10 Great Audiobooks for Family Road Trips

Road trips can be rough. Especially if you have young kids that get bored easily. As the driver, I sometimes get bored and need something to listen to besides the whining in the back seats. That’s where audiobooks come in.

If you picked the right one, your road trip will be fun. But the wrong one can steer the kids back to whining. Here are 10 audiobooks that have been road-tested and kid approved.

They’re listed from the ones we liked the best, to the ones that were still great, but not as good as the other ones.

Harry Potter: The Complete Series, by J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter books are super popular. They are great stories the whole family can enjoy. But what makes the audiobooks even better is the narrator, Jim Dahle. He is phenomenal!

As he reads the story, he has different voices and intonations he does for the individual characters. He gets excited when the story is exciting, and has emotion when the story has its sadness.

You can start with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but pretty soon you and your kids will be demanding you take a road trip so you can keep listening to the story.

Frindle, by Andrew Clements

Imagine what would happen if someone decided to call a pen a “Frindle”. In fact, that person gets all of his friends to start using the word, too. The fifth grader is surprised to see just how far his little social experiment goes. And it’s fun to follow along.

I listened to this book on a solo commute to and from work. But I loved the story so much, that we all listened to it during a short Saturday road trip to visit family. It’s a fun story, and one the whole family can enjoy.

Rump (And others like Red and Jack), by Liesl Shurtliff

If you think you know the story of Rumpelstiltskin, then think again. The narrator plays the part of Rump – a young boy whose parents died before he heard his full name. So for years, he was called Rump – and heard all the jokes that come with that name.

Follow Rump as he goes on an adventure to find his full name. It’s a wonderful story that will keep you driving so you can finish it up. You’ll also notice some other Fairy Tale characters in the story – like Rump’s friend Red (a.k.a. Little Red Riding Hood).

If you like Rump, you can also check out Red or Jack. We’ve listened to Red, and while it was good, I did enjoy Rump a lot more.

Eragon, by Christopher Paolini

Eragon is probably one of my favorite road trip audiobooks. My kids and I had picked it up at the local library before our long road trip to Yellowstone National Park. We knew it was a long book, but we figured we had a long drive.

Right from the start, the story pulled us in. We had the audiobook going every moment possible. Yellowstone often includes a lot of driving – it’s a big park, and we would hop from one stop to the next. But Eragon was the perfect book for it as it kept our interest even after countless hours in the car.

In fact, my oldest son purchased the subsequent books in the series and read each of them within a few months of our trip. So I’m glad this audiobook inspired additional non-road trip reading from my kids.

The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman

I remember having read The Whipping Boy in school, so I knew the basic storyline. But I really enjoyed listening to the book and understand why it’s popular.

I’ll admit to rolling my eyes a few times when the bratty prince purposely did things because the whipping boy would get the punishment. But the ending shows the power of friendship.

Even better… it’s a quick listen. There are only two CDs.

James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl

We love numerous stories by Roald Dahl. So you can’t go wrong listening to the audiobook from any of his stories.

James and the Giant Peach was a quick listen, and one that our youngest asked to listen to after seeing a high school play on the story. It’s a book that will stretch your imagination and interest you until the last words are read.

Some other ones you could listen to include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and more.

I Funny, by James Patterson

If your kids want a new set of jokes to tell to all their friends, give them a notebook as you listen to The Nerdiest, Wimpiest, Dorkiest I Funny Ever.

Jaime is a young boy who holds the title of funniest kid in America. But his title is soon challenged on a global scale. Follow Jaime and his companions as they travel the globe in the “Planet’s Funniest Kid Contest”.

As in many stories, there’s a villain – the comedian who creates conflict by making fun of the other contestants in order to try and win over the crowd. But in the end, you’ll see how comedy really can bring people from all cultures together.

And I hope you’re ready to laugh – even if some of the jokes told are certified “Dad Jokes”.

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen

Years ago, when I was commuting 45-minutes each way to work, I listened to Hatchet. It took me a moment to get into the book – especially since I’d already seen the movie. But after really coming to understand Brian and his drive to survive after the small plan he was riding in crashed in the mountains, I was hooked.

I think young kids would really enjoy listening to this book as well. They may even laugh at some of the scenarios Brian faces – which can open a discussion with them on what they would do in a similar situation.

The Dragon in the Sock Drawer, by Kate Klimo

The Dragon in the Sock Drawer was a book I randomly picked up before a long road trip. I had no clue what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. The story is something that drew me in and kept me listening.

The author did a great job with the various character voices as well. I really think the way the narrator tells the story can make or break a great audiobook.

But I’ll admit, there are a few times the little dragon gets a little loud – but that’ll help keep young ones listening to the story.

Mr Poppers Penguins, by Richard & Florence Atwater

Mr. Poppers’s Penguins was likely one of the first real books I read as a kid. I enjoyed the story then, and enjoyed listening to it now as well.

Although nowadays, you may have already seen the movie with Jim Carey, Mr. Poppers Penguins. That movie is a more modern take on the classic story, so if you’ve already seen the movie, the audiobook won’t be ruined.

The only critique I have on this one is the way the narrator would enunciate certain words. I noticed it, but it wasn’t a deal breaker. Definitely worth a listen – and it’s only two CDs, so it works for even those short road trips.

Other Amazing Audiobooks for Family Road Trips

I know there are a lot of other really good audiobooks for family road trips. As an adult, I’ve also enjoyed listening to other audiobooks while commuting to work or taking a road trip to rural Utah. Some of my favorites include A Series of Unfortunate Events books, Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites series, Milkweed and Jerry Borrowman’s Till the Boys Come Home series.

There are audiobooks for just about anyone – and if you’ve got a long road trip for business or for family vacation, find a few to bring with you to help pass the time and stretch your imagination.

PIN THIS