Last week I went the recording of the audiobook! They ushered me into this room which has a glass wall -- and behind the wall was an actress (Mandy), who SOUNDS like Roo but looks nothing like her and is much older (though far from old; she's just not fifteen). In the room with me were the director, a sound engineer (who had never heard of the pencil test! He was a guy, though), and the producer.

Mandy was reading the part about going to the Homecoming dance with Angelo, and then the bit about Jackson picking Roo up after lacrosse practice -- so I got to hear her Jackson voice.

There was a debate about how to say the word "cauliflower" -- I say "cau-lee-flower" but Mandy says "caul-uh-flower," and I thought the "uh" sounded more west-coast, but Mandy turned out be from Pittsburgh. So we didn't know what Roo would say. She recorded both.

They can just pop a word in -- it's all done digitally. So Mandy just said the name of the vegetable two different ways and the sound technician will edit in whichever version they decide sounds right.

Also, they record with big gaps between sections -- and then shorten the pauses later, during editing. I guess it gives them more control.

Right now the plan is just to have it on CD and tape, but not in downloadable format. I'm making a play for downloadable, though. I listen to audiobooks constantly and I've never bought one that I didn't download.