Best Audiobooks for Kids
Last updated: November 02, 2024
Who doesn't like to have a story told to them? Audiobooks are perfect as a shared listening experience, particularly on long journeys. The best books (and the best narrators) will fire everyone's imaginations and keep listeners entertained and enthralled. Publishing companies have taken note of the growing popularity of audiobooks, and are increasingly investing in productions that really bring the story to life.
In an ideal world, adults always have time to read for children. In real life, audiobooks are an enjoyable alternative to screen time. Not only will listening to audiobooks help kids develop their concentration span, but it will expose them to new vocabulary and the art of storytelling. And for kids who are dyslexic or feel intimidated by a big chapter book, audiobooks are a great way to access stories.
Promise Boys
by Nick Brooks
🏆 2024 Odyssey Award: Best Audiobook for Young Adults
YA thriller in which a prestigious school in Washington, D.C., turns out to have dangerous secrets. When the principal is murdered, three teenage boys become the prime suspects. Can they track down the real killer and clear their names before they get arrested?
El Deafo
by Cece Bell
🏆 Winner 2024 Odyssey Award: Best Audiobook for Children
A graphic novel memoir about the author’s experiences of going to school in the 1970s wearing a huge hearing aid strapped to her chest. When she realises that the Phonic Ear enables her to hear her teacher not just in the classroom but anywhere in the school (including things she should not be hearing), she redefines herself as a superhero: El Deafo. But will being a superhero help her find what she really wants, a good friend?
Stateless
by Elizabeth Wein
***2024 Odyssey Award Honor Audiobook for Young Adults***
1937: with fascism on the rise and Spain in the midst of civil war, young pilots from 12 countries are setting off on an air race to promote peace in Europe. 17 year old Stella North — who is representing the UK and the only female competitor — is worried that the press will find out that she is in fact stateless, travelling on a Nansen passport for refugees. When one of the planes goes down with its young pilot, she suspects sabotage. As the list of suspects gradually narrows, can our young protagonists overcome their political differences to outwit the murderer and survive until the end of the race? An exciting novel for anyone who is interested in early aviation, 1930s Europe, or murder mysteries.
“It is incredibly rich and beautiful. It is a future-looking ecological dystopia, but I think there’s also a lot of utopia in there too. Nicola has an extraordinary way of creating a view of what a very different world could look like, and what characters within that world could be doing. It’s a very beautiful story, that’s the bottom line of it, and I love its subtlety. But it races along as well, it’s a fabulous adventure story.” Read more...
The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds
Helen Scales, Biologist
Skin of the Sea
by Natasha Bowen
***American Library Association Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults 2023***
“Skin of the Sea ties into all sorts of mythologies, primarily the West African mythology of Mami Wata. This character is a legendary, powerful mermaid who appears in different incarnations and stories across the African diaspora. She’s a fascinating mix of different cultural influences, including European mermaid myths. Natasha Bowen brings Mami Wata into the very real and very dark stories of the people who lost their lives while they were being shipped into slavery in the Americas, and whose bodies were thrown into the Atlantic Ocean.” Read more...
The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds
Helen Scales, Biologist
Demon in the Wood
Leigh Bardugo, Dani Pendergast (illustrator)
🏆 2023 Audie Awards Best Audiobook for Young Adults
A graphic novel adaptation of the short story from 2015, subtitled “A Darkling Prequel Story”, part of the bestselling series that started with Shadow and Bone. This is a quick read for anyone who enjoys graphic novels, and who either would like to dip a toe into the Grishaverse or who is invested in the series and wants a glimpse of the backstory of Aleksander. In this book he is a lonely boy travelling with his mother, trying to train his extraordinary powers and find a safe haven in a dangerous, northern world.
“I love this book. I think it’s important and relates to the fashion and textile industry because fashion is inextricably linked to identity… And I think colourism is also intrinsic to identity. It’s really important for not only people of colour, but for all human beings to understand what colourism is, and the impact of that on human beings, on young people, and how that is central to beauty and the fashion industry. My thing in life is all about promoting self love, which is why I’m usually pictured with my natural hair without wearing any makeup, which is daunting for me, and means that I’m not chosen for many opportunities, because of colourism, because there’s a preference for a certain type of look which is linked to European beauty standards. “ Read more...
