One of my goals in life is to turn my kids into bibliophiles. (Is that a bad word?) Anyway, I want them to love books and reading.
Lydia is already a book lover. When she was about two, she’d sit on the floor with a pile of books next to her. She’d look through them one at a time then set them in a pile on the other side of her lap.
I’m hoping to develop the same love of reading and books in Asa. One way I do this is with audio books. I’m not a huge music person myself, but I do get bored in the car. So, I love listening to audio books. Not only are they entertaining, I think they help little ears and minds learn to recognize good literature! (That is, if you let them listen to good literature!)
So, here are my TOP TEN FAVORITE AUDIO BOOKS FOR KIDS. I have to say though, I haven’t listened to many more than these. A better title might be THE TOP TEN AUDIO BOOKS FOR KIDS I’VE ACTUALLY LISTENED TO.
Lydia has been gaga over Tinkerbell and the Disney Fairies for awhile now. It’s my fault, I’m sure. I mean, I did give her a fairy party when she was 1. Anyway, I randomly picked this up thinking it would be fun for her. And I was right! Each CD-book is actually two full chapter books. They are pretty formula and kinda cartoon sitcom-ish, but not too weird or PC. I actually enjoyed them. I kinda like that whole fairy world anyway. Each book is read by a different actor. So, that’s kind of weird since we’ve listened to about six of them. But still, every actor was good and did great voices for each character. Our favorite was Lily’s Pesky Plant
This is actually the Radio Theater version and it is LOVELY. The Secret Garden was the first “real” book I ever read as a kid. When I saw this version at the library I knew Lydia would like it. We popped it in the CD player and were immersed in the story! I had forgotten most of the story and was crying at the end! It made me want to read the whole book again. Radio Theater is a dramatized version of the book with full cast and sound effects. More interesting than a movie in my opinion!
3. Socks
I loved Beverly Cleary as a child but had never read Socks. So, when I saw this one was narrated by…wait for it…Neil Patrick Harris, well, I just had to get it! I’m not always impressed with “celebrity” readers but he was great. Lydia didn’t love it but did think the cat was funny. I think she got a little bored because the action is all in a house and a lot of the dialogue was from the cat’s perspective. But it’s a funny cute book about a baby intruding on Sock’s perfect family.
OK, so this isn’t exactly an audio book. But I ADORE Adventures in Odyssey and it’s very much LIKE an audiobook. Odyssey is a radio program (similar to Radio Theater above) with a full cast of awesome voices (including Hal Smith from Andy Griffith, Townsend Coleman who voices The Tick and Alan Young who is Scrooge McDuck!). Each adventure follows the inhabitants of a small town called Odyssey.
5. Harry Potter
I loved the first Harry Potter book so much I read it to Les on one of our many road trips when we first got married. Soon, we discovered Cracker Barrel has audio books for rent (like $3!), so we picked up Harry Potter and were HOOKED. It’s read by the DELICIOUS Jim Dale and seriously, he could read the phone book and I’d listen. His Snape is outstanding, as is his McGonogall. In fact, I hear his voice doing McGonogall when I read the books. A must for Harry fans. {FYI: the kids have not heard this and if/when I let them get into Harry, it will be when I read it to them!}
I had never read the Penderwicks before. I have to say I picked the audio version up because the cover was cute. (It is, isn’t it?) And I loved it! Susan Denaker’s voices are just perfect–her sweetness added to the ambiance of the story.
I could have sworn I read this book as a kid. But after listening to it, I realized I had not. Lydia loved this book. She thought it was hilarious. I loved it so much I ended up buying Lauren Child’s version. Isn’t it pretty?
8. Radio Theatre: Chronicles of Narnia
Did you think I could make a list about kids’ books and not include these? These are the Radio Theatre versions and are simply breathtaking. If you are a Narnia fan or not, a child or an adult, you should listen to these. We’ve listened to them several times with Lydia. There are a few battle scenes in each one so if you have very young kids, those parts might be too much. Lydia wasn’t scared by them, just confused. My favorite is…well, all of them.
9. Peter Pan
I decided to listen to this book because it’s read by JIM DALE. If you could have a crush on a voice, I’d have one on his. Of course, my only experience with the story of Peter Pan was from the Disney movie. And like any book/movie, the book is so much better! I really liked it! It was much more fantastical than the movie and sometimes even a little odd. In all honesty, I don’t think we finished listening to it because Lydia got a little bored in the descriptions. But it made me want to read the book.
10. I don’t have a tenth. We did listen to about five minutes of a Junie B. Jones book but I turned it off because she (Junie) was rude, rebellious and disobedient in the first five seconds. I didn’t like the words she was using—and as the heroine of the book, I didn’t want Lydia to imitate. I need to pick up the book and read it to see how/if Junie changes.
If you know a good kids’ audio book, leave a comment for me! I’d love to find some new ones!
