There have been a few standout audiobooks that my kids have really enjoyed so far over their elementary and early middle school years. For the most part, the books themselves are well known and already wonderful, but the particular readers have made these audiobook stories even better! The way these narrators know how to perform the dialogue, pausing, enunciating, emphasizing, applying different tones and voices, can really transform the story experience.
You can find these audiobooks free at the library and at many of the audiobook apps such as Hoopla, Overdrive, and the like. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!
Here is the list of what we have loved so far:
Roald Dahl Books
In the Roald Dahl audiobook collections, look for these versions:
- Danny Champion of the World, read by Peter Serafinowicz – a nail-biting story about a young boy and his father, who dare to take a stand against a cruel, wealthy neighbor
- Witches, performed by actress Miranda Richardson – another tense story of a boy and his grandmother who battle against a secret society of witches
- Fantastic Mr. Fox performed by Chris O’Dowd – this is an adorable, action-packed story of a family of foxes fighting for their lives.
The Whipping Boy
by Sid Fleischman, read by Spike McClure – funny adventurous tale of two boys, one a prince and the other a poor commoner, and the relationship that grows between them
Henry Huggins
by Beverly Clearly, read by actor and Broadway star Neil Patrick Harris – tales of trivial everyday childhood experiences that Clearly writes with such hilarious insight and Harris reads with such perfection.
A Cricket in Times Square
by actor Tony Shalhoub, famous, I believe, from the TV show, Monk, and The Marvelous Miss Maisel – a heartwarming story of a special little cricket and his animal friends.
A Series of Unfortunate Events (Books 1-13)
by Lemony Snicket and narrated by Lemony Snicket (the author himself) or Britsh actor, Tim Curry – this series about unfortunate orphans trying to escape a terrible villain had us both laughing and sitting at the edge of our seats in suspense. The readers really made the characters come alive.
The Westing Game
by Ellen Raskin, performed by Jeff Woodman – this classic mystery is really one of the all-time best mysteries for children in the way it unravels from character to character.
96 Miles
by J.L. Esplin, narrated by Robbie Daymond – Two brothers must travel 96 miles through the hot Nevada roads without barely any food or water. This book may be more interesting for ages 9 and up. The narrator really makes this story worth listening. He reads the entire book with such emotion, possibly surpassing the imagination that would have come with silent reading.
Have you heard some superbly narrated audiobooks for kids? I would love to hear about them! Please share below or email me at wishiknewbefore20@gmail.com
Things I wish I knew before. . . 