Recently I was talking to a friend about how I rely on audiobooks for peaceful quiet times around here and she asked for a few titles. Then I realized I really should write them down because I can't always remember what Lucy and Jonah listened to a few years ago now that Norah is ready for them. Norah likes to listen to things over and over again so I don't need as many choices for her as the bigger kids but it is frustrating when I can't remember things I knew a few years ago. This actually happens a lot and when it does, lists are normally the answer!
So here are a few of the audiobooks we've enjoyed over the year. It's heavy on the free ones, either from Librivox (which I'll include a link to), Kay Ray's podcast (also linked - We love Kay Ray and if she read it, it's probably a good book even if you haven't heard of it before!) or on Hoopla or Overdrive (which I'll mark with a *. I've heard that different library systems have slightly different Hoopla access but at least you know you could check yours).
I know some people get frustrated because the quality of Librivox varies so much but as you use it, you start to notice the really good narrators. KayRay and Mark Smith are two of our favorite children's lit readers. Those voices are pretty much instanteously recognizable to my kids.
If your phone/tablet has a podcast player (Podcast Addict is my favorite player but there are tons that are free), playing these is so simple these days. Especially if "LoyalBooks" has picked that Librivox version. Searching the book title as the podcast name might bring it up. KayRay used to have all her reads under the KayRay Podcast so you can search her name for most of those. She's also making different books into individual feeds which will allow you to search the title specifically and Norah especially likes that because they have colorful pictures so it makes it easier for her to look at her choices and point to what she wants.
But if the narrator you want doesn't show up, you can add it as a RSS feed. This is what I have to do with lesser known Librivox books. It's still simple. Just go to that book's link and click RSS feed. Mine automatically copies the RSS feed but if you not, just copy it. Then open your podcast player, search/add a podcast and you should see a RSS feed option. When I click on that, as I said, it automatically fills in the latest feed I was on but if not, you should be able to paste it and then it will load.
Of course, there is also Audible and I've snagged a few good deals there but I don't buy much unless its a very favorite. I'm also not linking to AO books because we use those as school books. But if you use a different curriculumn, I'd still recommend checking out that site for great lists of books and they include a libribox link if its an option.
Okay, now onto the list! (In general it goes from younger to older kid stories)
Beatrix Potter - Librivox has several versions, Norah likes Jenny Lundak.
Burgess "Adventures of" Animal Stories and Mother West Wind Stories (We save The Burgess Bird Book and The Burgess Animal Book for school because there are more educational/less narrative. I'm talking about the books with specific animals in the title like Grandfather Frog, Chattered the Red Squirrel or Bowser the Hound.
Raggedy Ann/ Raggedy Andy
Apple Blossom the Possum narrated by Dustin Hoffman
Winnie the Pooh/House on Pooh Corner* narrated by Peter Dennis
The Little House
Many Moons
Frances Audio Collection (Kay Ray has two for free as well)
Frog and Toad Audio Collection*
Betsy-Tacy (the first four)
Walter the Lazy Mouse
Uncle Wiggily's Adventures and other Uncle Wiggily story collections by Howard Garis.
Poo-Poo and the Dragons
The Apple Stone
Peter Pan narrated by Jim Dale
All-of-a-Kind Family*
Little House on the Prairie Series* - I prefer Craig or I to be the reader for our kids first experience with these but repeats with the Cherry Jones version is more than acceptable.
The Wizard of Oz Series - Your milage may vary because I find these weird but my kids have loved them and listened to the whole series multiple times. Phil Chenevert is by far our favorite narrator.
The Melondy Quartet - Another wonderful KayRay series Lucy and Jonah have practically memorized by now.
Mary Poppins and sequels*
Five Little Pepper series (also on Hoopla if you find that easier)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang series* (The first was written by Ian Flemming which seems to be Audible only, the sequels by Frank Cottrell Boyce are on Hoopla. David Tennant narrates them all - enough said, right?!)
The Trumpet of the Swan
Charlotte's Web - I love that E. B. Whites narrates it himself
Half Magic - Mentions E. Nesbit so kinda fun to do this one right after one of those. At least my kids thought that was a fun connection!
Peter Pan - So many narrator options but we went with Jim Dale. Not free but our library has it and he's amazing as always. He also narrates the Peter and the Stargazer series which is on my to-listen list but I can't vouch for it yet.
Frindle. (Okay, pretty much all Andrew Clements books. Hoopla has lots. I don't normally do contemporary fiction for my kids but my big two have loved them all)
Psammead Trilogy by E. Nesbit (5 Children and It, The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Story of the Amulet)...and lots of other Nesbit stories as well.
Roald Dahl books - KayRay's done Charlie but the Penguin Audio versions of the ones we've gotten through overdrive have been great too although they are popular and almost always have a waitlist. I got a spontaneous narration about the previous night's BFG reading every morning!
By the Great Horn Spoon*
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and its sequel When the Sea Turned to Silver*
How to Train Your Dragon Series - Another David Tennant narrated one. Bit more modern in tone than my normal picks and has some mild language (There's a character named Big-Boobied Bertha who makes an appearance) but we enjoyed them nonetheless.
Beverly Cleary Audiobook Collections* (Ramona series, Henry Huggins Series, her mixed bag set. KayRay has also done Ramona and Beezus and Norah has it memorized)
Bruce Coville Unicorn Chronicles*
The Secret Garden - There is a KayRay Librivox version which I'm sure is good but we have the Focus on the Family Radio Theater version that is just charming and I will continue to collect these.
Anne of Green Gables - Same as above, I'm sure Librivox is fine but after Lucy and I read the book together, we got the Focus on the Family Radio Theater.
Chronicles of Narnia - Are you seeing a trend? The Radio Theater versions of these are very similar to the books so Craig read the series to the kids but we've also listened probably 5-6 times to the entire dramatization together in the car. KayRay has read the first two as well.
Gone Away Lake/Return to Gone Away Lake*
The Light Princess* (It seems silly to mention this George MacDonald book and skip his more well known ones but those are AO selections. So if you aren't AO people, be sure to listen to the Princess and the Goblin and At the Back of the North Wind)
Treasures of the Snow*
Hans Brinker, of the Silver Skates
To get to:
I haven't vetted all these (books or narrators) but they are on my list of maybes so I'll include them so I don't forget about them later. And as you can see, we listen to a lot of audibooks so if you have any other ideas I should check out, please share! I feel like I spend quite a bit of my time keeping up with these guys and their story demands!
Dandelion Cottage
Peter and the Starcatchers narrated by Jim Dale
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
The Bobbsey Twins Series
G.A. Henty Novels - Link is to the librivox recordings but I've heard wonderful things about radio drama versions
A Yankee Girl at Ft. Sumtner
The Story of Rolf and the Viking's Bow
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Helen's Babies
Around the World in Eighty Days
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