiobooks introduce us to the lives and times of two well-known men and provide listeners with insights beyond the spotlight of their fame.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, July 4, 2019
This week’s two free audiobooks share some paranormal—and humorous—highlights. Just right for late night listening, they provide enough suspense to keep listeners in thrall and enough romance to satisfy anyone who would rather spend time with human affairs than apparitions.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, June 27, 2019
This week our audiobooks offer a couple of contemporary high school stories. In keeping with that theme, expect characters who experience self-consciousness, make assumptions about others around them, and take leadership roles among their peers even when those peers might not have looked to them in particular to move others toward change.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, June 20, 2019
This week SYNC participants meet characters from the past as they appear in new short stories and a novel. Be prepared to discover how changes in perspective can inspire and delight!
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, June 13, 2019
This week we’ve paired fiction and nonfiction, both of which will appeal to anyone who is curious about what happens out of view. Thank you to Candlewick on Brilliance and to Tantor Audio for these contributions to SYNC.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, June 6, 2019
What we assume about others can miss the truth about their situations by so much that we can become blinded to their reality. The pair of audiobooks available for you to download and keep for free this week, one an #OwnVoices title and performance and the other adapted from a Western classic, may put a check on our being too quick to assume we know how to value the intentions of others.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Friends and family are important people in all our lives. Sometimes, however, instead of looking to others for support and rescue we need to get through hard times on our own. This week’s pair of audiobooks from Penguin Random House Audio/Listening Library shows how some fictional teens face such events.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, May 23, 2019
From 1961 to 1989, a barbed wire-topped concrete wall divided Berlin, Germany, preventing free movement of family members, friends, and anyone engaged in daily business from crossing the more than 800-year-old city. Our audiobook pair this week bookends the night that wall was built with the call for its destruction in a speech by a U.S. President. With the topic of border wall building frequently in today’s news, we think this visit to the recent past is in order.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Listening readers of all ages know that our natural environment faces perilous changes. Sometimes disaster strikes outright, in the form of an industrial failure or an extreme weather event. This week’s free audiobooks carry us into the hearts of two such disasters.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Mythology, fantasy, and #OwnVoices authors and casting—it’s a richly rewarding week on SYNC! Thanks to Recorded Books and HarperAudio for sharing titles that make such a dynamic pair.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, May 2, 2019
The act of betrayal is a weapon in itself, regardless of whether the traitor brings physical harm or “only” the psychological pain of breaking trust. Buckle up for a pair of such experiences this week with a play from William Shakespeare and a novel written in the second person. Both pull listeners right into the encounter with a traitor.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Welcome to SYNC’s 10th season of free audiobooks for teen listeners! We’re kicking off the collection with two titles about edgy friendships, both by well known authors whose characters will remind you of people you know—maybe even yourself.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in Literacy
Friday, April 19, 2019
With less than a week to go before SYNC 2019's opening day on April 25, we have some bells and whistles to share. First of all, if you have any questions about the OverDrive interface needed to access the 28 free audiobooks throughout the summer, be sure to register for next week's free webinar. If you're in a position to help others with access issues, the webinar will also be helpful as we'll explain some of the "why's" you might be asked.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in Literacy
Thursday, April 11, 2019
We love seeing the publicity pieces many of you are compiling and promoting locally to draw attention to SYNC! Thank you! To make sure we all have our facts straight, let’s review some of our own publicity so that yours can be accurate.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in Literacy
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Our weekly audiobook pairs typically share themes while contrasting in treatments by the authors of those themes and providing different narration styles. That makes each pair a good choice for discussion groups! If you plan to include programming or class time to such discussions, we have some tips to help you get listeners engaged in taking that next step from personal experience of an audiobook into talking about listening’s effects.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, March 28, 2019
While it’s true that we can never have too many things on hand to read, whether with our eyes or our ears, virtual space does get filled just as physical bookshelves can become crowded. With less than a month to go before SYNC 2019 kicks off, now is a good time to do some spring cleaning to make sure you have space on your phone, in the media space on your computer, or wherever else you stash audiobook downloads.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in Literacy
Thursday, March 21, 2019
During each week of the SYNC season, we place two thematically related audiobooks on offer and for keeps. Why a pair? We have lots of reasons and are sure you’ve discovered a few more, if you are a SYNC veteran.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, March 14, 2019
We’re celebrating our tenth year this SYNC season! How are you planning to help spread the word about this proven program that supports teens’ access to great books and new listening?
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC narrators
Thursday, March 7, 2019
We know teachers, librarians, and other group leaders who share information about and activities related to SYNC are busy, so each year, we create and update a Toolkit to help you in promoting the program and answering common questions.
Written by Francisca Goldsmith in audiobook SYNC titles
Thursday, February 28, 2019
We’re welcoming Penguin Random House Audio/Listening Library’s return this summer and their generous provision of four titles for teen ear-reading. Each of them serves a portion of contemporary teen life in America, in realistic stories and authentic voices.
