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13 Best Family Audiobooks For Road Trips
Explore the list of incredible family audiobooks for road trips in 2023
Road trips are a great way to travel with the entire family, also having some great books to listen to during the whole trip is even better.
But if you’re tired of listening to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on tape during the trip, again and again, and looking for some immersive audiobooks you’ll love this curated list of the best audiobooks on road trips with your family.
Whether you’re planning a long road trip with young kids in the United States or just a long drive with family for a day, try and listen to these great audiobooks.
I can guarantee that you will have a long list of good books to listen to by the time you finish reading this blog post.
Also, don’t forget to get your Audible free trial to enjoy your favorite book from the list!
Peter and Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Listening Length: 8 hours and 40 minutes
Narrator: Jim Dale
The first book on the list is a great series called Peter and Starcatchers. Best-selling authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson take you back to the world of classic tales. Peter and Starcatchers is a fast-paced adventure that promises hours of great listening. Little kids would love to see their favorite characters from the classic story of Peter Pan. It’s also a fabulous series to listen to after Harry Potter. And the best part is the audiobook is narrated by none other than Jim Dale, who is also the narrator of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
Here are the complete Peter and the Starcatchers book series:
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon
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Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan
Listening Length: 10 hours and 2 minutes
Narrator: Jesse Bernstein
Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson Series is an exciting adventure for the whole family. The main character is a young boy named Percy, who teams up with his friends to fight mythological monsters. There is lots of action and fun in the story. Also, it’s a five-book series, so you’ll have many stories to keep you busy during the family trip. And the new book is expected to be released in September 2023!
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Matilda by Roald Dahl
Listening Length: 4 hours and 18 minutes
Narrator: Kate Winslet
I am a huge fan of Roald Dahl’s books. Whether it’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or Fantastic Mr. Fox, he has the best books for young children.
His stories are silly and fun but also super entertaining. Among all, Matilda is my favorite book. It’s a lovely story of a super smart girl. She loves reading and exploring things. Also, she uses her special powers to fight the evil headmistress. And you know, the exciting part is that the audiobook is narrated by Kate Winslet!
Her narration is clear, engaging, and extremely entertaining!
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The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
Listening Length: 9 hours and 12 minutes
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
I guess, nowadays coming-of-age stories are my favorite audiobooks to listen to.
I am hooked on these remarkable tales. They are incredibly immersive and I am so glad there are many books to choose from. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is another great coming-of-age book that tells the story of friendship and family.
We meet 12-year-old Coyote Sunrise, who sets off on a wonderful adventure to save the buried time capsule in her old neighborhood park. I have no doubt that this is a remarkable book that everyone should listen to during an epic family car trip.
The lyrical writing, beautiful narrative, and wise young protagonist, there are so many good things to love about.
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Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson
Listening Length: 2 hours and 51 minutes
Narrator: Sisi Aisha Johnson
This book is absolutely amazing to listen to. Ryan Hart is the loyal friend anyone would love to have.
She is supportive and loves inventing new recipes. But her family is going through a crisis at the moment so there are a lot of changes that Ryan has to cope with. They don’t have a car anymore and all of them are moving to a new neighborhood. Yet, Ryan is always determined to find the best in any situation.
Ways to Make Sunshine is an absolute gem for kids. It’s the first book in the Ryan Hart Series. The second book is called, Ways to Grow Love.
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When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Listening Length: 3 hours and 42 minutes
Narrator: Omar Mohamed, Dominic Hoffman, Christine Avila, JD Jackson, Robin Miles, Ifrah Mansour, Bahni Turpin, Hakeemshady Mohamed, Sadeeq Ali
I can’t get enough of full-cast audiobooks with sound effects.
Megan Lloyd’s Allergy was the first graphic novel I listened to the audio version of, and absolutely LOVED it!
When Stars are Scattered is another graphic novel with sound effects and full-cast narration. It’s a profoundly moving book to listen to on a family vacation. It’s a heartwarming story of a little boy Omar and his family in a refugee camp in Kenya. This story is based on a true story and is suitable for children 7+ years old. I think we need more of these audiobooks that help people understand the situation of children in refugee camps.
