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PSPKK1238 Comments

15 Audio books for family road trips

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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If you’re searching for the best audio books for families, you’re in the right place!

best audio books for family road trips 2

This post is sponsored by Audible.

Do you listen to audio books with your kids? We’ve found that they’re one of the best ways to pass the time on long road trips.  Since our closest grandparents are eight hours away, audio books have become a regular part of our summertime travel.

I’m excited to partner with Audible (our sponsor) to share some of the best audio books for families on long trips.

I’ve put together a list of books that are appropriate for younger children, but also entertaining enough that the big kids and parents will enoy them too!

toys go out

Whenever I encourage someone to begin reading aloud to their kids, I tell them to start with Toys Go Out, by Emily Jenkins.  Both kids and grown-ups will laugh out loud as they listen to the adventures of the Little Girl’s favorite toys.

appleblossom

Appleblossom the Possum, by Holly Goldberg Sloan, is a new favorite of ours.  We adore Appleblossom, whose mother has taught her to steer clear of the three types of monsters: people, dogs, and cars.  But what happens when Appleblossom falls down a chimney and is adopted by a little girl?  The only thing that could make this hilarious story even better is the narration by Dustin Hoffman.

ramona audio

My all-time favorite collection of books is now available in a single audio collection from Audible.  I love that my own kids are just as fond of this plucky heroine as I am.  Stockard Channing really brings Ramona to life!

henry huggins

Girls and boys alike will enjoy these classic tales about Henry Huggins, his dog, and an exasperating little neighbor named Ramona.

homer price

I loved it when my mom read Homer Price to me as a kid, so I made sure to read it aloud to my middle grade students as a teacher.  Years later, my Seven and Eight found my battered copy and read it from cover to cover.   Be sure to get your own paper copy of this small town American story for your kids to follow along in the car. The illustrations are the best part!

beatrix potter

This audio collection of Beatrix Potter’s stories is such a great buy!  The cheerful music and soothing narration are just the thing for a sleepy afternoon in the van.  Be sure to get a hardcover collection from the library (like this one) so your kids can enjoy the beautiful illustrations.

wonderful wizard of oz

It can be hard to interest our kids in the long classics, but these old favorites are great for helping children develop their vocabulary and visualize what they’re listening to.  You can’t go wrong with Anne Hathaway’s outstanding narration of the classic Wizard of Oz.

peter pan

Peter Pan is another classic book that a young narrator has brought to life.  You’ll love rediscovering Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, and the magic of Neverland through Lily Collins’ lovely narration.   If your kids are advanced listeners, this would be a great book to download as part of your Audible free trial!

A tip:  You might read a simpler version of Peter Pan before attempting this unabridged audio version, as it helps for kids to get the general idea of a long story before introducing them to the original in all its glory.

MTH 1-8

The Magic Tree House books might not be a favorite of your older kids, but younger children love them.  The author herself reads this collection of stories about Jack and Annie, two siblings who go back in time and discover things about the past.  A great feature of these books is the loving relationship between the siblings.  And the books are well written enough that older siblings will be willing to listen, too.

dory fantasamagory

Unlike the Magic Tree House books, Dory Fantasamagory is not a tale of siblings who get along. In fact, Dory (with her outrageous imagination) drives her older siblings absolutely crazy.  Be ready to talk about how to show love to younger siblings who want attention, but also be prepared to laugh so hard you cry. I did!

audible free trial 2

mrs. pw

The Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle tales are other classic books that get a little long – but the story is worth it.   These stories of a magical woman who “cures” misbehavior were some of my favorite books as a kid, and my class of third, fourth, and fifth graders loved them too. I haven’t tried them with my own kids yet, but now’s the perfect time!

james giant peach

I know I keep saying this (my mom read to us a lot!), but James and the Giant Peach is another book that ranks right up there with my childhood favorites.  If you can get a hold of the original James and the Giant Peach book with illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert, give it to your child to follow along. In my opinion, the illustrations are far superior to Quentin Blake’s.  Either way, you’ll love this story of a lonely boy who goes on the adventure of a lifetime.

charlie chocolate factory

I saw the movie version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  as a child, but didn’t read the book until I was an adult. I was missing out! This is my husband’s favorite childhood book, and and our own children couldn’t get enough of the read aloud.

mr. popper's penguins

If you’ve seen the Jim Carrey movie version of Mr. Popper’s Penguins, try to forget it and listen to this hilarious story of a small-town house painter and his houseful of Antarctic penguins.

pippi longstocking

Pippi Longstocking is a popular read aloud that I still need to read myself… but my oldest became hooked after her teacher read several tales to her first grade class. There’s a whole series of books to love about Pippi, the free-spirited heroine who lives a life free from chores, bedtimes, and homework.

Have you signed up for Audible yet?

Audible is an Amazon company which sells digital audiobooks, radio, and TV programs, as well as audio versions of magazines and newspapers.  Its library has over 250,000 audio programs!  You can download the Audible app on either your Android or iOS device and listen in the car.

audible free trial 2

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Audible. The opinions and text are all mine.

 

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Reader Interactions

8 Comments

  1. Janet

    July 4, 2016 at 9:00 am

    All The Little Foxes by Karen Elizabeth Rus should be added to this list.We just downloaded this story from audible.com this past week on vacation with the kids-along with other stories, Harry Potter for one. I was drawn into this book from the free sample given on audible and made the purchase. It is wonderful story about friendship, and I liked that it did not talk down to kids.

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      July 7, 2016 at 11:17 am

      Thanks so much for that recommendation, Janet! I love to hear of titles that are new to me.

      Reply to this comment
  2. Po Tim

    July 1, 2016 at 8:41 pm

    Thanks for sharing! My 5-year-old started to fall in love with audio books. Looks like Audible has tons of kids’ one. I’m excited to use it. But I wish there is Chinese books too.

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      July 2, 2016 at 12:53 pm

      It’s too bad you can’t get them in Chinese! I know that would be really good for your son.

      Reply to this comment
  3. Lisa

    June 8, 2016 at 4:16 am

    I’m surprised they didn’t mention The Little House books on audio. I listen to them years ago with my children. The reader, Cherry Jones, was great and they had real fiddle music when Pa played his fiddle!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      June 8, 2016 at 4:49 pm

      I put this list together myself, and I should have included those. Thanks for the suggestion, Lisa!

      Reply to this comment
  4. Rahel

    June 1, 2016 at 6:47 am

    Thanks for sharing ….as always 🙂 Have a good week to you too!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      June 2, 2016 at 10:49 am

      You’re welcome, Rahel!

      Reply to this comment

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