The best books on Fashion for Kids
Eunice Olumide, Artists & Art Critic
“Symphony for the City of the Dead is, in brief, the story of the Russian composer Dimitri Shostakovich and his Seventh Symphony, which he composed during the 444-day Siege of Leningrad by Hitler’s armies during World War Two. It’s an incredibly multilayered history and narrative, both fast-paced and readable. I recommended it to many of my adult friends who read serious nonfiction, because it delivers for any reader.” Read more...
The Best Nonfiction Books for Teens
Marc Favreau, Publisher
Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Sequel to the multi-award winning Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe about two teenage boys whose friendship gradually transitions to romance, about their family relationships and exploration of identity and sexuality. This second volume continues the story of their relationship and emotional lives. Award-winning audio version narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Age 14+
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
by Roald Dahl
Editor’s note: This is probably the best Roald Dahl book for very young children (ages 3-6)
“The title The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me is from the perspective of the monkey—the ‘me’ isn’t the little boy, but the monkey. And together they start this window washing business. The Pelican has this amazing ability to retract his bill, so it turns into a big bucket, and the giraffe can extend her neck so she can reach the higher-up windows and the monkey can clamber up the neck of the giraffe to clean the windows. They clean the Duke of Hampshire’s Hall, clean all his windows and along the way manage to foil a burglary. Then the Duke of Hampshire is so pleased that he gives Billy money to turn the dilapidated old Grubber into the sweet shop of Billy’s dreams.” Read more...
Tilly Burn, Children's Author
Boogie Boogie, Y’all
by C. G. Esperanza
***2022 Odyssey Award: Best Audiobook for Children***
A picture book celebration of graffiti culture. Whilst the adults in the book either ignore or complain about the graffiti they see around them, kids notice the art and love it. The book has an infectious enthusiasm for urban culture and would be a great starting point for a discussion with children about life in art and art in life. The hip hop audiobook is narrated by the author/illustrator.
Ages 3-6
Apple: Skin to the Core
by Eric Gansworth
***American Library Association Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults 2022***
***2021 Michael L. Printz Honor Book (for Young Adult Literature)***
A haunting memoir about identity and belonging, written in prose so rhythmical and poetic that it can be read as verse. The author’s grandparents were among the children at the infamous Carlisle Indian Industrial School (there were hundreds of boarding schools like it), where you were taught not how to be an American but how to lose yourself. Only two generations removed from that brutal assimilation process, the author continues to find fragments of his grandparents’ memories, pick up pieces and situate them back in the puzzle, balancing multiple worlds. Apple: Skin to the Core is illustrated with the author’s own visual art.
Concrete Rose
by Angie Thomas
***American Library Association Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults 2022***
***2022 Michael L. Printz Honor Book (for Young Adult Literature)***
Readers in the United States will know what to expect: set in the late 1990s this is the prequel to Thomas’ bestselling The Hate U Give (which also has an acclaimed audio version). For people elsewhere it might take a bit of effort to get into the style, which is written as the narrator speaks, with slang and pop culture references. It is well worth it. Thomas is an excellent writer and readers will come to care about the 17 year old protagonist and the difficult choices he has to make when he finds out that he is a father. Everyone tells Maverick that he has to man up, but in his situation what does that really mean?
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
by Malinda Lo
***American Library Association Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults 2022***
***2022 Stonewall Young Adult Book Award Winner***
***2022 Michael L. Printz Honor Book (for Young Adult Literature)***
In 1950s San Francisco, 17 year old Lily is a Chinese American who dresses conservatively and does her homework. When she realises that there is such a thing as lesbian romantic love, she feels as if she has “finally cracked the last part of a code she had been puzzling over for so long that she couldn’t remember when she had started deciphering it”. A relationship develops with her classmate Kath who shares Lily’s interest in mathematics. But in the face of the police’s drive against so-called “sex deviates” and the country’s campaign against people who are suspected of communist sympathies (pretty much anyone in Chinatown), can it survive?