I think for an audio book to really interesting to kids, it needs to have a reader that doesn’t just READ, but one who does voices. This is what really captures Lydia’s attention. We listened to Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg
Well, that’s my two ten cents! Let’s hear your Top Ten for today! Write a post on your own blog, link up below with your PERMALINK, then visit and comment on the rest of the Top Ten participants!
I’m not sure you could have had a more timely list! I am a voracious reader but, alas, my Andrew (10) is not. It’s driving me nuts. I just started looking into audiobooks since we are traveling so much this summer. I was APPALLED when I saw that the HP audiobooks (even on iTunes) were over $30! So…YOU MEAN I CAN RENT IT AT CB FOR 3 BUCKS!!!! YIPPEEEEE!!!
We have just discovered listening to kids audio books in the car. We ended up with a set of Boxcar Children’s Audio books as a gift and are on our second time listening to them. Maggie really enjoys them. I can’t remember who reads them, but she does a great job. Mags is not reading Boxcar children books to us at night, and she does the same voices as are on the audio books – HIlarious.
I too LOVE Jim Dale. I’ve read all the Harry Potters, but my husband is not a reader but a listener. So, I’ve listened to them all too. I even used the audio book of the first HP when I taught to give me a break from reading aloud after lunch. It’s awesome to watch the kids listening so intently and reacting to the story.
Great list Amanda! I’m off to paperbackswap.com to see what I can find.
2. Love it! Was so excited I found my copy the other day while packing. Have you ever read Mandy by Julie Edwards (aka Julia Andrews, aka “Maria,” “Mary Poppins,” and so forth). It’s another wonderful garden story. 🙂
4. My sister was super into Adventures in Odyssey and gave us some of her TAPES–I know–for Libbie. Hehe. Libbie’s CD player DOES have a tape deck, though.
7. I loved, loved Pippi when I was a kid. My favorite was Pippi in the South Seas.
9. I read Peter Pan in a Victorian Lit class in college. *Swoon* The book is always better than the movie. I got a huge, gorgeous coffee-table like edition from paperbackswap.
10. Might be a little old for Lydia, but I loved listening to the Ramona Quimby books on tape when I was a kid.
I still love listening to books on CD. Find it’s a great way to squeeze in some more reading time! And bibliophile is a totally appropriate word. I hope all my kids will be one like me! My DH and I both read at 4 and have loved books our whole lives. I try to read to Libbie all the time and hope she will love books as well!
Also meant to add to that essay–I LOOOVE Lauren Child and I am looking up her Pippi book right now! I got a GORGEOUS copy of The Dream Bed by her off PaperbackSwap (see a theme here?). It’s so beautiful and I can’t wait to read it to Libbie when she understand it a little. 🙂
You know me, that’s my kind of reading!!!
I loved reading the book Socks when I was little!!
I have never listened to an audio book, but this is something I’d like to look into for Bryson. Thanks for sharing!
Now I’m totally inspired to check out an audio book from my library to listen to in the car and/or at work!
I’m just not sure I could do audiobooks. I have to have music and it must be music I already know all the words to. I’m sure my family would prefer I just slap in some audiobooks instead. But until I get used to the idea, they’ll just have to keep boogying to the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack. 🙂
Might I add an option that we LOVE???
First and Foremost is the Eddie Dickens Trilogy, by Philip Ardaugh. It is easily the most entertaining audio book anyone in our family has ever heard…
I loved the Secret Garden as a child too! It’s great and mysterious!
I’ve never listened to the radio theater version of the Chronicles of Narnia, but the regular audiobook version with British actors (both theater and TV/movie) is EXCELLENT!
Junie B is the worst. Don’t waste your money! Bad grammar, bad attitude!
Great list! I love the Odyssey Series!
My girls love the Magic Treehouse series read by the author Mary Pope Osborne and my older girl loves the 39 Clues series by Rick Riordan (& other various authors) narrated by David Pittu, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke narrated by Lynn Redgrave , Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black narrated by Mark Hamill, and a couple of personal favorites Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park read by Mina Kim, finally Goose Girl by Shannon Hale narrated by Cynthia Bishop and the full cast family.
Oh, thank you! I’m always looking for new suggestions! Right now we’re reading/listening to Charlie & The Chocolate Factory—its a great version!
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Paddington books read by Stephen Fry
Chronicles of Narnia Radio Dramas (Focus on the Family)
Winnie the Pooh books read by Peter Dennis
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory read by Eric Idle
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children read by Jim Dale
Rikki Tikki Tavi read by Madhav Sharma
For Adults/teens:
PG Wodehouse books read by either Martin Jarvis or Jonathan Cecil
Unabridged James Herriot series read by Christopher Timothy
We love listening to audiobooks on trips. Check your library for free selections!
My son (5) loves Nate the Great, A to Z mysteries (there is a book for every letter of the alphabet!!), and the boxcar children (can you tell he loves mysteries?). We also just listened to Mrs. Piggle Wiggle’s Farm and he loved that too.