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Audio Book Suggestions for ages 2- 11

I am a huge fan of audio books. I have been in several but that is not why. I love them for myself but also for kids in particular.

Kids can comprehend stories far more complicated than the ones they can read. When a child begins to read, and is reading simply, their mind longs for longer more complex stories.

Both our girls grew up listening in the car. School was a 20 minute drive, grandma’s was an hour away so we listened. They listened on airplanes and at bedtime after we read to them they would listen to more books on tape.

In case you are truly curious how this panned out in real life— both the girls scored off the charts with listening comprehension from kindergarten on. Standardized tests given at Kindergarten level showed our oldest with a perfect score. Her teacher was stunned and said she had never seen that high a score. Both girls achieved extremely high scores on reading where it really counts, their college entrance exams. One took the ACT and one took the SAT in case you are interested.

Books on tape, audible, CD players, we have used all of them and the girls began listening young. Kate, our oldest listened to her first audios beginning just after her 2nd birthday. Winnie the Pooh by Dover Publishing(read by an older man it is a lovely recording) Our youngest was listening from before birth because Kate is 4 years older and was well into audio books by the time she was born.

Below is a list I compiled a long time ago for a friend. I like when the author reads but I am also picky about narrators and whether or not things are abridged.

E.B. White reads Charlotte’s web, Trumpet of the swan and Stuart 
little. His own voice reading his own stories is wonderful.

The lion the witch and the wardrobe—Harper has Michael York and he 
is terrific

Dover did a great Winnie the pooh with a wonderful actor–kind of like 
your English Grandpa reading them to you.

Magic tree house–all of the series

All the disney fairy stories–these are RH audios and are terrific–
very undisney disney. Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg for instance.

Peter Pan–read by Jim Dale

Raggedy ann and Andy–there are multiple stories about these two. I was not aware of these stories before finding them for my girls.

Ella enchanted—Gail Carson Levine--also The two princesses of
Bamarr and Fairest–these are terrific. Ella is better as a book than a movie(no offense to Anne Hathaway who was lovely casting they just changed it a lot.)

Frog and Toad

Little Bear

An English series called Half Magic, and another couple of books: Dancing Shoes, Ballet Shoes and etc those two are for the older side of this but our girls listened to everything together that we listened to in the car.

Mary Poppins–each chapter is  an individual story/adventure

Chitty Chitty Bang bang –is nothing like the movie but does have the 
magic car and the kids

THe Golden Compass, The Harry Potters

Dad’s books and short stories. My girls listened as I was listening to them —each time a new one came out we would listen to them. I am behind now but…

Libraries have audio books for kids as well as itunes. You can also buy audios through independent bookstores—ask when you are in one and they will be happy to help out.

It makes the driving a lot of fun though  I have a hard time not 
listening when they are at school!

Excuse the lack of polish—we had a fire scare today(Monday) and I am publishing this on Wednesday. Hold some good thoughts for California please. Tuesday night brings the next wind event.