If you’re like many families heading out on the highway for their annual summer vacay, you’re in need of some in-car entertainment. Nothing will make the miles tick by like a great audiobook. When I was a “road warrior” in my past life, I developed a bit of an audiobook addiction. Because of that we now take audio books along on our family trips too. With the right narrator, listening to a great audiobook can make that windshield time fly. One minute you’re in gridlock, the next you’re hoping for a few more minutes (or hours) to get through the next chapter. Audio books today come in many shapes and forms. You can purchase them, download them or find them at your local library. So when everyone starts to drive each other crazy, load up an audiobook, sit back and relax. Here are a few of our favorite titles.
Pig Sty by Mark Teague
My kids love old-school read-along books and this is one of their favs. Scholastic recommends this book for ages three to eight. It’s about a boy whose room is a total “pigsty”. His mom asks him to clean it up, but the boy doesn’t think the mess is so bad. In fact, he doesn’t even mind it until one day real pigs have taken over his room. Kids love the pigs and their messiness and parents will like the message.
The Giant Jam Sandwich by Janet Burroway and John Vernon
This is another read-along book we’ve heard a hundred times in the car. Four million wasps invade Itching Down, so the villagers make a giant jam sandwich to trap them. The narrator has a great accent and really makes the story come alive. Scholastic recommends this book for grades Kindergarten through second grade.
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume Read by Judy Blume
If you loved this book as a kid, this is a great way to share it with yours. You and your school aged kids will connect and laugh all the way through it. It’s always interesting to hear the author read their own book. With a length of just under three hours it will keep everyone’s attention until the next pit stop.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Read by Alfred Molina
The action-packed adventure tells of a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure on an exotic island. The narrator is great and brings the characters to life especially Long John Silver. He will make you and your kids love this classic.
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling Read by Jim Dale
Even if you’re not a big Harry Potter fan you should give these audio books a listen. Yes, it’s a great story, but Jim Dale is an amazing narrator and does an incredible job of capturing the personality of every single one of the characters. These are by far my favorite audio books to listen to. If your kids have been badgering you to read the books and you think they’re too young, this is a great way to introduce the story to them. I will warn you, if you decide to listen to all seven books, it is a serious time commitment.
The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins Read by Carolyn McCormick
This isn’t necessarily “light” summer reading. This series of books about Katniss Everdeen surviving the Capitol’s Hunger Games is serenely narrated by Carolyn McCormick, who does the readings for all three of the books. She gives a great voice to the heroine and other main characters in the book. A great listen for middle schoolers and older kids.
What are your audio book recommendations for a family road trip?
