‘Tis the season for holiday travel. If you’re anything like us, putting two adults, four children, and a rambunctious dog in the car for a family road trip can be challenging—and that’s before you factor in holiday traffic. Reading tastes vary widely in my family, but we all agree on this: a good audiobook can be a lifesaver on a long drive. If you’re looking for a book to keep the whole family entertained during holiday travel this year, this list of middle grade titles is for you.
Middle grade books usually cater to an audience in the 8-12 year old range, but can be universally appealing for readers who appreciate quirky characters, adventure stories, and (mostly) happy endings. The books on this list not only have broad appeal, but are fantastic on audio.
The Wind in the Willows
The Green Ember
One Crazy Summer
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
The War That Saved My Life
The Secret Keepers
The Magic Misfits
Book Scavenger
Time Stops for No Mouse: A Hermux Tantamoq Adventure
Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire
Liesl & Po
See You in the Cosmos
The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries Volume Two: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, Strong Poison, The Five Red Herrings, and Have His Carcase
From the publisher: "A gentleman needs hobbies. For Lord Peter Wimsey—a Great War veteran with a touch of shell shock—collecting rare books, sampling fine wines, and catching criminals are all most pleasant diversions."
More info →What audiobooks have you enjoyed listening to during a family road trip?
P.S. 15 audiobooks that enhance your reading experience, 40 favorite audiobooks for kids, and 10 audiobooks so good you’ll want to fold another load of laundry, finish washing the dishes, or just sit in the driveway for 5 more minutes. Plus you can click here to see all audiobook posts.
49 comments
Good list! My number one audiobook recommendation for families is The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling. A young governess in Victorian England is called in to care for a group of siblings who were, quite literally, raised by wolves. It is hysterically funny – my husband and I were sobbing with laughter in the car. The reader is the best audiobook reader I’ve ever heard. The first book in the series is the strongest. After that the books are still ok and the reader is still wonderful but the first book is hard to match.
I agree! I’ve listened to all these books and loved them. I gave a friend’s daughter the first book earlier this year, and she loved it so much that she went as Cassiopeia for Halloween.
Yes, fantastic books and so well written that it’s hard to believe she’s a modern author! And as Agatha Swanburne says, “All books are judged by their covers until they are read.”
Yes!! My girls love The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place! Earlier today they were quoting one of the poems talked about in the books. “Tiger, tiger, burning bright”
I LOVED the audio of The War That Saved My Life. The narrator was amazing. Another one that is awesome is Airborn by Kenneth Oppel. I’ve listened to that a couple of times because I love the audio version so much!
When I was growing up, my family frequently listened to James Herriot stories on road trips (or whenever). There is occasionally a bit of cussing in them, but they’re a great mixture of fascinating and sweet and sad and gut-bustingly funny.
We love the How To Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell. The audio is superbly narrated by David Tennant.
Oh, I LOVED See You in the Cosmos!! I wish I could get my fantasy-obsessed 8yo to read it, but no luck so far.
We’ve enjoyed the Apothecary series by Maile Meloy on audio, and the audio of Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke was a big hit. They also loved the Wildwood books by Maile’s brother Colin Meloy, but I really did not enjoy them. (I have two boys, 8 and 5.)
I can’t vouch for the audio, but Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool is gorgeous, and great for fans of Wonder and Kate DiCamillo, and so is The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani. Both are journey books, so thematically fitting for road trips.
We are two senior citizens with a Westie, who is open to anything. Any audio suggestions for us?
Hi Donna,
I just finished Echo by Pam Munzo ryan I thought it was fabulous it centers around 3 different children who receive a harmonica to play during the war. the interspersing of music was such a treat. I do think it would also be good for family road trips. link to Google book description. https://books.google.com/books/about/Echo_Free_Preview_Edition.html?id=E0W4BQAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description
Lonesome Dove! I’m not usually a western fan but this was terrific, and a great audio experience in particular. It’s a bit long, which should be good for a road trip, and also it is ABOUT a road trip! If you saw the miniseries, the book is even better.
I second the James Herriot stories; they are my favorite for road trips!
Anne, do you know where the photo in this post was taken? It looks just like Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah. I’ve taken numerous photos there that look almost exactly like this.
Great list! I’ll just throw in some Holiday-themed suggestions that my son (9) and I have enjoyed on road trips.
