This annual award is given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.

2020 Odyssey Award Audiobook

Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction, produced by Scholastic Audiobooks, written by Jarrett J. Krosoczka and narrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Jeanne Birdsall, Jenna Lamia, Richard Ferrone and a full cast.

In a deeply personal production, Jarrett J. Krosoczka—with a full cast including his friends and family—adapts his graphic memoir. Every carefully crafted element, from the strike of a match to the gruffly expressed love of his grandparents, creates a robust, unforgettable audio experience.

“The creative team behind ‘Hey, Kiddo’ has crafted a production that shines, demonstrating the potential in transforming a graphic novel for the audiobook world,” said Odyssey Award Committee Chair Sharon Haupt.

2020 Odyssey Honor Audiobooks

Redwood and Ponytail, written by K.A. Holt, narrated by Tess Netting and Cassandra Morris and produced by Hachette Audio.

Two voices, two girls, and two perspectives, combine to powerful effect in this novel in verse about middle school, first love and self-discovery. Through dynamic and expressive performances, Morris and Netting, supported by a Greek chorus of classmates, capture the yearning, confusion, and intensity found within the hearts of two girls.

Song for a Whale, written by Lynne Kelly, read by Abigail Revasch with the author and produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group.

Revasch’s narration honors the linguistic beauty of American Sign Language by emulating the experience of listening to a person who is simultaneously speaking and signing. On this journey fraught with frustrations and surprising joys, the desire to belong plunges Iris and Blue 55 on an insightful mission of communication.

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, written by Traci Sorell, narrated by Lauren Hummingbird, Agalisiga (Choogie) Mackey, Ryan Mackey, Traci Sorell and Tonia Weavel and produced by Live Oak Media.

Take a journey through the four seasons. Narrated by a carefully chosen cast from the Cherokee community, this dynamic production utilizes music and sound effects to create an audio landscape that delivers a rich family-focused introduction to contemporary Cherokee language, culture and customs.

We’re Not from Here, written by Geoff Rodkey, narrated by Dani Martineck and produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group.

The fate of humankind rests on the Family Mifune, desperately seeking asylum on Planet Choom. Narrator Martineck shares the Mifunes’ precarious situation with well-timed comic relief as our protagonists navigate hostile inhabitants. “Everyone agrees” it’s an emotional roller coaster ride, leading to interspecies cooperation and understanding.

Members of the 2020 Odyssey Award Committee are Chair Sharon Haupt, Cuesta College Library, San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Robin Brenner, Brookline (Mass.) Public Library; Shari Fesko, Southfield (Mich.) Public Library; Robin Gibson, Westerville (Ohio) Public Library; Martha Karavitis, Summit Elementary School, Casper, Wy.; Beth Klein, Prospect Heights (Ill.) Public Library; Kristin Olivarez, Monterey Park (Calif.) Bruggemeyer Library; Beth Rosania, Boise (Idaho) Public Library; and Drue Wagner-Mees, Los Angeles Public Library.