I have some great news to share today! I’m thrilled to announce that Listening Library at Penguin Random House Audio will be producing an Emmanuel’s Dream audiobook edition!! This is super exciting to me for two reasons:
First, I love listening to audiobooks! I listen when I’m walking the dog, driving, doing housework, basically anytime it isn’t practical to have my nose in a book. 😂 So trust me when I say that having one of my books be made into an audiobook makes me squeal for joy and bust out my happy dance!
The second reason, however, is far more important. Emmanuel’s Dream was awarded the 2016 American Library Association’s Schneider Family Book Award for embodying “an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.” One of the things that moved me most about winning the award was learning that it meant that a braille edition of Emmanuel’s Dream would be released. That still left some readers out, sadly, and I’ve been dreaming of an audiobook ever since. Having an Emmanuel’s Dream audiobook edition means more access for more people. It means those with vision impairments can hear Emmanuel’s inspiring story of social action. It means emerging readers or readers with learning disabilities such as dyslexia can listen to Emmanuel’s example of perseverance in the face of challenges. It means all children everywhere will have another way to appreciate Emmanuel’s message of accepting everyone’s diverse gifts.
So, it is with great pleasure that I can now say the Emmanuel’s Dream audiobook is scheduled to be released on January 26, 2021, and you even can preorder it RIGHT NOW!
I’m looking forward to working with the team at Listening Library, and I’ll be sure to share further details (like who will be narrating!) as soon as I get them.