You are about to embark on that ever-romanticized ritual, the family road trip. The bags are packed, the car has a full tank and tires have air. Now, what about entertainment for the backseat crowd? Having a selection of audio stories may be key to maintaining a zen-like, peaceful atmosphere in your car while you putter down the highway. Here are a few recommendations for your family holiday travels:
For the preschool set:
Rabbit Ears World Tales (Volumes 1-7)
Read by various narrators
CDJ R1124
Timeless folktales are masterfully read by actors, including Denzel Washington, John Cleese, Emma Thompson, and Ben Kingsley.
For early elementary listeners:
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Read by Jessica Almassy
CDJ P385C
Eight-year-old Clementine’s creative ideas for solving her friend’s hair dilemma and her dad’s pigeon problems get her into trouble.
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Read by Cherry Jones
CDJ W6455L
This classic tale of a year in the life of two young girls growing up on the Wisconsin frontier is enjoyable for all ages.
For everyone eight-years-old and older:
The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
Read by Katherine Kellgren
CDJ Sp83C
Enola Holmes, younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, runs away to London to avoid becoming a “proper lady”, and solve the mystery of her missing mother.
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
Read by Tai Alexandra Ricci
CDJ Ur15C
Ten-year-old Zoe dreams of being a classical pianist and playing at Carnegie Hall, but instead of a piano, her father brings home a Perfectone D-60 organ.
Fish by L.S. Matthews
Read by Sarah Bolger
CDJ M4325F
Tiger’s parents are aid workers in a village that is about to be engulfed by fighting. The family sets out on a difficult journey to safety.
Rascal by Sterling North
Read by Ed Sala
CDJ N81195R
Sterling North shares memories of his wild pets and carefree childhood in a small Midwestern town at the close of World War I.
Schooled by Gordon Korman
Read by various performers
CDJ K8421S
Capricorn Anderson has lived in a hippie commune his entire life. When his grandmother is hospitalized, he suddenly has to cope with the “real” world, middle school, and class bullies.
The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney
Read by Joseph Butler
CDJ B538S
Eben’s father promises him a trip to Colorado if he can find seven things in the small town of Sassafras Springs to rival the Seven Wonders of the World.
Shoeless Joe and Me by Dan Gutman
Read by Johnny Heller
CDJ G9858S
It’s one, two, three strikes you’re out in the old ball game. But what if you want to strike out and lose the game? This is an exciting, historical look at Chicago, the White Sox and Shoeless Joe.
Sing a Song of Tuna Fish: Hard to Swallow Stories from Fifth Grade by Esme Raji Codell
Read by author
CDJ C6485S
A funny, charming memoir of the author’s fifth-grade year, transitioning from home-schooling into a formal school environment, told in short stories.
A Step from Heaven by An Na
Read by Jina Oh
CDJ N11S
A young Korean girl and her family find it difficult to learn English and adjust to life in America.
The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
Read by Joel Johnstone
CDJ Sch53W
Wednesday afternoons, when the rest of the seventh grade students are at Temple and Catechism, Holling Hoodhood is at the mercy of his English teacher, Mrs. Baker.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Read by Jeff Woodman
CDJ R1839W
An eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely group of heirs to discover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.
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