With so many good audiobooks to choose from, it's helpful to have a team dedicated to picking out the best ones. In the final instalment of our series of best audiobooks of 2024, we present the best ones for kids, as chosen by the editors of AudioFile magazine.
The best audiobooks of 2024 in the ‘children and family listening’ category, as recommended by editors at AudioFile magazine:
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell and narrated by Samuel West
If Christopher weren’t holding a baby griffin, he never would have come to believe his grandfather about the hidden archipelago where magical creatures live. Samuel West’s presentation shines as he provides voices appropriate for the magical world’s denizens, depth for several emotional moments, and increasing emphasis as the journey becomes more dangerous.
(9 hours)
The Beautiful Game by by Yamile Saied Méndez and narrated by Maria Liatis
Maria Liatis delivers a heartwarming performance as a 13-year-old with a passion for fútbol and her family. Valeria is a star player on the boys’ soccer team, coached by her gruff abuelo. Liatis’s sensitive, understated narration showcases the book’s rich themes of family, resilience, and perseverance.
(7.5 hours)
Bridges Instead of Walls: The Story of Mavis Staples by Mavis Staples, Carole Boston Weatherford and narrated by Mavis Staples, Adenrele Ojo
Singer and activist Mavis Staples brings her iconic, resonant voice to the narration of this audiobook, giving young listeners an unforgettable glimpse of her remarkable musical life. In a voice ringing with warmth, humor, and conviction, Staples describes her musical roots. Adenrele Ojo capably narrates the supplemental materials, including a timeline and suggestions for further study.
(28 minutes)
Free Period by Ali Terese and narrated by Josephine Huang, Cassandra Morris
Josephine Huang and Cassandra Morris join forces to deliver the captivating story of best friends in this exceptional middle-grade audiobook. Helen and Gracie are known for their mischievous antics. Their latest escapade leads them to join the Community Action Club, currently dedicated to promoting period equity.
(7 hours)
Olivetti by Allie Millington and narrated by Christopher Gebauer, Simon Vance
A charming story and two narrators exuding energy and warmth knock it out of the park. Simon Vance is Olivetti, a typewriter who breaks the “typewriterly” code of silence to spill his tapestry of tales in order to find his missing owner. Twelve-year-old Ernest, portrayed expertly by Christopher Gebauer with an appealing mix of anxiety, heart, and wry humor, prefers dictionaries and solitude, but he must trust a sentient typewriter and make a friend to find his mother.
(4.5 hours)
Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry and narrated by Hope Newhouse
This humble and wonderful performance by Hope Newhouse will engage a wide audience. Two Sophies are best friends; one is an elementary school student, and the other is an aging woman who is beginning her struggle with memory loss. Newhouse’s ability to transform her narration to highlight both the stark age difference and the friendship between both characters is a cornerstone of the performance.
(3.25 hours)
January 26, 2025
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AudioFile Editors
AudioFile magazine is the best source of audiobook reviews and recommendations on the web.
AudioFile Editors
AudioFile magazine is the best source of audiobook reviews and recommendations on the web.
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