Heinemann today announced that the audiobook version of The First Five: A Love Letter to Teachers, written and narrated by Patrick Harris II, has been named a finalist for the Audie Award in the business/personal development category. Other finalists in the category include Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte and Tough: My Journey to True Power by Terry Crews.
The Audie Awards® is the premier awards program in the United States recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment and is presented by the Audio Publishers Association at the Audio Publishers Annual Convention.
Patrick Harris II, a Black queer writer, storyteller, and middle school humanities teacher, has won multiple national teaching awards for his leadership and innovation in the classroom, including recognitions from NCTE, ASCD and ILA. The First Five is his first book, a memoir with a call-to-action written as a letter to teachers in the beginning of their careers. Harris uses personal stories and interviews with educators to bring to light the realities of classroom teaching and offers strategies to help teachers feel hopeful, empowered and challenged. AudioFile Magazine chose the title as a February 2023 Earphone Award Winner, calling it “a fabulous way to start a dialogue on the value of education and the importance of compassionate teachers.”
"Narrating this book was one of the greatest joys of my life," said Harris. "Speech and audio have played a huge role in finding confidence in my own writing. From podcasting to using speech-to-text to write The First Five, I am humbled to receive recognition for my authentic voice and I'm beyond honored for The First Five to be chosen as a finalist by the Audio Publishers Association. I hope this shines a bigger light on the experiences of teachers everywhere and invites them to share their own stories."
“At a time when three quarters of teachers lack confidence in their profession and when students and communities need good educators more than ever, a book like The First Five is vitally important,” said Matthew Mugo Fields, president of Heinemann Publishing. “We are delighted that the Audio Publishers Association has recognized this book and helped to shine a spotlight on Patrick Harris II’s work to support early-career teachers and draw additional talent into the field.”
Audie Awards winners in each category will be announced at the 2023 Audies Gala in New York City on March 28, 2023.
For more information about Heinemann Audiobooks, please visit https://www.heinemann.com/audiobooks/
