Have an Audio Book Collection You’ll Love

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Reading,

Books,

Reading books aloud

Are all a part of our family culture.

They are part of the reading culture we’ve established over the years.

Books are one way we connect as a family

Shared experiences we can talk about

Audio books are part of our story too.

We’re collectors.

We love to listen.

How about you?

Our Favorite Audio Book Moments

Maybe you are wondering when we find time for audio books.

It’s a fair question.

After all,

it’s a busy season.

Here’s a list of times you can find us listening:

• Car trips– when our kids were younger, we’d listen on long trips. We still do if I’m driving!
• Running around town– audios aren’t just for long trips! When we lived farther out of town, we had plenty of listening time built in. But, even now I will get a few minutes in running a few miles here and there.
• Bed time– if you have a child who doesn’t fall to sleep easily, audio books are a dream. Pun intended. I have a stripped down Kindle for this purpose and we turn off internet to it. So, it only has downloaded audio books on it.

• Doing chores– because chores are better when you listen to a story!
• During project time– my daughter will often listen while she working on projects of all kinds. She’ll listen to old favorites and new adventures.
• Stressful times– when I need to take a break, I choose a faithful companion of an audio book. Have you ever listened to Charlotte’s Web read by E.B.White? It’s worth the purchase just for the soothing story that unfolds. Even when you know the story by heart!
• Rainy days & snow days– for a change in scenery to the day. We’ll gather in and listen while we work on something with our hands.

Favorite Audio Story Books

These are single stories we enjoy.

This list is not exhaustive. I’ve got another post just for a few more.

But, make sure to have a listen to these!

• Charlotte’s Web– THE best. Truly, if I want to decompress, this is my go to. You don’t want to wait to hear E.B.White himself read this book to you.
• The Hobbit– really good on audio. Another one that gets a multiple listen a few times a year.
• Watership Down– two of my kids adore this book and they revisit it. It’s the story of a rabbit warren in trouble.
• Wind in the Willows– this classic tale about toad and his car and everything in between comes alive in the audio tale.
• A Christmas Carol– wonderful for the holiday season, the best version I’ve heard is the Tim Curry version at Audible.
• The Trumpet of the Swan– another read by E.B.White, the author and this story is sweet.

Favorite Series Audio Book

One of the best ways to get audio books is to purchase them in a series.

Sometimes more than one is sold together.

Other times, you get them separately, but you have the next title to roll right into.

Don’t you just love to linger in a story world as long as possible?

It’s dreamy to get lost in a story world.

These are some of our family favorites:

• Swallows & Amazons– Honestly, this is just good adventuring fun. Sailing and camping in the Lake District of England. Kids doing what kids do all summer and sometimes on school breaks.
• The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter– is lovely to listen to. It will bring peace to your home. Trust me. And age doesn’t matter!
• The Green Ember – five books related in this setting. Think rabbits with swords.
• Redwall– 22 books in this series/world and it is the all time favorite of several of my kids. And one that several of my kids listen to over and over.
• Lord of the Rings– This one is nice and long and full of fantasy and truth, beauty, and goodness
• Wrinkle in Time– the first in the Time Quintet, a science fiction story for middle grades
• Wingfeather Saga– a newer series and the author describes it as Lord of the Rings meets The Princess Bride. My kids love these stories.
• My Side of the Mountain has three books and is great for adventure. Everyone wants to run away to the Catskills after reading this one!
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz– There are 15 books in this series. They are great reads! Have you ever read the original story? It’ll blow your mind in a few spots after knowing the movie so well.
• The Chronicles of Narnia– we have both the audio dramas and the unabridged readings. These stories are worth listening to again and again.
• Hank the Cowdog– meant to be read aloud. 60 some books in the series. Wonderful humor! I’ve been reading a book on writing by the author, John Erickson and it’s given me a new perspective on the Hank series.

• Little House Books– another all time favorite of my kids’ and Cherry Jones is the best! These are not to be missed.
• Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place– 5 books right now and another due out in June. Perfect to hear read aloud.
• A Series of Unfortunate Events– My kids stepped into this world via the TV series on Netflix (my husband loves to share long running series with the kids- it’s a huge connection point for them all) and have enjoyed listening to the original books.
• Half Magic– 7 books in this series and they are delightful
• The Penderwicks– four books and counting in the Penderwick world. Another is due out soon. The first story is my favorite.
• Harry Potter– it was a big day when HP ended up at Audible. If your family loves these books, they are lovely in audio form.
• Mysterious Benedict Society– on the list of books featuring gifted kids, this is a favorite series at our house
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland– Audible has a lovely version of this one. It’s one of the books our youngest enjoys a lot.

Audio Book Sources

Audio books can be expensive.

I said it.

It’s true.

But, lucky for us, there are ways to get them inexpensively.

And conveniently.

• Library– If you want to go old school with a CD, try the library.
• Online Libraries– Do you check out eBooks through your library’s website? There are audio books available the same way.
• LibriVox– a free to get audio books from the public domain
• Penguin Random House– If you get on their email list, every month they offer a free audio for a few days.
• Amazon Prime– If you are a Prime member, you get Audible channels. These are podcasts, interviews, book chapters, essays, etc that you can listen to and they include some whole books.
• Amazon– You can purchase the audio book form of any book at Amazon (as long as one is available). The links to the books in this list will take you to the cheapest form on Amazon.
• Kindle Books– If you purchase a book for the Kindle, you can often include an audio for a low price.
• Audible– An Audible membership allows you to get one credit a month to use on an Audible book. Plus, you can get others for less than $5 or the membership price. Hint: If you click the link below and sign on for Audible, you can get two free audio books. Then you can cancel any time after and those audio books are yours even after you end your membership!

Can I tell you my favorite way to get audio books?

It’s Audible. I adore it.

I would cut the cord on television before I’d give up Audible.

For real.

The convenience of the app is a win.

It’s got a car mode.

Swoon.

More on Learning with Audios

There are other ways to enjoy a good listen.

When audio books aren’t available,

check out podcasts.

Some are fiction based and

some are delightfully non-fiction.

• 10 Best Podcasts for Your Inquisitive Teen– These are ten engaging topic type podcasts that your teen will enjoy.
• Why We Fell in Love with Audio Books from Audible– This membership is my favorite. For me, it beats all the TV options we have. It’s worth carving out funds for in our budget.
• 10 Best Podcasts for Curious Kids– How about fun listening opportunities for kids? Check out this list!
• Must Watch TED Talks for Homeschoolers– Or you can just listen with the TED app! These are always inspiring and on point. I’ve curated a list, you’ll love.

Audio books are a regular part of our homeschool.

For many of us here,

a part of our lives.

When you don’t have time for reading.

Take the time with an audio book.

You won’t regret it.