The Girl Who Saved Christmas, by Matt Haig, 5 hrs 22 min
When Santa Fell to Earth, by Cornelia Funke (author of the Inkheart series), 3 hrs
Top Elf, by Caleb Zane Huett, 8 hrs 35 min
My almost four-year-old and I can’t get enough of the Ramona Quimby series!
I’m going to flag this for future reference! But in the meantime, I’d love some suggestions for younger ages as well (I have a six-year-old).
I’ve been thinking with fondness lately of the stories we used to listen to on road trips when the kids were little! (My boys are now 11 and 14, and we still listen to audiobooks in the car–just not these usually.) Some favorites:
Stuart Little, E.B. White
The “Laura” books (Laura Ingalls Wilder) narrated by Cherry Jones
A Cricket in Times Square, George Selden
A Bear Called Paddington, Michael Bond (also More about Paddington)
The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Beverly Cleary
Our all-time favorite, to which we still sometimes return: Four-Story Mistake, Elizabeth Enright (#2 of Melendy Quartet; #1 and #3-4 are also good, but in #1, The Saturdays, a little girl is abducted briefly [happy ending] and a little boy is lost [happy ending]; in #3 there is a mean alcoholic uncle of a friend; #4, Spiderweb for Two, is “safe” but the clues might be over his/her head).
My boys (5 and 3) have loved Arnold Lobel’s books, Beverly Cleary, and Mercy Watson (by Kate DiCamillo) on audio. EB White narrates his own work and does a fantastic job (we haven’t listened to those yet, but I’m planning to introduce them to my 5 year old soon). Also, while I haven’t listened to this on audio, Robert McCloskey’s “Homer Price” is one my oldest and I found silly and fun.
Thank you for these suggestions!
Try some classics: Poppins Longstocking, Mrs. Peggle Wiggle, The Saturday’s, Stuart Little.
‘My family would like to add Brandon Mull’s “Beyonders: A World Without Heroes. Everyone loved it. It might be a bit scary for really young kids, but it’s filled with adventure and themes from “Lord of the Rings” and “Narnia”. I think the main character, Jason, is 13 years old and his adventure begins when he falls into the mouth of a hippopotamus. There are three books in the series and we sincerely hope Brandon Mull will change his mind and add more books. It’s been a family fave (Dad included) for years.
I was glad to see The Green Ember on there… It’s a good one! I would also recommend On the Edge if the Dark Sea of Darkness, by Andrew Peterson, and Swallows and Amazon’s, by Arthur Ransome. Both of those have wonderful Audible readers. Our most recent car listen has been The Ark, The Reef and The Fire Cloud, by Jenny Cote
I loved the Swallows & Amazons series as a child! Glad to hear they are available as audio books now too.
We used audio books to get our daughters to listen to classics that they would otherwise disdain…
The Saturdays
From the Mixed up Files…
A Wrinkle in Time
Holes
The Moffats
Just So Stories
Anne of Green Gables
Little Women
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Roald Dahl
And our very favorite, The Wednesday Wars!
We loved the Focus on the Family version of The Chronicles of Narnia. (it may be old but our library had it) It’s a full cast production. Also, my boys tend to like anything funny so right now we’re listening to Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (wonderfully narrated by the author, Judy Blume) and also Super Fudge and Fudge-O-Mania! Mine love these, and I think they’re pretty funny too!
For older boys — Bud, Not Buddy, (mine is 8 and we really enjoyed this) and Tree Castle Island.
Focus on the Family offers several Radio Theater Productions of classic books and their own Odyssey series. Their version of A Christmas Carol is on my list this year!
One Crazy Summer was such a fun audiobook! Oldie but goodie favorites are the Hank the Cowdog series and anything by Daniel Pinkwater (The Hoboken Chicken Emergency is a riot).
Our kids are in their twenties now, but we went on many family road trips where I remember the audiobook as well as I remember the trip itself. Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching books were favorites (first one is The Wee Free Men), they have Pratchett’s trademark snarky humor toned down a bit for kids. The Gregor the Overlander series was a favorite of the kids and my husband (not so much for me since there are giant bugs), by Suzanne Collins, the same author as The Hunger Games but written before that and for a grade school audience. And there was an Andrew Clements book called No Talking that led to a very interesting discussion about gender typing. Also, that one is short– 2 1/2 hours– if that works better for you.
You should add Because of Winn-Dixie. It is a great book and the audio I used for my students is wonderful
yes we loved that one!
I just picked up, only moments before reading this, “Wildwood” by Colin Meloy. I am trusting that the audio (read by Amanda Plummer) will be worthwhile. We do have Harry Potter and The half-Blood Prince as backup since we are already in the midst of reading that one.
