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Greetings from Barcelona, Spain!
Well, we aren't actually in Barcelona as you're reading this, but we were fortunate to be able to visit this fascinating city over the Thanksgiving holiday with our family.
 One thing we were thankful for was that we spoke enough Spanish to manage the Metro, order from menus and communicate on a basic level. It was our attempt to honor the language and it allowed us to appreciate the Spanish culture more fully. After all, Spanish is the third most widely spoken language in the world, closely behind English. (Mandarin Chinese is by far the most widely spoken language in the world.) |
| Spanish Recordings at Live Oak |
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 Our trip to Spain also reinforced our commitment to publish dual language recordings as well as ensure cultural authenticity in the productions. The need is clear. The United States, with more than 45 million Hispanics, has the second largest Spanish speaking population in world (behind Mexico and even more than Spain). Live Oak has a long tradition of publishing Spanish recordings, with more than 40 Readalongs, because we feel that all children should have the opportunity to enjoy good books in great audio recordings. In 2009, we plan to increase our Spanish offerings. And we'd like you to help! We want to know what books in Spanish will be most useful in your classroom or library. Is it classical English literature or books that embrace Latino culture? What do you think about bilingual books? Please email us to share your thoughts and we will send you a Live Oak Media tote bag as our thanks! You'll also be entered into a drawing to win a tote bag full of readalongs in Spanish. Visit our website to find out more! Don't forget to tell your friends!
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| 2008 Highlight |
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Clearly the highlight this year was winning the first-ever Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production for Jazz, written by Walter Dean Myers and performed by James "D Train" Williams and Vanessa Thomas. Jazz was also named an ALA Notable Recording, YALSA/ALA Selected Audiobooks and Best Audiobooks of 2007 by AudioFile magazine. You can sample the recording here.
We were glad to catch up with many of you at the ALA convention in Anaheim, California. The Odyssey Award ceremony was the highlight for us, with so many of you coming by our booth in the following days with your congratulations and well wishes. Thank you! We also want to thank Odyssey Chair Mary Burkey for her insightful interview with Arnie in Booklist on the process of recording Jazz, which brought many interesting comments at the convention.
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| 2009 Preview |
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 We're introducing two new series, Robin Hill and Math Matters. The Robin Hill Series are short and appealing stories set in the classroom, with repetitive vocabulary and colorful illustrations - a perfect introduction to reading and listening! Each of the entertaining stories in the Math Matters Series offers real-kid characters engaged in math connections to the everyday world which help to build math confidence. |
| Audio books FAQ |
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Each month we want to address some of the frequently asked questions about Live Oak Media and/or audio book production. Please send us your questions!
How long does it take to record an audio book?
It depends on many factors, including if multiple voice or a single voice is involved, and if music needs to be created. For example, for Jazz, we commissioned a composer to create original music, brought into the studio a jazz ensemble with the composer and five other musicians, and had two jazz performers sing and narrate. For the 46 minute CD, the recording took close to 80 hours over a five-month period!
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| Web specials |
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| Win a free tote bag! Each order placed this fall will be eligible for a weekly drawing to receive a FREE canvas tote bag with your order! More details on our web site at www.liveoakmedia.com. | |
 Happy Holidays!
We wish you and your family a Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year! Felices Fiestas y Prospero Ano! We thank you for your past support and look forward to working with you this coming year.
Questions or comments? Please write us at info@liveoakmedia.com or call us at (800) 788-1121.
Debra and Arnie Cardillo
Live Oak Media |
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