Hey traveler,
It's Jason from Carltonaut's Travel Tips. Long road trips can be fun. They can also make you question why you thought confining your kids into a set spot for hours on end was a good idea. Our family has overcome that “Are we there yet? I'm bored” stigma with some amazing audiobooks. We've also listened to some audiobooks that were terrible.
A good audiobook about more than the story. The narrator makes a big difference. Some are very engaging. Others are not so much.
Here's a list of the best audiobooks (listed in no particular order) to help you manage a long road trip with kids in tow. If you've got a recommended audiobook for family road trips that you'd like to add to the list, share it in the comments below.
Click the link to get ideas for 10 screen-free road trip activities, too!
The Trials of Apollo
We listened to the first book in the Trials of Apollo series during a roadtrip to Yellowstone National Park. The book got rave reviews by the kids in the car. If we stopped the book to let them know the plan for the next stop, they would immediately tell us to turn it back on when we were done talking.
Here's a summary from the author's webpage: How do you punish an immortal? By making him human. After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus’s favor. But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters, and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.
Running Time: 10.5 hours
Click the red button to see all your options for this book on Amazon.com.
The Harry Potter Series
It doesn't matter if you've already read the books, or watched the movies. The narrator of the Harry Potter series audiobooks is one of the best! Jim Dale uses the perfect voice for each character as he tells the stories written by J.K. Rowling. We think he's one of the best narrators we've ever heard on an audiobook. Start with the Sorcerer's Stone, and reserve the series for long road trips. Before you know it, the kids will be begging you to hit the road for some far-flung adventure.
Running Time (Sorcerer's Stone): 8.2 hours
Click the red button to see all your options for this book on Amazon.com.
Eragon (for super long road trips)
My kids and I weren't sure what to expect when we checked this audiobook out from our local library. The only thing that made the 16-hour audiobook doable were two back-to-back vacations. We covered 1,200 miles on the road. So needless to say, we were in the car for many, many hours. Eragon kept us all intrigued at what was happening. When we arrived home, my son got the second book in the series and read it within several days.
Here's a short overview from the publisher's website (by Christopher Paolini): When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.
Running Time: 16.4 hours
Click the red button to see all your options for this book on Amazon.com.
Deathwatch
I remember reading Deathwatch is eighth grade. It's probably the book title that's stuck with me the longest. I've read it several times since, and when our family hit the road for our annual vacation, we found a copy at the local library.
Here's a description of the book (by Robb White): Because Ben will earn enough to pay next year's expenses for college, he guides a rich businessman, Madec, into the mountains to hunt for bighorn sheep. But Ben soon finds that Madec's wealth is matched only by his arrogance. He doesn't let anything, or anyone, keep him from getting what he wants. When Madec accidentally shoots an old prospector, mistaking him for an animal, he has no intention of reporting the death. Instead, he plans to eliminate the only witness-Ben. Now, miles from nowhere, Madec is carrying a .358 Magnum, and Ben is his prey. Naked and unarmed, the young man faces the greatest-and perhaps the last-challenge of his life.
Running Time: 5.25 hours
This classic book may be hard to buy on audio! Click the red button to see all your options for this book on Amazon.com.
The Roald Dahl Audiobook Collection
Everyone enjoys reading a Roald Dahl book. From Matilda to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There are several fantastic books to choose from, and lucky for your kids, many of them are available in audiobook. These books are quick reads, and thus quick listens. They work well for shorter road trips to grandma's house for Christmas, or a family friend in southern Utah.
The books may cater to a younger audience, but they can take anyone on an adventure. Here's a summary of the book: After James Henry Trotter's parents are tragically eaten by a rhinoceros, he goes to live with his two horrible aunts, Spiker and Sponge. Life there is no fun, until James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree and strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it's as big as a house. Inside, James meets a bunch of oversized friends – Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybug, and more. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the great adventure begins!
Running Time (James and the Giant Peach): 3.2 hours
Click the red button to see all your options for this book on Amazon.com.
Wonder
The movie, Wonder, came out in late 2017. The book was released in 2012. It's a great story told in a rather unique way: From the viewpoint of multiple people. The story is captivating, and the life-lessons discussed in the books give your family something to discuss about kindness, hardships and life.
Here's a brief overview of Wonder (by R.J. Palacio): August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a severe facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school.
Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, Auggie wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past his extraordinary face.
Running Time: 8 hours
Click the red button to see all your options for this book on Amazon.com.
The Hobbit
When my son was 10, he read the entire Lord of the Rings series, including The Hobbit. I cheated and listened to the audiobook. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started listening to it, but I was drawn in to the hobbit's story. It's an adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat, which is perfect for distracting kids from the countless road signs you pass on a road trip.
Here's a summary of The Hobbit (by J.R.R. Tolkein): Like every other hobbit, Bilbo Baggins likes nothing better than a quiet evening in his snug hole in the ground, dining on a sumptuous dinner in front of a fire. But when a wandering wizard captivates him with tales of the unknown, Bilbo becomes restless. Soon he joins the wizard’s band of homeless dwarves in search of giant spiders, savage wolves, and other dangers. Bilbo quickly tires of the quest for adventure and longs for the security of his familiar home. But before he can return to his life of comfort, he must face the greatest threat of all – a treasure-troving dragon named Smaug.
Running Time: 11 hours
Click the red button to see all your options for this book on Amazon.com.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
If you're looking for a fun, upbeat book… this isn't the one for you. It's one miserable mishap after another for the Baudelaire orphans. But the way the story is written, you'll find yourself hoping the three orphans can come out victorious just once. But Count Olaf wants their fortune and tries every-which-way to become their legal guardian. What's better? The narrator is none other than Tim Curry!
There are 13 books in the series, but we recommend starting at the first book in the series: The Bad Beginning (by Lemony Snicket). If you like that one enough to continue, then work your way through all 13 unlucky books. They're each fairly short – perfect for those weekend road trip getaways!
Running Time (The Bad Beginning): 2.5 hours
Click the red button to see all your options for this book on Amazon.com.
Charlotte's Web
I remember seeing the cartoon of Charlotte's Web as a kid. My young daughter and I later read the book together as a sort of bed time story. Charlotte's Web is a classic, and what better time to listen to it than in the car. While it's not full of action and adventure, it's a great story with lots of life lessons.
Here's a summary of Charlotte's Web (by E.B. White): Charlotte's Web is a timeless story of the pig named Wilbur and the wise spider named Charlotte who saved him from becoming dinner.
Running Time: 3.5 hours
Click the red button to see all your options for this book on Amazon.com.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Even though there are a few movies from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, that shouldn't stop you from picking up one of the books for your next long haul! The everyday humor and bad luck that plagues Greg Heffley will keep you laughing – because you can probably relate to that sort of bad luck. Or at least I can. Maybe that's because I was like the scrawny wimpy kid in my school when I was growing up. Haha!
There are multiple books in the series, but here's a summary of the first book (by Jeff Kinney): Sixth grader Greg Heffley doesn’t understand his annoying younger brother, obnoxious older one, or well-meaning parents. But he knows enough to record his daily thoughts in a manly journal—not some girly diary. In a unique novel brimming with laugh-out-loud moments, Greg chronicles his first turbulent year of middle school.
Running Time: 2 hours
Click the red button to see all your options for this book on Amazon.com.
Resources Available for Finding Audiobooks
One of the best sources we've found for our audiobooks is our local library. They're free to check out, and some are even available for digital download.
You can purchase audiobooks from Amazon and other sellers. Download via subscription services like Audible that allow you to listen through your mobile device or buy Audio CDs. Find the one that's best for your family – and your technological capabilities.
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