Odyssey Award

The Odyssey Award is an annual award given to the producer of the best audiobook for children or young adults, available in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is jointly administered by two divisions of the American Library Association

American Library Association

The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....

 (the Association for Library Service to Children

Association for Library Service to Children

The Association for Library Service to Children is a division of the American Library Association. Its members are concerned with the profession of children's Librarianship...

 and the Young Adult Library Services Association

Young Adult Library Services Association

The Young Adult Library Services Association , established in 1957, is a division of the American Library Association. The mission of YALSA is to advocate, promote and strengthen service to young adults as part of the continuum of total library service, and to support those who provide service to...

) and is sponsored by Booklist

Booklist

Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...

magazine. The award is based on production quality, looking at such things as narration, sound quality, background music and sound effects. It was named in honor of the Homer

Homer

In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...

's eighth century BC epic poem

Odyssey

The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...

 to remind us of the ancient roots of storytelling, while living in our modern world.

Criteria

• All literary genres are eligible for consideration, including read-alongs.
• The Committee will consider and vote on titles published within their assigned calendar year, January 1 to October 31, in addition to those published between November 1 and December 31 of the previous year. A title may only be submitted once and cannot be reconsidered the next year.
• Audiobooks produced previously in another audio format are ineligible for consideration.ref name=OdysseyCriteria />
• The audiobook is intended for either young adults or children, who are defined as persons up to and including age 18; works for this entire age range are to be considered. Adult titles are ineligible.
• Audiobooks featuring single or full cast narration are eligible.
• Audiobooks previously published in another country are eligible presuming they have also been distributed in the United States during the term of eligibility.
• Only audiobooks produced in English are considered, but this requirement does not limit the use of words or phrases in another language where appropriate in context.
• If no title is deemed sufficiently meritorious, no award will be given that year.
• The chair, with assistance from designated ALSC or YALSA staff, is responsible for verifying the eligibility of all nominated titles.
• The award will be presented to the publisher of the audiobooks.