Be Dazzled
by Ryan La Sala
***2022 Audie Awards Best Audiobook for Young Adults***
Raffy pours all his dreams and effort into his hobby: designing and crafting costumes based on anime and game characters. He is ready to participate in the world of competitive cosplay, but there is a complicating factor: his ex-boyfriend, Luca. Both boys are keeping their creative arts and crafts secret from their families; Raffy because his art gallerist mother looks down on it, Luca because his parents think boys should stick to soccer. Alternate chapters of the novel sensitively trace the development of their relationship and breakup. In the present, as the competition gets underway, can Raffy learn to be a team player, and can broken hearts be put back together?
Framed
by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce is a really funny book about art and art crime. It’s also very inspiring. The narrator is a boy living in Snowdonia, and one of the benefits of listening to it as an audiobook is the authentic Welsh accents that actor Jason Hughes lays on.
Narrator: Jason Hughes
Length: 6 hours and 58 minutes
Ages: 9-12
The Guggenheim Mystery
by Robin Stevens & Siobhan Dowd
This is a lovely audiobook for a 9-11 year old child. As the title suggests, it’s a mystery set at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, with the kids finding out who committed the crime.
Narrator: Jason Forbes
Length: 5 hours and 40 minutes
Ages 9-11
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a charming, prize-winning novel by Mark Haddon. Written as a mystery, the story is told through the eyes of a teenage boy who is great at maths but finds many other aspects of life difficult. The narrator’s naïveté makes the audiobook particularly perfect, because especially when you’re listening to a book, long, convoluted sentences are annoying. It’s perfect for family trips as the book appeals to adults and kids alike.
Narrator: Ben Tibber
Length: 5 hours and 59 minutes
The Eagle of the Ninth
by Rosemary Sutcliff
Although it was first published in 1954, Rosemary Sutcliff’s The Eagle of the Ninth has stood the test of time. Set in Roman Britain along Hadrian’s Wall, part of its appeal is that it partially based on a true story: a Roman legion really did mysteriously disappear.
Narrator: Charlie Simpson
Length: 4 hours and 32 minutes (abridged)
Ages: 9 and up
Dooku: Jedi Lost (Star Wars)
by Cavan Scott
Some kids love to read, others prefer to watch movies. Many love Star Wars. Dooku: Jedi Lost is an amazingly produced audiobook, shortlisted for the 2020 Audie Awards for the best multi-voiced performance. It really is a bit like listening to a movie, which may or may not appeal to everyone.
Narrator: Full cast
Length: 6 hours and 21 minutes
The Wolf Wilder
by Katherine Rundell
A superb adventure story of a girl and her wolves as they embark on a rescue mission through the dramatic Russian wilderness.
Narrator: Nicolette McKenzie
Length: 5 hours and 41 minutes
Ages: 8-12
The Explorer
by Katherine Rundell
A fantastic and engaging read – so it’s no surprise that The Explorer received a plethora of awards. An adventure story set in the Amazon, it’s the perfect listen to keep young explorers entertained.
Narrator: Peter Noble
Length: 6 hours and 13 minutes
Ages: 8-12
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first book in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series. British actor Stephen Fry narrates the audiobook beautifully. (The recording seems to predate the movie, because he pronounces some of the words differently).
Narrator: Stephen Fry
Length: 9 hours and 33 minutes
Ages: 9-12
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
by Holly Jackson
***American Library Association Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults 2021***
“I think if any teenager hasn’t read anything in the mystery thriller genre, this book is a really good one to begin with. The characters start off just investigating, but then it becomes personal and their own lives end up in danger, so it’s quite exciting. It’s the first book in a series of three, and they’re all really good.” Read more...
Kathryn Foxfield, Children's Author
Raybearer
by Jordan Ifueko
***American Library Association Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults 2021***
“Raybearer fascinated me right from the beginning through its lyrical prose. Jordan Ifueko has a beautiful way with words and it was an absolute pleasure to read this book. Raybearer is about 16 year old Tarisai, hidden away from the world by her mysterious mother, The Lady. All her life Tarisai is trained and tested by tutors, preparing her for her life mission, which is to join the crown prince council of 12 members representing the 12 realms. When she discovers that her purpose is to kill the one person in the world she has sworn to love and protect, Tarisai embarks on a journey to find out the truth about herself.” Read more...
