Road-Tripping? My Top 45 Audiobooks For Families On The Go

(Source)

Audiobooks are a fabulous way to keep both adults and kids entertained (and learning) during a long car trip.

Everyone loves a good story. The time just goes by so much more quickly when you are all caught up in the same story together, not to mention the great conversations. No more “How much longer till we’re there?”

Finding audiobook titles that appeal to the whole family need not be terribly difficult, and I was always surprised at how much the littler ones got from what the older ones were listening to.

Criteria To Make My List

To help you sort through the many options, I’ve put together a list of great titles. Since there are so many out there, I gave myself a few criteria. All the books on the this list are:

• at least an hour long
• family-friendly and wholesome
• filled with adventure
• something of value is communicated, and
• they appeal to both kids and their parents

“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” ~C. S. Lewis

So stop dreading the drive and start planning your audio itinerary.

Print this booklist before going to the library!

Audiobooks For Younger Children and Up

Freddie Goes To Florida and Freddie the Detective, Walter Brooks (we love John McDonough’s reading!)

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Kate DiCamillo

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, John Erickson

In Grandma’s Attic Series, Arleta Richardson

Pilgrim’s Progress, dramatized, available on CD. MP3 disk or MP3 download.

The King’s Equal, Katherine Paterson – An arrogant prince’s search for a wife who is his equal in intelligence, beauty, and wealth leads to a lesson for both the prince and the reader in humility and selflessness.

The Tale of Despereaux, Kate DiCamillo

All Creatures Great and Small and All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot

The Velveteen Rabbit or “How Toys Become Real”, Margery Williams – Any child who misses out on “The Velveteen Rabbit” is missing out on one of life’s greatest lessons! (27 minutes – not the promised hour plus…)

The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter (3 hrs +) 

Winnie-the-Pooh: A.A. Milne’s Pooh Classics, Volume 1 (2 hrs, 15 min)

The Boxcar Children Collection: The Boxcar Children (Book 1), Surprise Island (Book 2), The Yellow House Mystery (Book 3)

‘The Magic Hill’, ‘The Adventures of Peter Cottontail’ and ‘The Adventures of Buster Bear’ (Classic Books on CD Collection) by A.A. Milne and Thornton Burgess

Because of Winn Dixie, Kate DiCamillo

For Ages 10 To 99

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia (4 hrs. 20 min.)

Otto of the Silver Hand, Howard Pyle

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, by Eric Metaxas

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, Sissy Spacek (Narrator) (12 hr. 17 min.)

Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O’Dell

Any David McCullough: ‘Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal‘, ‘Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge‘, ‘The Wright Brothers‘ and ‘The Jamestown Flood‘.

Deadline, Randy Alcorn. Will hold your interest beginning to end and leave you feeling sad it’s ended.

The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth George Speare (a complex plot that is simple enough for her target age to understand, but still captivating to adults)

My Side of the Mountain and On the Far Side of the Mountain, Jean Craighead George

The Green Ember and The Black Star of Kingston, S. D. Smith.  A story of expedition, survival, battle, and adventure…

I Dared to Call Him Father: The Miraculous Story of a Muslim Woman’s Encounter with God

Our Island Story, Part 1 and Our Island Story, Part 2 (Full of action and true history, we listened to these while in England)

The Cross and the Switchblade, David Wilkerson. The book was influential in my becoming a believer. One of the century’s great true stories. Over 14 million copies in print. 

True-Story Adventures, Radio Drama

Under Drake’s Flag: The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty (listen) (“the heart and mind and soul will vibrate with adventure”)

The Dragon & The Raven (listen) (actors from Call the Midwife, Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones, Tarzan and Star Wars)

Your Story Hour Series

More Adventure Audiobooks

With Lee In Virginia (listen) (actors from Curious George, Mom’s Night Out, Lord of the Rings,)

In Freedom’s Cause: This is “the God-story behind Braveheart”. (listen) (actors from Chronicles of Narnia, Braveheart, Downton Abbey)

Jessica’s First Prayer (Lamplighter) The sales of this story outpaced Alice in Wonderland by 10 times!

Buried In the Snow (Lamplighter)

Ben-Hur, Wallace (Radio Theatre)

The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis (Radio Theatre)

The Hiding Place, ten Boom (Radio Theatre)

Les Miserables, Hugo (Radio Theatre)

Billy Budd, Sailor, Melville (Radio Theatre)

Oliver Twist, Dickens (Radio Theatre)

C. S. Lewis at War (Radio Theatre)

Print this booklist before going to the library!

Have you and your children listened to any of these audiobooks? What audiobooks would you add to the list?

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” 
~St. Augustine

“Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.” 
 ~ Sir Francis Bacon

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