We listen to a lot of audio books in our house. They keep kids of all ages occupied while I work in a way I feel good about. I prefer longer books or CDs that include several books, so it takes multiple sittings to hear the whole thing. This builds kids' attention spans, making them feel the same urge to get back to a good book that we feel when reading.
These are some of our favorite audio books. I'll admit these are not the most unusual or cutting edge choices. There are tons of choice in children's literature today. Our favorites do tend to be the standards. But standards become standards because they are good.
Harry Potter Series
Books-a-Million
We love Harry Potter. Both oldest child, my husband and I have read all seven books. And so to bring the younger two kids into the family's Harry Potter fan club, we began listening to them on CD audio books.
Browse Harry Potter audio books:
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone CD Audio Book
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets CD Audio Book
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban CD Audio Book
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire CD Audio Book
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix CD Audio Book
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince CD Audio Book
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows CD Audio Book
Junie B. Jones Series
Kids love Junie B. Jones. I'm sure some adults do too, I just don't happen to be one of them. However, these audio books allowed my daughter to immerse herself in this series before she could read. The narrator certainly does Junie justice. All her mispronunciations and grammatical mistakes are there adding to Junie's "charm."
- Junie B. Jones Collection : Books 1-8: CD Audio Book (includes titles Stupid Smelly Bus; Monkey Business; Big Fat Mouth; Sneaky Peaky Spying; Yucky Blucky Fruitcake)
- Junie B. Jones Collection : Books 9-16: CD Audio Book (includes titles Party Animal; Peep in Her Pocket; Smells Something Fish)
- Junie B. Jones Collection : Books 17-24: CD Audio Book (includes titles First Grader; Tootless Wonder; Cheater Pants)
Dr. Seuss Books
Get these audio books for your preschooler, and you may find the whole family listening. The beauty of Dr. Seuss is that everyone can enjoy his rhyming stories. And the stars come out to read Dr. Seuss.
- Oh, the Places You'll Go!/The Lorax CD Audio Book - Read by John Lithgow and Ted Danson
- The Cat in the Hat and Other Dr. Seuss Favorites CD Audio Book - Read by Kelsey Grammer. Also includes Horton Hears a Who Dustin Hoffman; How the Grinch Stole Christmas Walter Matthau
- Horton Hears a Who and Other Sounds of Dr. Seuss CD Audio Book - Read by Dustin Hoffman and Billy Crystal
- Green Eggs and Ham and Other Servings of Dr. Seuss CD Audio Book - Includes Green Eggs and Ham Jason Alexander; One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish David Hyde Pierce
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
The tale of an orphan boy in 1930's Paris is mostly told in this Caldecott-winning novel through intricate black-and-white illustrations. The pictures focus on one element then pan to another, much like a movie. Every so often, a few pages of text supplement with details of the boy's quest to rebuild a mechanical man. The audiobook comes with a DVD featuring a visual tour of book illustrations hosted by the author.
The tale of an orphan boy in 1930's Paris is mostly told in this Caldecott-winning novel through intricate black-and-white illustrations. The pictures focus on one element then pan to another, much like a movie. Every so often, a few pages of text supplement with details of the boy's quest to rebuild a mechanical man. The audiobook comes with a DVD featuring a visual tour of book illustrations hosted by the author.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
by James Rollins
I had no idea that there was a book to this movie (let alone an audio book) until my son took this one out of the library. This one will hook reluctant boys on the fun of listening to audio books.
I had no idea that there was a book to this movie (let alone an audio book) until my son took this one out of the library. This one will hook reluctant boys on the fun of listening to audio books.
