This summer, SYNC will be providing two free teen audiobooks each week from April 26th to July 25th. Each week will focus on a specific theme, pairing a classic YA title with a more modern YA title. These two titles will be available to download for free this week only (from 6/14 to 6/20) at the SYNC website. The eighth week will start on Thursday, June 14th with My Name is Not Friday . The theme for the eighth week is “Juneteenth.” 
Dion Graham’s soft voicing of 13-year-old Samuel brings out all the heartache in his young life. Near the end of the Civil War, the free black orphan is sold into slavery by the priest in charge of the orphanage where he lives, condemning him to a life of hardship. This is a time when slaves are being pushed ever harder in order to maintain the lives of their owners. Graham’s expert pacing, inflection, and lightly accented speech capture the pathos of this intolerable situation, allowing listeners to feel the cruelty of being forced to live as the property of those who can even take away one’s own name. An excellent choice for middle grade units on slavery, the book and Graham’s narration will aid young people in the exploration of this shameful chapter in American history. The library has this in book format. 
During the summer of 1800, Gabriel, a blacksmith, a literate man, a loving husband, and a slave, planned a rebellion in Virginia. He organized more than one thousand slaves before being betrayed, captured, and hanged. JD Jackson’s warm baritone voice guides listeners through this harsh narrative. He differentiates between the story and the original historical documents scattered throughout the text by taking on a less animated, more professorial tone when reading the latter. Although his Southern accents tend to blend together, Jackson portrays brave, young slaves, arrogant owners, and whites who were sympathetic to the rebellion with great energy. His performance adds depth to a slender book, bringing a little-known historical event to life. The library owns this in book format.