Recipients

Year	Title	Producers	Narrator	Writer	Citation
2011	The True Meaning of Smekday The True Meaning of Smekday The True Meaning of Smekday is a children's book by Adam Rex that is highly recommended by The New York Times. It was also included in the 2009-2010 District 65 Battle Of The Books.An audiobook edition, read by Bahni Turpin, was released March 8, 2011....	Listening Library	Bahni Turpin	Adam Rex Adam Rex Adam Rex is an American illustrator and author of children's books living in Tucson, Arizona.- Career :Adam Rex received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona. He has contributed illustrations to Magic: The Gathering and other fantasy art and has illustrated several children's books...	Winner
2011	Alchemy and Meggy Swann	Listening Library	Katherine Kellgren	L.A. Meyer	Honor
2011	The Knife of Never Letting Go The Knife of Never Letting Go The Knife of Never Letting Go is the first installment in the Chaos Walking Trilogy written by Patrick Ness and published on May 5, 2008. It has won numerous awards, including the Booktrust Teenage Prize, the Guardian Award, and the 2008 James Tiptree, Jr...	Brilliance Audio	Nick Podehl	Patrick Ness Patrick Ness Patrick Ness is an American author, journalist and lecturer who lives in London. He holds both American and British citizenship...	Honor
2011	Revolution	Listening Library	Emily Janice Card	Jennifer Donnelly Jennifer Donnelly Jennifer Donnelly is a historical fiction author best-known for her novel A Northern Light . She has also written The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose, and Revolution, as well as Humble Pie, a picture book for children...	Honor
2011	will grayson, will grayson	Brilliance Audio	MacLeod Andrews	John Green and David Levithan	Honor
2010	Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken	Live Oak Media	Barbara Rosenblat	Kate DiCamillo Kate DiCamillo Katrina Elizabeth "Kate" DiCamillo is an American children's author. She is known for the Newbery Medal-winning book The Tale of Despereaux, the Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, and the Mercy Watson series, plus numerous other award-winning and honored books.-Early life:Born in...	Winner
2010	In the Belly of the Bloodhound	Listen and Live Audio, Inc.	Katherine Kellgren	L.A. Meyer	Honor
2010	Peace, Locomotion	Brilliance Audio	Dion Graham	Jacqueline Woodson Jacqueline Woodson Jacqueline Woodson is an American author who writes books targeted at children and adolescents. She is best known for 'Miracle's Boys' which won the Coretta Scott King Award in 2001 and her Newbery Honor titles 'After Tupac & D Foster', 'Feathers' and 'Show Way'...	Honor
2010	We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro Baseball	Brilliance Audio	Dion Graham	Kadir Nelson Kadir Nelson Kadir Nelson is an award-winning African American artist, illustrator and author. His work is focused on African American culture and history.-Early life:...	Honor
2009	The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is a novel for young adults written by Sherman Alexie. It is told in the first-person, from the viewpoint of Native American teenager and budding cartoonist Arnold Spirit, Jr....	Recorded Books	Sherman Alexie Sherman Alexie Sherman Joseph Alexie, Jr. is a writer, poet, filmmaker, and occasional comedian. Much of his writing draws on his experiences as a Native American. Two of Alexie's best known works are The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven , a book of short stories and Smoke Signals, a film...	Sherman Alexie Sherman Alexie Sherman Joseph Alexie, Jr. is a writer, poet, filmmaker, and occasional comedian. Much of his writing draws on his experiences as a Native American. Two of Alexie's best known works are The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven , a book of short stories and Smoke Signals, a film...	Winner
2009	Curse of the Blue Tattoo Curse of the Blue Tattoo The Curse of the Blue Tattoo is a historical novel by L.A. Meyer. It continues the story of orphaned London girl, Jacky Faber, in the 18th century...	Listen & Live Audio	Katherine Kellgren	L.A. Meyer Louis A. Meyer Louis A. Meyer Meyer, L.A. , brief autobiography on author's own webpage. Accessed February 25, 2009. writes under the name L.A. Meyer. He is best known as the author of the Bloody Jack seafaring novels. He is also a painter....	Honor
2009	Elijah of Buxton Elijah of Buxton Elijah of Buxton is a 2007 novel by Christopher Paul Curtis. It is his fourth book. It won the 00001Coretta Scott King Award, the 2008 Newbery Honor, the 2008 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and the 2008 Book of the Year for Children Award of the Canadian Library Association-Jacket...	Listening Library	Mirron Willis	Christopher Paul Curtis Christopher Paul Curtis Christopher Paul Curtis is an American children's author and a Newbery Medal winner who wrote The Watsons Go to Birmingham: 1963 and the critically acclaimed Bud, Not Buddy. Bud, Not Buddy is the first novel to receive both the Coretta Scott King Award and the Newbery Medal...	Honor
2009	I'm Dirty	Scholastic/Weston Woods Weston Woods Studios Weston Woods Studios is a production company that makes audio and short films based on well-known books for children. It was founded in 1953 by Morton Schindel in Weston, Connecticut, and named after the wooded area near his home. The company's first project was Andy and the Lion in 1954, and its...	Steve Buscemi Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,...	Kate McMullan Jim McMullan	Honor
2009	Martina the Beautiful Cockroach	Peachtree Peachtree Peachtree may refer to:* a tree that bears fruit* Peachtree , made by DeKuyper* A corruption of "pitch tree" * Peachtree Street, the main street of Atlanta* Peachtree Accounting, business management software...	Carmen Agra Deedy Carmen Agra Deedy Carmen Agra Deedy is an internationally known, award winning author of children’s literature, storyteller and radio contributor. Born in Havana, Cuba, she immigrated to the United States with her family in 1963 after the Cuban Revolution...	Carmen Agra Deedy Carmen Agra Deedy Carmen Agra Deedy is an internationally known, award winning author of children’s literature, storyteller and radio contributor. Born in Havana, Cuba, she immigrated to the United States with her family in 1963 after the Cuban Revolution...	Honor
2009	Nation Nation (novel) Nation is a Terry Pratchett novel, published in the UK on September 11, 2008. It is the first non-Discworld Pratchett novel since Johnny and the Bomb . Nation is in an alternate history of our world in the 1860s. The book received recognition as a Michael L...	HarperAudio HarperCollins HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...	Stephen Briggs Stephen Briggs Stephen Briggs is a British writer of subsidiary works and merchandise surrounding Terry Pratchett's comic fantasy Discworld. The Streets of Ankh-Morpork, the first Discworld map, was co-designed by Briggs and Pratchett and painted by Stephen Player in 1993...	Terry Pratchett Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...	Honor
2008	Jazz	Live Oak Media	James "D-Train" Williams Vaneese Thomas	Walter Dean Myers Walter Dean Myers Walter Dean Myers is an African American author of young adult literature. Myers has written over fifty books, including novels and nonfiction works. He has won the Coretta Scott King Award for African American authors five times...	Winner
2008	Bloody Jack	Listen & Live Audio	Katherine Kellgren's	L.A. Meyer Louis A. Meyer Louis A. Meyer Meyer, L.A. , brief autobiography on author's own webpage. Accessed February 25, 2009. writes under the name L.A. Meyer. He is best known as the author of the Bloody Jack seafaring novels. He is also a painter....	Honor
2008	Dooby Dooby Moo Dooby Dooby Moo Dooby Dooby Moo is a children's book written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin. Released in 2006 by Athenium, it continues the story of Farmer Brown's animals from Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, who enter a talent show in an attempt to win a trampoline....	Scholastic/Weston Woods Weston Woods Studios Weston Woods Studios is a production company that makes audio and short films based on well-known books for children. It was founded in 1953 by Morton Schindel in Weston, Connecticut, and named after the wooded area near his home. The company's first project was Andy and the Lion in 1954, and its...	Randy Travis	Doreen Cronin	Honor
2008	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows	Listening Library	Jim Dales	J.K. Rowling	Honor
2008	Skulduggery Pleasant Skulduggery Pleasant Skulduggery Pleasant is the debut novel of Irish playwright Derek Landy, published in 2007. It is the first of the Skulduggery Pleasant novels...	HarperChildren's Audio HarperCollins HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...	Rupert Degas Rupert Degas Rupert Joel Degas is an English actor and voice artist.- Early life:Degas was born in London, the son of screenwriter Brian Degas and television presenter Maggie Clews, whose marriage ended in divorce when he was eight...	Derek Landy Derek Landy Derek Landy is an Irish author and screenwriter, famous for the Skulduggery Pleasant series of children's books.thumb|Derek Landy in Edinburgh, August 2011...	Honor
2008	Treasure Island Treasure Island Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...	Listening Library	Alfred Molina Alfred Molina Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...	Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....	Honor

Recipients of Multiple Odyssey Awards

• Listening Library has been honored three times.
• Harper imprints (HarperAudio and HarperChildrensAudio) has been honored twice.
• Listen & Live Audio has been honored twice.
• Scholastic/Weston Woods has been honored twice.

External links

• YALSA | Odyssey Award