We listen to a lot of audio books. My son has a 45-minute commute to and from school so this is perfect audiobook listening time. He’s racked up almost 200 audiobooks in almost two years. That is a pretty impressive accomplishment! I’m an avid reader and I have never read 100 books in a year. While my daughter is a great eye-reader, she still likes audiobooks in the car and at night if she is too tired to read.
There are some amazing audiobooks out there that have great narration which is so important when listening in the car since I am tuning in too. Here are some of our very favorites.
(Note: book covers and titles are affiliate links)
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng. I blogged about this book and the audio version here but it is just that good, so I had to include it in this quick reference list. This book about Alex, an eleven-year-old boy who travels to a rocket festival to launch his audio diary into the cosmos, is written as a transcript of his recordings which lends well to audio. The ensemble cast of characters includes Kivlighan De Montebello – playing Alex – Brittany Presley, Graham Halsted, Michael Crouch, and Jason Culp. The audio book sounds exactly like what Alex wants to send into space complete with sound effects and background music. De Montebello, who is around the same age as our hero, has some serious narrating chops bringing to life Alex’s naive brilliance.
The Ramona Quimby Audio Collection is narrated by Stockard Channing who played Rizzo in Grease and Abbey Bartlett in The West Wing. Channing brings to life this classic series that any child can relate to. Ramona is a character any child can relate to as she is trying to navigate elementary school. an overachieving older sister, and a busy family life. With an overactive imagination things don’t always go as planned.
The Bad Beginning, A Multi-Voice Recording: A Series of Unfortunate Events 1 follows the turbulent lives of siblings Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire who are placed in the care of their villainous uncle Count Olaf after their parents die. The thirteen book series is dark and mysterious and “very few positive things happen to the children” but there are humorous asides and ridiculous plot lines. The audio version is masterfully narrated by Tim Curry and an ensemble cast of characters and includes sound effects like doorbells ringing and bagpipe music. This is definitely a series to check out on audio.
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt and narrated by Kathleen McInerney is a book for anyone who feels like the don’t fit in. Ally is smart enough to fool everyone but the truth is she doesn’t know how to read. Her learning disability often gets her in trouble like when she gives her pregnant teacher a sympathy card instead of a baby shower card. When her new teacher, Mr. Daniels, discovers that Ally is dyslexic he opens up a new world to her. McInerny deftly narrates this book creating voices for each of the characters that enhance their personalities and make for a great listen. This book hit close to home for us as we listened to it a long car drive and sat in the garage finishing it when we got home. We couldn’t “put this book down.”
Little House in the Big Woods is the first book in the Little House on the Prairie series which spawned a television series. My kids just loved the books. The audio version, narrated by 5-time Tony award nominated actress Cherry Jones, is a great listen on long car trips or lazy Sunday afternoons. Cherry Jones endears us to Laura and her pioneer family and the audio version includes fiddle music which makes the book all the more charming.
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown is about a robot named Roz who awakens to find herself on a deserted island where she has to learn to survive. As Roz adapts to her environment, the narrator, Kate Atwater, also adapts her voice from robot-like to more friendly and human-like. This middle-grade books has broader themes about the environment and the role of technology in our world. I found myself pausing this book to talk about these ideas with my kids. Definitely a book worth listening to to foster discussions with your kids.
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall and narrated by Susan Denaker is the story of four sisters who spend the summer at an estate called Arundel. They spend a summertime discovering magical gardens, attics filled with treasures, and the friendship of Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner. The whimsical book of summer filled with fun and mischievous is made even better by the audio narration.
No Comments