Neil Gaiman & the Audio Book
Friday, December 4, 2009 at 10:40PM 
I was pointed to this NPR piece of Neil Gaiman talking about audio books called: Neil Gaiman Asks: Heard Any Good Books Lately? Take a listen. (I could listen to Neil Gaiman talk all night…but I digress…)
I really enjoyed hearing his take and what listening to stories out loud meant to him. I have to admit, I was not a huge audio book fan until I had a son who is. On the whole, I am not an auditory person…I much prefer to read something and it tends to “stick” with me better if I see it on printed page. But I have also found a new space for audio books in my life.
There are times when audio works just wonderfully…for me that is when I am doing something that does not involve much active thought, such as driving or doing housework. I also find that I enjoy falling asleep while listening to podcasts or if I wake up in the middle of the night, putting on a favorite, well-listened to book is just the thing (and it does not matter if I fall asleep in the middle of it). It helps me quiet my mind and stop it from spinning in that way that minds tend to do in the early morning.
I have found that Jason and Kyle each have their own relationship with audio books, very different but rewarding to each of them. I will have to save that for another post however, as I have come down with a cold and have promised myself that I will get some extra sleep tonight. Wish me luck. I think that Pride and Prejudice might be nice tonight…that audio book is one of my true comfort books…
audio books, neil gaiman in Child Lit, Reading 
Reader Comments (3)
I agree with you, I was never an audio book fan myself ... until I had kids! We love renting or borrowing them for long car rides. My oldest daughter isn't a "sit still" kind of gal, so I've been having a hard time teaching her some of the calmer activities such as knitting or needle point. I've been considering using audio books during that time to help her. :-)
-Christina S.
LessonPathways.com Team Member
Yes, one of the reasons that Jason really enjoys audio books is because he can do other things while listening. He is usually working with his clay or putting together legos. He says that he gets too bored at times if he is just "reading".
I love listening to audio books in the car with the kids. There are so many different titles to choose from and it allows me to pick books that may have been a bit of a challenge to read aloud at story time. Plus some of those readers bring the story so alive!
The only problem I've had lately is that although my oldest is an auditory learner who LOVES audio books, the other two don't enjoy them as much and will complain they are b---o---r---e---d if I keep them on too long. I've never tried to have them on while the kids played inside; maybe that would help hold their interest.