What a great list! Others that the whole family will enjoy are: Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (amazing full cast audio!), The One and Only Ivan, and The Mysterious Benedict Society. Such fun!
The His Dark Materials trilogy was a favorite of our family. And with older kids Eleanor & Park is great (mine are now 16 and 14, but we listened to this a year or two ago).
Holes is a great audiobook!
The Ranger’s Apprentice and Brotherband series are terrific on audio as well as print. The reader keeps the voices consistent through ALL the books. I’ve listened and read both series more than once.
My 15 year old says that’s his favorite read.
My kids all loved The Ranger’s Apprentice and Brotherband series. The narrator is so good! I read and listened right along with them. Highly recommend!
Best middle grade audio books that my kids and I have listened to multiple times… (great stories and wonderful narrators)
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (read by Brendan Fraser–AMAZING!!!)
Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby (read by Jenna Lamia)
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (Full Cast Audio)
The Penderwicks 1-3 by Jeanne Birdsall (read by Susan Denaker)
Pie by Sarah Weeks (read by Kate Rudd)
Yes!!!!!Dragon Rider!!!
Nit sure if this is even a audio book but on a road trip I read to the family : the adventures of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. Such a good book!
Our family unequivocably and unanimously recommends the Bloody Jack series by L A Meyer!! Read by Katherine Kellgren with a wonderful cockney accent, it’s about little orphaned Mary Faber, who lives by her wits on the streets of 19th century London, telling the story in her inimitable and spunky voice. One day she reads that a ship is looking for ship’s boys and has room for two—and incredibly, they FEED them every day! She decides on the spot to dress as a boy and get the job, which naturally she does, as “Jack Faber”, and it sets off an incredibly fun and historical and heartwarming story, which goes on for about 12 more books. No magic here, unlike most in your 13, just true to life action and great storytelling in the tradition of Dickens, and loved by 8 year olds, cynical teens, mothers, grandfathers, inmates in prison, college professors……sooooo good! Needs more publicity.
My grandchildren love, Hank the cow dog series, goofy & fun. When our son was younger we all enjoyed the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. Long, exciting tales of conflict between the good, mice, moles & rabbits & the evil rats& stoats. We sometimes reached our destination, sat in the car to finish an exciting chapter.
I don’t know if these are only supposed to be “family” audio books, but I just listened to one of my all-time faves, The Little Book by Seldon Edwards. I read it when it first came out and loved it so much (it’s almost impossible to describe but I’ll try: it’s part world adventure, part time-travel, part family saga, part social commentary both on 1898 Vienna and upper-crust Boston as well as current day . . . and of course, we can never forget part amazing love story.) When I was ready to read his follow-up book, The Lost Prince, it had been too many years, so I bought The Little Book on audio . . . and, WOW! It’s so well done, so many voices, personas, etc. I recommend this book in ANY format!
I highly recommend the Jim Weiss narration of The Wind in the Willows. He has done many other books and stories, but they may not be on Audible. His narration is fantastic!
So many great titles that I have loved. About The Wind in the Willows, I don’t actually see an audio version linked, just the book. Could I get your favorite?
Thank you! Researching a great audiobook for an upcoming family trip was on my agenda this week. Looking forward to hearing Book Scavenger on our journey to sunshine along the I-5 over Spring Break.
In return, I’ll recommend two which we’ve listened to in past years/trips:
A Dog’s Way Home, by Bobbie Pyron
Maps, by Andrew Clements
The Best Schoolyear Ever and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson are both well read (different readers) and always crack my kids up. We listen to the latter every Christmas Day as we make the drive to the grandparents’ house.
I recommended Elizabeth Enright for good old fashioned family fun. The Melendy Family series and Gone Away Lake are excellent! Gives the kids an idea of what kids did to entertain themselves before screentime came along!
Loved half of these books. Will put the other half on our family TBR. I also suggest:
Tale of Despereaux
Cheaper by the Dozen
Author Elizabeth Enright
Tuesday’s at the Castle Series
Bookwanderer series
Whiz pop Chocolate Shop
Liar and Spy
I was delighted to see Dorothy Sayers on your list. My streaming service doesn’t have any of the titles included in the recommended bundle, though.
Are all of Sayers’s books ok for preteens? Or at least, all those you’ve read?
Thanks! My boys want to just listen to their own music as I drive, but I want to keep the family audiobook tradition alive on this summer’s roadtrip… Wish me luck!