Best West African Fantasy Books for Teenagers
Efua Traoré, Children's Author
The Good Hawk
by Joseph Elliott
***2021 Audie Awards Best Audiobook for Middle Grade***
The first book in the Shadow Skye series, this fast-paced novel is alternately narrated by Agatha, who probably has Down’s syndrome, and Jaime. When disaster strikes in the form of “deamhain” (demon Vikings), the two teenagers set out on a terrifying rescue mission from the Isle of Skye across a ravaged Scotia to Norveg. They don’t feel particularly brave, but they are their clan’s only hope, and they are aided by Agatha’s gift of communicating with animals. This gripping fantasy adventure has won the Audie Award in the middle grade (8-12) category. However, given the level of violence, it is probably better suited for readers in the 12-14 age range.
We Are Not Free
by Traci Chee
***2021 Michael L. Printz Honor Book (for Young Adult Literature)***
***American Library Association Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults 2021***
Pearl Harbor has been bombed. First generation Japanese immigrants like Minoru’s mother are now “enemy aliens”. As life gets increasingly tense in San Francisco’s Japantown, Chinese Americans pin I Am Chinese badges to their lapels to avoid being attacked in the street. We Are Not Free is the collective account of a group of 14 young nisei – second generation Japanese Americans – whose lives are changed forever when they are incarcerated in internment camps, despite being US citizens. These teenagers have grown up together as a community. In the camp they are not free, but they are not alone.
Look Both Ways
by Jason Reynolds
***Winner of the 2021 Carnegie Medal***
Ten beautifully narrated short stories about the walk home from school.
Narrator: Jason Reynolds, Heather Alicia Simms, Chris Chalk, Bahni Turpin, Adenrele Ojo, Kevin R. Free, J.D. Jackson, Guy Lockard, January LaVoy, David Sadzin
Length: 3 hours and 58 minutes
Ages: 8-10
Kent State
by Deborah Wiles
***2021 Odyssey Award: Best Audiobook for Young Adults***
Most of us know it happened: that during protests against the Vietnam War in the United States, at Kent State University on May 4th, 1970, the National Guard opened fire, killing four students and wounding more. What many of us don't know is exactly how and why it happened. Written in verse and a work of historical fiction, Kent State tells the story and answers those questions in the voices of people who were there.
Clap When You Land
by Elizabeth Acevedo
***2021 Audie Awards Best Audiobook for Young Adults***
This novel in verse by multi-award winning writer Acevedo is alternately narrated by two teenagers, Camino and Yahaira. Camino lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. Yahaira lives in New York with her father. When their father dies in a plane crash they learn of each other for the first time. The story brims with both grief and love for their imperfect father, questions of identity, and an emerging sisterhood. Based on the crash in New York of Flight AA587 on its way to the Dominican Republic, this story is also an exploration of what it means to have tragedies that are both private and public.
His Dark Materials
by Philip Pullman
The audiobook of the His Dark Materials trilogy has Philip Pullman himself as the narrator, with actors saying the words of the characters.
Narrator: Philip Pullman, full cast
Length: 10 hours and 45 minutes
Recommended listening age 9 upwards
The Lord of the Rings
by J R R Tolkien
A great way to introduce a child to Tolkien is through the audiobooks. Listening rather than reading the books fits with Tolkien’s clear passion for oral storytelling, although it does make it harder to move quickly through bits of history that younger kids might find harder to concentrate on.
Narrator: Rob Inglis
Length: 19 hours and 53 minutes (Part I: The Fellowship of the Ring)
Ages: 12 and up
“This one book, which was published in 1937, defined so many variables for the fantasy tradition that are still in place today. Tolkien’s extraordinary achievement was to recover the epic landscapes of Anglo-Saxon myth, bring them back to life, and then to take us through them on foot, so we could see the details up close, at human scale. The Hobbit is both mythic and relatable at the same time – The New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik called it ‘an arranged marriage between the Elder Edda and The Wind in the Willows’, and I think that’s entirely fair. Though I would give more credit to the bass register of Tolkien’s imagination, its abyssal depths. Mole never delved as deep as the Mines of Moria.” Read more...
Lev Grossman, Novelist
My Family and Other Animals
by Gerald Durrell
My Family and Other Animals is a memoir written by the naturalist Gerald Durrell, about his life in Corfu in the 1930s. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, and his passion for the natural world is contagious. We also highly recommend the audiobook, which is great for family trips as it’s amusing and entertaining for children and adults alike.
