A few years ago, our family fell in love with listening to audiobooks in the car. However, we quickly learned that not all audiobooks are created equal. The best audiobooks for kids are read by narrators who truly give themselves over to the story, creating a special experience for the listener.
We’ve logged hundreds of hours listening to audiobooks, and there are some that have to stood out from the rest as truly excellent performances. Here are our absolute favorites — and they’re perfect for your first audiobook experience. Want a sneak peak? You can listen to samples of these audiobooks on Amazon!
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9 Best Audiobooks for Kids
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Books by Roald Dahl — Hands down, our favorite audiobooks are the books of Roald Dahl. Every one we’ve enjoyed has been fantastic, with narrators who truly embrace the story and make you feel as though you are in the middle of it. Wondering where to start? My favorite is David Wailliams’ reading of The BFG, and my boys loved Kate Winslet reading Matilda.
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling — If you love Harry Potter, you’ll love hearing Jim Dale read the series. Dale perfectly captures the characters, and makes you feel like you’re at Hogwarts right alongside Harry and Hermione. I especially love hearing him portray Hagrid.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum — Anne Hathaway brings so much life to this reading of a well-known classic. Her array of voices and passion for the story drew us in right away. After listening to the audiobook, my kids declared it better than the movie, which is pretty high praise for them! This version is available only on Amazon’s Audible service. Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks
The Henry Huggins Collection by Beverly Clearly — This fantastic collection contains all the Henry Huggins books, including:
- Henry Huggins
- Henry and Beezus
- Henry and Ribsy
- Henry and the Paper Route
- Henry and the Clubhouse
- Ribsy
narrated by Neil Patrick Harris!
The Geronimo Stilton Series by Geronimo Stilton — My boys love this series about an uptight mouse and his crazy family. The audiobooks are particularly well done, and if you can handle a few cheese puns, you’ll have a great time listening to them with your family. The books are short, so we can usually knock out three or four in a week!
The Magic Treehouse Collection by Mary Pope Osborne — My kids love this chapter book series, but they really love the audiobooks, read by the author. The stories are engaging, and the books are short enough that we can move through several within a couple of weeks. This audiobook collection has actually inspired my kids to read MORE of this series on their own!
Green Eggs and Ham and Other Servings of Dr. Seuss — Perfect for all ages, these classic stories are read by some amazing narrators, including Jason Alexander, Michael McKean, and David Hyde Pierce. This collection features nine classic Dr. Seuss stories in their entirety.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle — This is one of my all-time favorite books, and the audio verision, narrated by Hope Davis, captures the spirit of this beautiful story. My boys were not fans of this book when we tried it as a read-aloud, but when we listened to the audiobook version, they fell in love.
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar — This silly series was one of my favorites when I was a kid, and we had a great time listening to this one in the car. The book is read by the author, and Sachar adds a dry humor to the reading that makes it as much fun for parents as it is for kids.
If you enjoyed our list of the best audiobooks for kids, be sure to see how we listen to audiobooks for free!
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