Articles by Sonja Cole

Listening to biographies never fails to inspire me. A few of the subjects on this list might be familiar to kids, although many are not household names. Hearing about the...

Besides AudioFile’s Best Audiobooks, the ALA Youth Media Awards are my favorite annual awards. Chosen by a committee of librarians, the Odyssey Award recognizes excellence...

On January 17, 2022, the United States recognizes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, birthday as a National Day of Service where volunteers work together to make a difference...

I love how listening to audiobooks with my family allows us to share a good story. Listening together creates an experience that we often remember for a long time. The best...

Listening to audiobooks together is a wonderful way for families to share quality time. Experiencing a beloved story with parents creates a priceless connection and memories for...

October means breaking out spine-tingling ghost stories and eerie mysteries that make you want to hide under a cozy blanket. Here are some atmospheric stories perfect for chilly...

The Asian immigrant experience, family dynamics, and making friends in a new town collide with Korean mythology in the 2021 Newbery Medal-winning WHEN YOU TRAP A TIGER about a...

With COVID-19 protocols changing day-by-day, we are optimistic for an in-person back-to-school this year. At the same time, many of us are extra nervous after the long year of...

Time can feel like it's passing very slowly for kids on long summer car trips, so it helps to bring along some entertainment. These seven audiobooks will keep kids engrossed...

As AudioFile celebrates the 2021 class of Golden Voice Narrators, honorees Soneela Nankani, Michael Crouch, and Cassandra Campbell, the picks below will help you explore these...

COVID-19 may have temporarily disrupted our sports schedules, but now that it is getting warmer out, kids can start enjoying outdoor sports this spring. These audiobooks will...

A graphic novel translated to audio has to work overtime to convey not only the words, but also the illustrations. Undaunted, audiobook producers are using all the tools in...

It has been said that a good book is like a good friend. After a year of remote school, cancelled activities, and Zoom birthday parties and playdates, many kids are missing...

While Black authors and narrators always have a place in my audiobook recommendations for kids, it is important to pause in February to highlight and celebrate the heritage and...

Chosen by a committee of children’s and teen's librarians, the ALA Youth Media Awards are my favorite awards in children’s literature. Often the audio versions...

I am always so excited to see which audiobooks make it into AudioFile’s annual Best Audiobooks list. This year’s picks for Best Children's & Family Listening audiobooks are...

What I love about a good fantasy is its ability to immerse me in another world. While these audiobooks don’t all fit the strict definition of high fantasy, i.e. wizards and magic...

The upcoming presidential election has lots of people talking about voting. The audiobooks in this list can help kids understand more about the issues and the process surrounding...

Observing the physical and natural world has led to incredible discoveries that have changed humanity forever. The fiction and nonfiction audiobooks in this list celebrate...

Lots of people loved NEW KID, the graphic novel written and illustrated by Jerry Craft. It was the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Medal. One thing that makes the audiobook...

It should be obvious now that we ALL need to be having conversations with our children about antiracism and how unjustly Black people have been treated in America. This collection...

Born in the Philippines and raised in Virginia, Ramón de Ocampo has recorded well over 100 audiobooks—but kids most likely know him as the voice of the popular Diary of a Wimpy...

I love how a good audiobook can pick me up and take me far away from my current reality. While we can’t travel back in time (or even outside our houses right now), these...

As we are all social distancing, we might not be able to visit others or invite them over for meals, but we can let people know that we care in lots of ways. Maybe write a letter...

I am celebrating Women’s History Month this year with a bunch of new audiobooks celebrating female trailblazers. These are women who bravely spoke truth to power, who didn’t...

With movies and series based on classic children’s and young adult books like Little Women, His Dark Materials, Looking for Alaska, and Green Eggs and Ham currently in theaters...

Of all the audiobooks I have listened to this year (almost 100!), the ones on AudioFile’s 2019 Best Audiobooks list definitely rise to the top. In the Children’s and YA...

All Native American children deserve stories that respect who they are and who their ancestors were. While they still represent only a small minority of titles published, these...

What is more fun as the days shorten in October than escaping into a mystery complete with intrigue, secrets, puzzles, and plot twists? These audiobooks are perfect for family...

Many readers and listeners loved Meg Medina's MERCI SUÁREZ CHANGES GEARS. The audiobook, read by Frankie Corzo, was one of AudioFile’s Best of 2018, and the book won the 2019...

A good book read by a talented narrator is a beautiful thing, but a good book performed by a full cast of talented narrators can bring a whole new dimension to the listening...

I have always said that the best thing about summer vacation is the unlimited time to get lost in books, and these audiobooks will help kids do just that. They are wonderful,...

The incomparable Jim Dale has a voice and narrating style that make him instantly recognizable. He has received multiple awards during his career, including Grammys, Audies, and an...

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. But STEM thinking goes beyond facts to explore innovation, problem-solving, creativity, persistence, divergent...

Reading with our ears can have educational benefits at all ages, but my favorite benefit of listening to audiobooks with kids is the priceless connection of experiencing a good...

As the step-parent of an autistic boy, I understand firsthand the challenges—and joys—of living with someone on the autism spectrum, and I often worry that neurotypical people will...

2019 marks the centennial of Congress approving the 19th Amendment, which gave many women the right to vote—a change that was brought about by a brave group of activists. The...

In her speech accepting the 2018 Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, author Eloise Greenfield said, “Children need to know, and to see in books, the...

Where I live in New Jersey, kids go to sleep on winter nights hoping to wake up to a SNOW DAY— a snowy world of no school. Whether you love the snow, hate it, or live in a climate...

AudioFile’s 2018 Best Audiobooks list is out, and I am so excited to be talking about the Children’s category. I always love reading everyone’s “Best Of” lists at this time of year...

If a road trip is in your Thanksgiving plans, pack some audiobooks to keep everyone entertained in the car. Choosing from a mix of classic favorites and new titles, I picked these...

Some people love to be scared at Halloween. I was never one of them. While for my friends, October means breaking out frightening stories of ghosts and ghouls, I prefer my...

Audiobooks are a great way to expose kids to a diverse range of people, experiences, and settings. Listening can expand their understanding of the multicultural world they live in,...

Whether you're headed to Kindergarten or middle school, starting a new school year can be scary no matter how old you are. This collection of audiobooks about heartwarming school...

Audiobooks about magic and mystery are wonderful for kids’ imaginations, but the real world is just as exciting. From oceans to animals to vegetable gardens, our planet features...