Trans History wins the 2026 Odyssey Award! Soundtrack and Whale Eyes take Odyssey Honors
The American Library Association’s Odyssey Award committee named Alex L. Comb’s and Andrew Eakett’s Trans History the 2026 Odyssey Award winner for young adults! And in more wonderful news for children’s audiobooks, Jason Reynolds’s Soundtrack and James Robinson’s Whale Eyes were recognized as Odyssey Honor audiobooks.
The ALA’s Odyssey Award is given to the producer of the best audiobook for children or young adults in a given year, available in English in the United States. The award’s name is taken from the Greek Odyssey epic, which was originally told and passed down in the oral tradition. The ALA also awards the prestigious Caldecott, Carnegie, and Newbery Medals, and the Printz Award for excellence in children’s literature.
Read more about these remarkable productions and listen to clips from the audiobooks below!
More about Trans History:
Trans History is a deeply researched introduction to trans history—from ancient times to the present day—that features a broad range of voices. Conversations with modern activists, scholars, and creatives highlight the breadth of current trans experiences and give listeners a deeper sense of the diversity of and between trans people. Andrew Eakett skillfully leads the full cast of narrators, with carefully crafted soundscapes that transport listeners throughout centuries of history. Trans History is producer Iris McElroy’s first and Juan Garcia Ticoulat’s first Odyssey win.
“Listening to [the Trans History] audiobook is like spending a few hours with your favorite teacher. Narrator Andrew Eakett is supported by a full cast who take listeners on a comprehensive journey through a history of trans identities. Eakett’s narration is engaging, knowledgeable, and funny as he shares key terminology, historical examples, and compelling stories of people ranging from Roman emperors to the icons of the Stonewall Riots and to present-day figures from cultures around the world.”
—AudioFile Magazine
More about Soundtrack:
Soundtrack by #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds transports listeners back to early 2000s New York City, where a group of teens form a band that becomes a sensation after they start performing in the subway. A story of found family and coming of age, Soundtrack was first released on audio and produced specifically for the medium. Read by a full cast, it features an original score by GRAMMY ®-winning composer Justin Ellington, and was recorded by four-time GRAMMY®-winning producer Dan Zitt and 2025 Odyssey Honor-winning producer Brian Ramcharan. The audiobook includes a full cityscape of sound effects, including subway cars, a tap dancer, food vendors, and the unique sounds for every neighborhood mentioned in the book—down to the knocks on apartment building doors. Soundtrack was also named a Best Audiobook of 2025 by Audible, AudioFile Magazine, Booklist, Barnes & Noble, and Spotify, and is producer Dan Zitt’s second and producer Brian Ramcharan’s second Odyssey Honor.
“The uniformly excellent performances make the characters feel real, developed, and relatable, and the lively conversations among teenagers sound absolutely authentic. Justin Ellington’s extensive and essential musical score gives Soundtrack its soundtrack. The result is a production that’s full of heart.”
—AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner
More about Whale Eyes:
Whale Eyes by Emmy Award–winning documentary filmmaker and video producer James Robinson is meant to be twisted, turned, and experienced. This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF with illustrations, experiments, photos, and interactive visual components, further immersing listeners in James’s point of view, and allowing them to experience the world as he sees it. Whale Eyes was also named a Best Audiobook of 2025 by AudioFile Magazine and Booklist, and is producer Iris McElroy’s first and producer Olivia Langen’s second Odyssey Honor.
“Author and narrator James Robinson combines his documentary filmmaking skills and familiarity with audiobooks to render his experience with serious visual disability in audio [in Whale Eyes]. Sound effects immerse the listener in Robinson’s memories, like the ticking of the school clock as impatient classmates wait while he struggles to read…He shares the difficulties associated with what he calls “whale eyes,” the extraordinary help of his mother, and his eventual academic and professional success. Robinson’s caring outlook and advice on society, specifically the disability community, is, unsurprisingly, visionary.”
—AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner
