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

Road-Tripping This Summer? Winning Audiobooks For Families, a family packing the car for a long trip — (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)

100 Wholehearted Books to Help Fight Back the Culture

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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Comments

Andrea Jones

June 01, 2016 at 8:48 am

We have enjoyed many audios while traveling such as the Jonathan Park series, The Watson’s Go to Birmingham(some language), Frindle, and several audios from Lamplighter (Teddy’s Button, Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince, The Captive) Any audios from Focus on the Family are fantastic.

- Megan
  
  June 14, 2022 at 9:59 pm
  
  I’m so glad Lamplighter is on the list! Anything by them is superb! Yes, Teddy’s Button is amazing . . . we love The Giant Killer as well, and the Hidden Hand (produced in 2022) is incredible! Little ears can listen but the truths in these CDs convict my adult heart, too!
  
  - Jacqueline
    
    June 17, 2022 at 9:47 am
    
    Megan, I am with you! They are some of the best books! I loved Jessica’s Mother SO much and many more!
    Blessings, My friend! 😀 ~J
    
Carol

June 01, 2016 at 10:59 am

We listened to Come Rain, Come Shine by Jan Karon. It was a good story about marriage and a wedding celebrated by the community. The actor that read it was great.

- Jacqueline
  
  June 01, 2016 at 11:14 pm
  
  Thanks, Carol! I love anything by Jan Karon!!
  
Gwen

June 02, 2016 at 2:48 am

Thank you for this excellent list, Jacqueline! We have the books of Our Island Story, (and also Scotland’s Story, as we are Scottish!), but audio books of them would be great for a trip. Thanks for sharing this 🙂

Laura - CaledonAcres

June 02, 2016 at 7:03 am

Thank you for this post!! I love audio books and I love road trips! 🙂 I actually have a few trips planned this summer

Leslie

June 11, 2016 at 8:44 pm

Thanks for the great list! We spend tons of time in the car. I always find it more challenging to find suitable audio books for younger children at our local library, so you have given me fabulous ideas. I think I’ll put a few of Kate DiCamillo’s on reserve! We’re currently listening to The Secret Garden, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. We would love for you to share your literacy and homeschool posts with our readers at the Literacy Musing Mondays Linkup each week http://www.foreverjoyful.net/?p=1127

Tina at Mommynificent

July 28, 2016 at 8:58 am

Thanks for sharing this fabulous resource at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com this week! We have the problem that the littles (age 6) get scared at the slightest hint of conflict. It’s really frustrating and I’m not sure how to deal with it. It interferes with our family reading aloud quite often, so I’d love any advice!
Tina

- Jacqueline
  
  July 28, 2016 at 11:51 am
  
  Tina,
  Have you tried this?: to explain to your younger ones before hand that there will be a disagreement in the story, and tell the “let’s see how they work it out” or “can you tell me after you hear how they deal with it, of a better, more Christ-like way?” (It makes them detectives, kind of..) I hope that sparks some healthy conversation 😀
  
Julie

August 10, 2019 at 2:50 pm

Charlotte’s Web , There’s an Owl in the Shower, The Boys in the Boat. All of the Little House books (Farmer Boy is my favorite)

Kati

June 18, 2021 at 10:24 pm

Jacqueline,

Just wanted to share a series we recently started that we very much enjoy – the Brinkman Adventures available through christianbook.com or their website brinkmanadventures.com

We’ve listened to the first season and hope to get the next one soon!

Katie

- Jacqueline
  
  June 18, 2021 at 11:02 pm
  
  Thank you, Kati, for sharing the Brinkman Adventures here!
  I will check into them as I’m always looking for wholesome listening for children!
  Blessings, sweet friend!
  Jacque
  
  - Katie
    
    April 08, 2023 at 3:56 pm
    
    Hi Jacqueline!
    
    I just wanted to follow up here about the Brinkman Adventures.
    
    We’ve listened to the first six seasons as a family over the last couple years. It is our most favorite thing to listen to, hands down. Most episodes are based on true stories. Our kids listen to it in their free time on a regular basis. It’s the perfect combo of family life, missions, modern history, the persecuted Church, and encouragement.
    
    This is one thing that has significantly shaped our family and really helped us all grow and mature with each other and the Lord. I cannot recommend Brinkman Adventures highly enough.
    
    Something else that makes Brinkman Adventures so helpful is that they have more info about each episode at their website. We are printing the extra notes so that our kids can read more about their favorite episodes.
    
    (I think they have just come out with Brinkman Adventures Season 9!)
    
    Thanks,
    Katie
    
Abby

July 04, 2022 at 4:54 pm

Thanks for sharing this list!! I need to make a list of ones we haven’t heard or read yet 😊 We love the Hank the Cowdog audio books. Some favorites of ours that are not on your list are the Little Britches series by Ralph Moody, My Father’s Dragon trilogy, and By the Great Horn Spoon (dramatized!). But we really enjoy any of the Lamplighter theater and Focus on the Family Radio Theater stories. And anything by G.A. Henry! The dramatized ones are fun for everyone, but my older kids also like the unabridged ones that drone on for 17 or so hours 😆