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    Home » Blog » Reading with Kids

    14 Best Audiobooks for Families

    Published: Aug 10, 2016 · Modified: Jan 24, 2023 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    14 best audiobooks for families to listen to at home or on the go. Classic children's books the whole family will enjoy and a perfect way to introduce your kids to audiobook listening.

    The photo collage shows the covers of several audiobooks for families.

    Looking for a new way to enjoy a read aloud book together as a family? Have you tried listening to an audiobook together?

    I love turning on an audiobook for my kids and I to enjoy together whether we're at home or on the go.

    Sometimes we listen on a speaker in the living room, other times we play the book in the car just running errands, to school, or even on a road trip.

    One year, the girls and I took a 3 week road trip where we we spent 46+ hours in the car together. Our list of the best audiobooks for family road trips saved my sanity on that long drive.

    While the road trip book list has picks that are more action-packed and perfect for all ages, especially adults, this list of audiobooks for families focuses on more gentle, classic books that you will enjoy reading with your kids at home and in your everyday life.

    Tips for Listening to Audiobooks with Kids

    Before you dig in on the list, I wanted to give you a few tips for really making the most of an audiobook listening session with your kids.

    1. Multitasking Is Ok!

    Got a wiggle-worm? It's ok, turn on an audiobook and let your children quietly play with their toys, doodle, or work on a craft project. It is amazing how much they are absorbing even when their hands are busy.

    2. Keep an Audiobook on Your Phone

    You never know when you're going to get delayed in carpool or be stuck waiting for someone to finish up a practice or lesson. When you need to keep your kids busy and entertained while they wait, keep an audiobook for them ready to go on your phone.

    I always have a different book going for each kid so that no one feels like they missed part of the story while we were listening without them.

    3. Take Turns Picking

    Show your kids this list, too! Let them pick the next read. When they have some say in the choice, they're much more likely to be excited to listen!

    14 Best Audiobooks for Families

    Listen to the best audiobooks for families in the car or together at home for a fun new way to enjoy read aloud books with kids.

    Magic Marks the Spot

    The Peanut started this book in paperback and I confess to being a little bit jealous. She only got a couple chapters in so we decided to listen to it together instead.

    I laughed out loud many times and the plot held my attention while driving.

    We finished it and the whole family enjoyed the tale. The vocabulary was a bit over the kids' heads but that's what made it fun for the adults. Definitely curious about the follow up books in the series!

    Winnie the Pooh

    Little Pea was obsessed with Pooh. We read the book together in the evenings but it just never gets old. Knowing how much she loved these tales, I grabbed the collected works for one of our trips so she had something to listen to if she isn't interested in the selection that the Peanut and I were listening to.

    Magic Tree House Collection

    The Magic Treehouse books are especially fun for kids in grades K - 3 but they may not always hold an adult's attention. They are the perfect audiobooks to keep ready to go if your kids need to listen for some quiet time.

    The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

    One of the best-known stories in American culture, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has stirred the imagination of young and old alike for over 100 years. Academy Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married, Alice in Wonderland, The Dark Knight Rises) lends her voice to this uniquely American fairy tale. 

    Matilda

    Roald Dahl is one of my all time favorite authors and Matilda is one of my favorite books. This amazing version is narrated by Kate Winslet.

    It is an amazing narration, a fantastic story, but my attention wavered towards the end. I still highly recommend it especially if you are unfamiliar with the story.

    The Mysterious Howling

    Of especially naughty children, it is sometimes said: “They must have been raised by wolves.” The Incorrigible Children actually were. Discovered in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children. Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. A recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must eliminate their canine tendencies.

    But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to civilize the Incorrigibles in time for Lady Constance’s holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische? Penelope is no stranger to mystery, as her own origins are also cloaked in secrecy. But as Agatha Swanburne herself once said, “Things may happen for a reason, but that doesn’t mean we know what the reason is—at least, not yet.”

    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

    Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!

    But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, our hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

    The Penderwicks

    With more than one million copies sold, this series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family from National Book Award winner and New York Times best seller Jeanne Birdsall is perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild and Edward Eager.  

    This summer the Penderwick sisters have a wonderful surprise: a holiday on the grounds of a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon they are busy discovering the summertime magic of Arundel's sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the best discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel's owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures. 

    Little House in the Big Woods

    The book that started it all! Little House in the Big Woods is the first book in Laura Ingalls Wilder's treasured Little House series, which is based on her life growing up as an American pioneer.

    Told from four-year-old Laura's point of view, this story begins in 1871 in a little log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Laura lives in the little house with her pa, her ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their trusty dog, Jack. Pioneer life is sometimes hard for the family, since they must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter. But it is also exciting as Laura and her family celebrate Christmas with homemade toys and treats, do the spring planting, bring in the harvest, and make their first trip into town. And every night they are safe and warm in their little house, with the happy sound of Pa's fiddle sending Laura and her sisters off to sleep.

    Pax

    Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit. But one day, the unimaginable happens: Peter's dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild. 

    At his grandfather's house, 300 miles away from home, Peter knows he isn't where he should be - with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox. 

    Meanwhile Pax, steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarks on adventures and discoveries of his own.... 

    Redwall

    When Redwall was published in 1987 it catipulted author Brian Jacques to international stardom.  Ans small wonder!  This enthralling tale is jam-packed with the things we long for in a great adventure:  danger, laughter, hairbreath excapes, tragedy, mystery, a touch of wonder, a truly despicable villain, and a hero we can take to heart.

    Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

    This book came highly recommended from "Books your 8 year old won't be able to put down" list.

    Holy unanticipated occurrences!

    It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry - and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.

    The Ramona Quimby Audio Collection

    Meet Ramona. She lives on Klickitat Street with her mother, father, and big sister, Beezus. She’s not afraid of anything and is always up to something. And that’s just the beginning….

    Nooks & Crannies

    Sweet, shy Tabitha Crum, the neglected only child of two parents straight out of a Roald Dahl book, doesn't have a friend in the world - except for her pet mouse, Pemberley, whom she loves dearly. But on the day she receives one of six invitations to the country estate of wealthy Countess Camilla DeMoss, her life changes forever.

    Upon the children's arrival at the sprawling, possibly haunted mansion, it turns out the countess has a very big secret - one that will change their lives forever. Then the children begin disappearing one by one. So Tabitha takes a cue from her favorite detective novels and, with Pemberley by her side, attempts to solve the case and rescue the other children...who just might be her first real friends.

    The photo collage shows several best audiobooks for families.

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Read aloud books your 9-year-old will love (and so will you!) says:
      August 5, 2019 at 8:58 am

      […] Related: 12 best audiobooks for families on road trips […]

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    2. 6 organizing tricks to survive a road trip with your kids - Peanut Blossom says:
      September 11, 2016 at 1:13 pm

      […] A pile of audio books from the library (Read which ones we loved here.) […]

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