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We love listening to stories while we drive, and when we find an engaging series told by a masterful storyteller, it’s even better. Since we have two preschoolers, we try to find books that are appropriate for younger ears to listen to, but still interesting for the grownups. Use your judgment when deciding what storylines and language you’re comfortable exposing your kiddos to. I’ve divided the books by our comfort level, which may be different than yours.
One caveat: we’ve noticed our RV has enough road noise that it’s hard for the kiddos in their seats to hear clearly (the speakers are only in the front). When we road tripped in our truck while pulling the trailer, we didn’t have that problem.
Where we get our audiobooks
Library
Borrow books on CD (keep track of those due dates if you’ll be on a longer trip!) or borrow downloadable audiobooks through OverDrive or whatever similar system is used by your library.
Audible
Sign up for Audible with this link and you’ll get your first 30 days free, two free audiobooks, and two free Audible Originals. After your first 30 days, pay $14.95 a month and receive one audiobook and two Audible Originals. You can cancel at any time. go here for more info
Some of our favorite audiobooks
Appropriate for younger kiddos (lower elementary & younger)
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place 6 books
Three wild wolf children are discovered in the forest and a young governess is hired to teach them manners and educate them. Such an engaging series with a great sense of the ridiculous. The narrator does a fantastic job, too. Everyone in the family enjoyed this series.
The Green Ember Series 3 books plus 3 novellas
A brother and sister set off to find their missing family. Along the way, they encounter all sorts of adventures, test their bravery, and influence the future of their people. Oh, and did I mention they’re rabbits?
Tuesdays at the Castle Series 5 books
Wouldn’t it be fun to live in a castle that adds a new room or other addition every Tuesday? Celie maps those changes, then uses that knowledge to save her parents, the King and Queen, and their kingdom when they are attacked.
All-of-a-Kind Family 5 books, but only 3 are available in Audible
Sweet stories about a family of girls living in New York City in the early 1900s. Get a glimpse of life back then and Jewish culture.
Gone-Away Lake and Return to Gone-Away Lake 2 books
Imagine stumbling across an enclave of abandoned houses, then spending the summer exploring them and fixing one up as a clubhouse. Pretty sure nothing like this would happen now, but apparently back in the 1950s it was possible. Sunshine sure wishes she could find an old house to explore…
The Little House on the Prairie Series 9 books
Follow Laura Ingalls and her family as they move around and establish homesteads, surviving blizzards, hordes of grasshoppers, and more. A classic series worth listening to if you haven’t read the books since you were a kid. The narrator is great and there are little bits of fiddle music at the end of each chapter!
The Penderwicks Series 5 books
In the first book, the Penderwick sisters have the kind of summer we all wish we could have. They make new friends, explore the area around their rental cottage, and have a fun summer. I enjoy the family dynamics and lack of snark aimed at adults.
My Side of the Mountain 3 books
Sam Gribley leaves New York City to build a home in a hemlock tree on the mountains of the old family homestead. He befriends the local critters and learns to live off the land. The series was written over a span of about 40 years, with the second and third being published 31 and 40 years after the first one. The more recent books reflect changing ideas regarding conservation and such and are less focused on the live-off-the-land aspect, but are still interesting. I do think the first book is the best, with so much scope for imagination: who wouldn’t want to live in a giant, hollowed-out tree?
Appropriate for older kiddos (upper elementary & older)
Speaking of scope for imagination, don’t forget Anne of Green Gables. While not as fast-paced as a lot of the adventures listed here, it is still an engaging story. And the book is better than any of the movies (though really, there are very few books where that isn’t the case).
Harry Potter Series 7 books
We’ve listened to the Harry Potter series a couple of times over the years, but we’re holding back on the later books until the boys are a bit older. If you’ve seen the movies, the books are so much better! We’ve listened to the Stephen Fry version and the Jim Dale version, and while they’re both excellent narrators, we do prefer the Jim Dale version- his voices are fantastic.
Percy Jackson series 5 books plus 5 shorter companion books
Percy Jackson discovers he’s a demigod with special powers, which explains some of the odd things that have been happening. The Greek gods are still around, and just as contentious as they were in the days of the ancient Greeks.
Lunar Chronicles 4 books plus 2 companion books
Loose re-tellings of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, and Snow White set in a future where there’s an established civilization on the Moon and androids are common. Fun and imaginative!
Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians 5 books
We’ve only listened to the first one, but it was wonderfully quirky. When I put this list together, I discovered there are four more books! Guess I know what I’ll be adding to my Audible list 🙂
Appropriate for middle school & older (these do contain language)
If you’ve seen the movie, the book is better 🙂 If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s set in a future that’s mostly lived in virtual reality. A virtual reality game with lots of nods to 80’s pop culture occupies everyone’s time as many people choose to ignore real life.
Another online game-centered book, but I think it’s even better than Ready Player One. However, I admit I didn’t like the sequel Wildcard nearly as much as Warcross.
I was introduced to Bill Bryson when I read his book A Walk in the Woods before we moved to Virginia. I’ve since listened to a number of his books and find them both entertaining and educating. These are the only non-fiction books in the list, but they’re worth listening to even if you don’t usually listen to non-fiction.
What are your favorite audiobooks? We’re always looking for more to add to our library, so share your favorites in the comments below!
Almost anything narrated by Jim Weiss is wonderful for young kids–Uncle Wiggly’s Storybook, collections of fairy and folktales, the Jungle Book… so much fun; the kids listen to them over and over!
Ooh, yes! I forgot about him! Yes, he’s a great narrator as well. Thanks for reminding me 🙂