If you are headed out on a road trip with kids, make sure to grab some of these audiobooks that are will keep both the children and adults entertained along the way. From short to long, suspenseful to laugh-out-loud funny, and even books with some real life lessons, this list of audiobooks will most definitely keep you entertained on your family road trip.
This post was created in partnerships with one of my favorite brands, Audible. This post is sponsored but the thoughts, road trip, and list all all 100% mine!
It is an exciting time around here… we are about to embark on another move, and this one is taking us allllllllllll the way across the country. We are fortunate in that we are able to take our time on this trek and take a long meandering and not so direct route that will allow us to visit family, long lost friends, and show our kids some of our favorite places in this great country.
With this awesome trip also comes about 60 hours of driving time, not including stops, bathroom breaks, or meals. And with 3 little ones I have to think that is going to be a lot. While I love that we are going to get to give our kids so many priceless experiences, I kind of hate that to think they will be a screen zombie for 3 solid weeks in a car, so I have been putting together an audiobook list of family approved books that the kids and grown ups can listen to together.
The great thing about audiobooks is that you can lose yourself in not only the story like a book, but also in the performance like a movie. By listening right alongside your kids it gives you the ability to talk about the things that happen, how they feel about it, how you feel about it and really foster some great conversation and quality time, even when you are behind the wheel, not to mention you have a captive audience.
In putting together this list, I had a few considerations:
- All of the books are appropriate for a family. Both kids and adults should be entertained.
- I have both boys and girls. I know anyone can love any book, but I try to pick things that are kind of middle of the road and have a plot that they can all enjoy.
- Since audiobooks are narrated they tend to be multiple hours in length so you don’t need a huge list for a long road trip. You can pick and choose things that you think your kids will really fall in love with and work in a couple that have some really good themes that will make them really empathize for the characters and situations so that you can turn the books into some really meaningful conversations with them along the way.
If you have never tried audiobooks… DO IT! They are amazing and really make time in the car fly by. You can get a free trial of Audible here so you can try out a book and see if your family loves it as much as we do then you can collect others based on how quickly you listen to them. I love audible because they have a seemingly endless selection of books and their apps make it seamless
Best Audiobooks for a Family Road Trip
- Wonder (Run time 8hr 6 min) – I started with this book because it really is one will pull every feeling you have inside you! You will laugh… you will cry… you will feel it all. I often talk to my oldest about if there is anyone in his class that doesn’t have friends, or needs friends and he usually says no. It is so important to me that he learns to love others, look past differences and above being smart, good at sports, or getting good grades, that he is just a good person. In a world where it is sometimes hard to see past the tiny world outside your circle of friends this book can really help your kids understand life as someone who is different and feel all of the feelings right along with them. Hopefully that experience helps them to be kind and be brave and be the one that is compassionate to others!
- Holes (run time 4hr 23 min) – This book will pull you in and take you along for the ride as you learn about how “bad luck” shaped a family’s history and how one boy has the courage to overcome that luck!
- The Ramona Quimby Audio Collection (run time 19 hours) – This is a great series for younger kids! So many of the things that kids laugh, cry, and scream about every day are wrapped up in Ramona’s crazy adventures so they will be able to really relate and wrap themselves up in her story. Your kids will be laughing along for hours on end. I love that this version gives you the whole series in one audiobook. The kids can fall in love with the characters, the story and then just keep going for more with each book. The kids might just be begging to drive a little bit farther so they can finish the book!This audiobook includes:
Beezus and Ramona
Ramona the Pest
Ramona the Brave
Ramona and Her Father
Ramona and Her Mother
Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Ramona Forever
Ramona’s World - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (run time 8 hr 34 minutes) – The Harry Potter series is one that I really feel like anyone from a kid to an adult can enjoy. The narration pulls you into the story and you will experience the magic of becoming a wizard and all that it comes with right along with your kids and Harry! There are so many lessons of right and wrong, good and evil, and just life lessons about growing up throughout these books. I will say that I think the first couple of books are pretty appropriate for even young kids, but the last few books have some pretty dark and more scary moments in them so your younger kiddos may not be ready for them yet.
- Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (run time 2 hr 33 min) – Peter is fed up with his brother getting all of the attention, a feeling most older siblings have felt! This time the last straw is broken and Peter decides to steal the spotlight and get his parents attention. Anyone with siblings, and even those without, will love following along with this story as you laugh together through the crazy antics! This is the first in the Super-Fudge series from Judy Blume, so if your kids love it, there is much more for them to listen to on the trip!
- The Ralph S. Mouse Audio Collection (run time 6 hours 40 minutes)- This is another book series that is great for younger kids. If your kids are always looking for adventure then they will love feeling the thrill when Ralph decides that he is going to take an adventure on the shiny red motorcycle he has been eyeing. This collection includes all three books that chronicle his tales.This audiobook includes:
Mouse and the Motorcycle
Ralph S. Mouse
Runaway Ralph - What’s Great About ______ (run time 15-20 minutes) – If you are on a road trip, you are probably headed somewhere and getting to enjoy the places in between. These tiny little audiobooks are perfect to break up the drive and get excited about where ever you are headed at the moment. Lasting from about 15-30 minutes each, these will give you some fun facts and activities about the state. It would be fun to listen to these to your kids to build up that feeling of excitement about the location and talk to your kids about what things they are most eager to do when you arrive. They have these for most states and even a few different countries, so take a look and see if they have the one where you are headed.
- Magic Treehouse Collection (run time 6 hours) – These books have been recommended by so many of our friends we are really excited to listen to them on this road trip! These books are a collection of short stories that follow the adventures of two kids as they are transported all over the world and through time. This book is a great mix of education and adventure and with each story being fairly quick (around 30 min,) even younger kids can keep up with the plotline easily and and really enjoy listening. This first audiobook contains the first 8 books of the series and if your kids fall in love, you can keep going through many more collections!
- Number the Stars (run time 2 hr 47 min) – This powerful audiobook will tug on every heartstring as it recounts the Nazi invasion through the eyes of a child. Although the younger kids may not be ready yet to hear about this terrible time in history, the great thing about this book is how it tells the story without being overly graphic or direct. It is a great way to introduce this to your kids and have some really powerful conversations about our world and how things like this can happen.
- How to Train Your Dragon (run time 3hr 30 min)- This is a fun coming of age book where a viking boy is trying to earn his place in the clan by catching and training a dragon to complete his initiation. There are so many fun adventures, life lessons, and suspenseful moments along the way. This one will keep your entire family on the edge of their seat the entire time!
I think that will take us all the way across the country and give us quite a bit to talk about along the way. Do you have any favorite audiobooks that your family loves? I would love for you to share in the comments! Remember if you haven’t tried Audible, go here for a free trial so you can get started!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Audible. The opinions and text are all mine.
Seana Turner says
I love audiobooks for road trips. It is so fun when the whole family is old enough to enjoy them. I love so many of these books. Another great audio choice in the Narnia series. They are really well done on aduio!
Andrea says
We LOVE the Harry Potter audio books. I’ve listened to them all and am introducing my children to them. My boys (7 and 9 when we listened) really enjoyed James and the Giant Peach. We also had Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie during our road trip from MN to MO. We’ve enjoyed Narnia books as well. We LOVE audio books!!