Greenburgh Public Library Blog

Great Audiobooks for Family Car Trips

Family road trip planned? Don’t forget the audiobook! Audiobooks entertain as experienced and struggling readers access literature beyond their reading levels. They help readers explore new genres, increase and reinforce vocabulary, and pronounce difficult proper names or locales with ease. Well produced audiobooks demonstrate fluent reading and provide appropriate phrasing, intonation, and articulation. To support your child’s developing comprehension skills, discuss the story with him or her. The discussion can include the ethics, values, and psychology raised in the story or clarify parts that may have confused him or her. Encourage your child to predict what will happen next and connect events in the story to his or her prior knowledge or life experience. Long car rides fly by when the whole family enjoys a story together!

The GPL’s Children’s Room has hundreds of recorded books available and access to thousands more through member libraries, Hoopla, CloudLibrary, Libby (Overdrive), RB Digital and Tumblebooks. Let us know what your family's favorite audiobooks are on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook #greenburghlibrary #iloveaudiobooks

Notable Children’s Audiobooks available at GPL

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig

ISBN: 9780735207790

Publication Date: 2016-11-01

Ages 6-12. Stephen Fry’s captivating narration chronicles Nikolas’s transformative journey from boy to Father Christmas.

Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package by Kate DiCamillo

ISBN: 9781101916124

Publication Date: 2017-10-10

Ages 6-9. Lorna Raver brings to life each quirky character from Deckawoo Drive with comedic flair in this lighthearted tale of a mysterious delivery.

 

 

Greetings from Witness Protection! by Jake Burt

ISBN: 9780525494744

Publication Date: 2017-10-03

Ages 10-14. Tara Sands’s sarcastic teenage voice and a supporting cast build suspense in this unconventional family-in-hiding story.

 

Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen; Erik Christian Haugaard (Translator); Michael Bacon (Contribution by)

ISBN: 9780525626053

Publication Date: 2018-05-01

Ages 5+. Brought to life by Academy Award(R)-winning actor F. Murray Abraham and an ensemble cast of narrators, and featuring original music by Michael Bacon, this collection contains Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved fairy tales, as well as a selection of lesser-known favorites.

Jake the Fake Keeps It Real by Craig Robinson; Adam Mansbach

ISBN: 9781524721329

Publication Date: 2017-03-28

Ages 8-12. Sullivan Jones paints a hilarious picture of middle-school jokester Jake the Fake with style and pizzazz.

 

The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine by Mark Twain; Philip C. Stead; Erin E. Stead (Contribution by)

ISBN: 9780525498704

Publication Date: 2017-09-26

Ages 6-12. In a quirky and seamless listen, Keegan-Michael Key narrates this “lost” story from Mark Twain, while Philip Stead and Mark Bramhall voice the conversation that frames the story.

 

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng

ISBN: 9781524750022

Publication Date: 2017-02-28

Ages 10-14. Listeners are along for the ride as Kivlighan de Montebello and fellow narrators record the adventures of a precocious 11-year-old on an extraordinary road trip.

 

The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore

ISBN: 9781524782474

Publication Date: 2017-09-19

Ages 10-14. Nile Bullock’s youthful narration of Lolly, grieving for his older brother, is emotional, honest, and invites the listener into life in the Harlem projects.

 

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Shannon Hale; Dean Hale

ISBN: 9781524734077

Publication Date: 2017-02-07

Ages 9-14. Abigail Revasch and Tara Sands’s spunky performances draw listeners into this hilarious, action-packed tale about Doreen Green, a.k.a. Squirrel Girl, her new B.F.F., evil-doers, and chittering squirrels.

 

The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

ISBN: 9780525493631

Publication Date: 2017-10-03

Ages 10-14. Jayne Entwistle’s accomplished narration connects the listener to Ada’s journey as she struggles with growing up in England during World War II.

 

Wedgie & Gizmo by Suzanne Selfors

ISBN: 9780062683557

Publication Date: 2017

Ages 6-12. Johnny Heller’s diabolical Gizmo, an evil genius guinea pig, and Maxwell Glick’s hysterical Wedgie, an energetic Corgi, face off as they adjust to their humans’ new living arrangement as a blended family.

 

The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

ISBN: 9781478996651

Publication Date: 2017-10-03

Ages 8-12. Shipwrecked on a remote, wild island, Robot Roz learned from the unwelcoming animal inhabitants and adapted to her surroundings--but can she survive the challenges of the civilized world and find her way home to Brightbill and the island? Narrator Kathleen McInerney creates a warmth in Roz's monotone delivery that pairs delightfully with an array of clicks, squeaks, moos, and honks.

The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell; David Tennant (Read by)

ISBN: 9781478922735

Publication Date: 2017-10-03

Ages 8-12. David Tennant’s spellbinding performance and unexpected sound effects bring a large cast of magical and non-magical characters to life.

Further Reading:

“Why Audiobooks are Great for Kids”

“How Audiobooks Can Help Kids Who Struggle with Reading”

“Is Listening to a Book Cheating?”

“To Your Brain, Listening to a Book Is Pretty Much the Same As Reading It”

“How Audio Promotes Literacy”

“Listen and Learn with Audiobooks”