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The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Listening Length: 33 hours and 45 minutes
Narrator: Kenneth Branagh, Alex Jennings, Michael York, Lynn Redgrave, Derek Jacobi, Jeremy Northam, Patrick Stewart
Who wouldn’t wish to go back to the magical land of Narnia? Even after seventy years, adults and children love the stories set in the land hidden inside the wardrobe. What is even better is that this audio version has all seven titles in The Chronicles of Narnia series. So, the longest audiobooks on the list. The full cast audiobook narration of well-known actors including Kenneth Branagh and Patrick Stewart.
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Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
Listening Length: 1 hour and 46 minutes
Narrator: Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is another favorite author of mine. His witty and insightful stories always put me in a good mood.
Odd and the Frost Giants is another humorous book about gods and magic in Viking times. The main character is a young boy in a Norse village.
One day he decides to embark on an adventure on his own and becomes friends with talking animals, Odin, Loki, and Thor. I have always been fascinated by Gaiman’s knack for creating immersive narratives. Once you start listening to the story you just don’t want it to end.
He is also an excellent audiobook narrator with a clear and soothing voice. So this book is going to be a popular book for the whole family.
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Melissa by Alex Gino
Listening Length: 3 hours and 7 minutes
Narrator: Jamie Clayton
When I came across this audiobook on Scribd, I didn’t expect it to be so profound and inspiring. Melissa, previously published as George, is a story of an elementary school trans-girl.
George longs to play the role of Charlotte, the spider in the school play. But she doesn’t get the opportunity to even audition because she is a boy. But deep down, George knows she is a girl, and I adored her supportive best friend Kelly.
Also, it’s great to listen to Jamie Clayton narrating the story.
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My Jasper June by Laurel Snyder
Listening Length: 8 hours and 25 minutes
Narrator: Imani Parks
There is a lot to love about Laurel Snyder’s novel.
My Jasper June is about a young girl Leah, who struggles with loneliness after a horrible tragedy. Then she meets Jasper, a fourteen-year-old girl who quickly becomes her best friend. There is something mysterious and magical about Jasper.
Honestly, I was completely captivated by the book. I thought this touching story of friendship and loss is quite special.
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Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Listening Length: 15 hours and 34 minutes
Narrator: Lynn Redgrave
Cornelia Funke’s fantasy book, Inkheart chronicles the journey of twelve-year-old Meggie and her bookbinder father. Unfortunately, her father’s secret power changes Maggie’s life forever.
Lynn Redgrave’s audiobook narration is beyond perfect, so you would be hooked to this fifteen-hour-long audiobook from the first chapter.
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Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
Listening Length: 2 hours and 39 minutes
Narrator: Priya Ayyar
This coming-of-age story follows Reha, an Indian-American girl who is growing up in America.
She feels lonely and confused between two worlds. She is the only Indian-American student at school, but at home, she struggles to meet her family’s expectations. Red, White, and Whole honestly made me quite sad. It’s definitely a heartbreaking book to listen to.
Also, I am glad that stories like this exist because it inspires young readers to expand their horizons. Narrator Priya Ayyar was absolutely perfect as the main character.
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Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Listening Length: 3 hours and 50 minutes
Narrator: Vaneh Assadourian
Next on the list is a lyrical story about self-discovery. Young Jude and her mother just left her beloved brother and father in Syria to move to America.
She wasn’t ready for the big change, so the new place feels noisy and chaotic to her. But then there are new friends, family, and exciting school musicals.
So she hopes that maybe someday she can call this new country home. The story takes the young readers to very serious topics of war and corruption, but also there are a lot of feel-good fun moments that kids love.
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I hope you loved this list of audiobooks for your next family adventure.
Related list:
35 Best Audiobooks To Listen To On Road Trips
19 Nonfiction Audiobooks Guaranteed to Entertain You on Your Road Trips
Stephy George
