Back before recording technologies like the rotating wax cylinder, reel to reel, and the Sony minidisc people used to practice the art of audiobook without actually recording it. They called it “reading aloud” – for kicks I’ve been practicing this archaic art for years. Most often I like to do it with a group, in which people take turns reading from the pages of the paperbook, either page by page, character by character, or chapter by chapter.

From left to right in the top row, holding their first edition, first printing, hardcovers of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book are:

Matt, T.K., Erica, Sue and Jenny!

To be quite fair, these little rotters didn’t really think much of the book when they first started reading it (at home alone). But when in class I read aloud the section in which the ghouls describe their favourite drink (the ooze that accumulates at the bottom of lead lined coffins) a round robin of “Ewwww!”, “Disgusting!”, and “Grosss!” was followed by a growing appreciation of the book and a commitment to reading it in class as well as at home. We finished The Graveyard Book a week or two back, and now our current book is Coraline – with a mix of library paperback, library hardback and new movie tie-in editions. After Coraline we’ll have to figure out which book to do next. Anybody have any suggestions?

Posted by Jesse Willis