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Listen Up: Six Terrific Middle Grade Audio Books for Your Summer Road Trips
There are only so many games of “I Spy” and riveting renditions of “Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall” you can initiate before a road trip has you wishing you’d put the brakes on travel this summer. While having each passenger grab a device, put on individual headphones, and sit there in (beautiful beautiful) silence might feel like the only alternative, there’s another option for parents who want to keep the peace and keep the entire family entertained: audiobooks.
After all, they don’t cause the motion sickness that some experience while reading physical books, they’re bound to be kid-friendly (which you can’t count on when you take the risk of exploring local radio stations), and you can avoid the potential cringe-worthy result of letting your kid play DJ. Whether you’re looking for an epic, sweeping story with high-production value, or a simple, funny, tale told by one talented and mesmerizing narrator, these audiobooks were selected with kids and parents in mind.
Echo, by Pam Munoz Ryan (read by Mark Bramhall, David de Cries, MacLeod Andres and Rebecca Soler)
When Otto finds a harmonica in the forest, he also finds himself caught inside a puzzling prophecy. Decades later, the very same harmonica lands in the hands of Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California. This Newbery Honor book weaves these richly imagined stories together into one beautiful symphony that explores the power of music and connectivity. Getting lost in the audiobook is perfect for music-loving kids who may be intimidated by the book’s length. The audio version is packed with booming orchestral music and a quartet of narrators.
The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling (read by Jim Dale)
You can’t talk about audiobooks for children without bringing up Jim Dale’s now-famous reading of this beloved series. Whether your kids already know Harry’s story or are listening in for the first time, the magic of hearing it read out loud is unmatched. And Jim Dale’s remarkable ability to read for over 250 of Rowling’s characters is a treat for the ears and the soul.
The BFG, by Roald Dahl (read by David Walliams)
Many people say that listening to Roald Dahl’s stories are even better than reading them in print, and I think we can all agree that we can’t get enough of British people reading to us. Award-winning actor David Walliams’ narration of this classic story brings us one of the best “listens” of them all. Equal parts funny and poignant, the audio version of this adventure is enhanced by music and sound effects.
The Mighty Miss Malone, by Christopher Paul Curtis (read by Bahni Turpin)
Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award, the audio version of this novel set in the Great Depression is perfect for parents who want to slyly slip some history into their kids’ summers. With Turpin’s riveting narration, character voices, and even singing, kids will fall in love with main character Deza and won’t even notice they’re learning about a pivotal time in American history.
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The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman (read by Neil Gaiman, Derek Jacobi, Robert Madge, Clare Corbett, Andrew Scott, Emilia Fox, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Miriam Margolyes, and Reece Shearsmith)
This best-selling, award-winning adventure about a boy who lives in a graveyard and is raised by ghosts, is the perfect listen for kids who want to add some spook to their road trips. Complete with a full cast recording and special content about the story behind the book, the talented cast brings this already riveting story alive. Repeat listens are not uncommon with this one; kids will be entranced and swept away again and again by Gaiman’s magical tale.
The Ramona Quimby series, by Beverly Cleary (read by Stockard Channing)
Whether your kids are already Ramona lovers or are listening to Cleary’s beloved series for the first time, they’ll certainly be laughing over Ramona’s hilarious antics and, with a collection of eight stories, you won’t run out of wacky adventures too soon. Parents who are looking for a little nostalgia on the long and winding road will have just as much fun with this one and kids and adults, alike, will certainly walk out of the car imitating Ramona’s “Mmm-okay!”