Penguin Random House Audio and Listening Library have announced a new audiobook project from Jason Reynolds, set to release on June 3. The latest offering from the MacArthur Fellow and former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is Soundtrack, a YA audiobook featuring a full cast and original music; the cover is revealed here for the first time. The story, set primarily in early 2000s New York, traces Stuy, Dunks, Alexis, Keith, and Frankie, a group of teens who start busking in the subway, and must navigate changes in their lives as they become more and more successful.
“I’m excited that the story I wrote years ago finally gets to be experienced through a medium I never imagined,” Reynolds said in a statement. “It’s a story that celebrates the creative genius of children, especially those who are willing to express themselves at all costs.”
The cast includes Nile Bullock as Stuy, Mekhi Hewling as Dunks, Jade Williams as Keith, Brandon Miles as Alexis, and Amir Royale as Frankie, among other voice actors. The audiobook also features original music composed by Grammy Award-winning musician Justin Ellington and is recorded by fellow Grammy Award-winning producer and Penguin Random House SVP of content production for audio Dan Zitt, and producer Brian Ramcharan.
“Working on the Soundtrack audiobook original has been unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” Ramcharan said in a statement. “Jason Reynolds has a way of storytelling that ignites the senses, and Dan and I worked tirelessly to ensure this audio original immerses the listener within Jason’s brilliant writing. It is a story combining friendship, family, and most importantly, music that translates perfectly to audio.”