Narrator: Nigel Davenport
Length: 10 hours and 17 minutes
Recommended listening for ages 8 upwards
Hey, Kiddo
by Jarrett Krosoczka
***2020 Odyssey Award: Best Audiobook for Children and/or Young Adults***
***2020 Audie Awards Best Audiobook for Young Adults***
Hey Kiddo is a graphic memoir so you’d think it would be hard to turn into an audiobook. Instead, it’s won two major audiobook awards. The author, Jarrett Krosoczka, narrates the story himself, with a cast that includes actors but also some family members.
Narrator: Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Jeanne Birdsall, Richard Ferrone, Jenna Lamia
Length: 2 hours and 50 minutes
Ages: Young Adult
“Hey, Kiddo was a National Book Award finalist as a graphic memoir, recognising the literary power of Krosoczka’s personal story of his mother’s heroin addiction and childhood with alcoholic grandparents. It’s told from the point of view of Krosoczka at age 17, and teens forge an immediate connection with the author’s description of how his artistic talent helped him survive his upbringing.” Read more...
Charlotte's Web
by E.B. White & Garth Williams (illustrator)
***2020 Audie Awards Best Audiobook for Middle Grade***
The audiobook version of E. B. White’s classic tale, Charlotte’s Web, is narrated by Meryl Streep and a full cast of actors.
Length: 4 hours and 2 minutes
Ages: 8-11
“It is very nice having a title that’s for younger children recognized as a truly stellar audiobook, because sometimes people think that audiobooks are to help kids learn to read and not for them to fall in love with literature. But that’s what the audiobook recording of Charlotte’s Web does. It lets young kids and their parents revisit a beautiful title and fall in love with the book.” Read more...
The Complete Tales: The Original Peter Rabbit Books
by Beatrix Potter
The Tales of Beatrix Potter remain on the must-read list for very young children. The illustrations are an important part of the experience, but this Beatrix Potter audiobook—with each tale read by a different celebrity—comes highly recommended by Libby Joy of the Beatrix Potter Society.
Atticus the Storyteller's 100 Greek Myths
by Lucy Coats
As a way to introduce children to Greek myths, this book is the best we’ve come across. It’s told as a journey—Atticus is travelling with his donkey, Melissa—so there are little breaks between the stories as he arrives in places, which makes the myths more manageable. Children really, really like this book and will listen to it many times. If they are learning classics in school, they will wow the teacher with their knowledge of the myths, which come up a lot in western language and literature.
Narrator: Simon Russell Beale
Length: 1 hour and 53 minutes
Ages 5-10
“Tomi Adeyemi’s action-filled and incredibly fast-paced novel is about 17 year old Zélie and her companions who have all suffered in different ways at the hands of the cruel king and their unjust world. In a tight race against time, they are on a quest to bring magic back to the land of Orïsha and restore power to the oppressed maji.” Read more...
Best West African Fantasy Books for Teenagers
Efua Traoré, Children's Author
“This audiobook is definitely for older teen readers. It’s a queer love story set in San Antonio, Texas. It’s a really beautiful love story with some tragic elements in it, too…” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2023
Emily Connelly, Journalist
The Skull
Jon Klassen, Fairuza Balk (narrator)
🏆 2024 Audie Awards Best Audiobook for Young Listeners
“Jon Klassen does excel at that sort of little bit creepy or a little bit dangerous story. In this version, there’s a little girl named Otilla who’s fleeing into the forest. She is running away from a scary voice and comes to a castle where she meets a skull and becomes friends with the skull. Then she discovers that a scary skeleton is coming and trying to get the skull, so she has to defend her new friend. The narrator, Fairuza Balk, has a great voice for this story. She can shift between the youthful voice of Otilla, the girl, and the more dignified voice of the skull, and then the scarier voices that we hear in the background. It makes for an almost cozy scary story…” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2023
Emily Connelly, Journalist
“There’s a lot going on in the book, but there’s also some history woven into it, and it makes for a really exciting audiobook. It’s the first in a series and I know kids love a good series.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2023
Emily Connelly, Journalist
Stuntboy, In-Between Time
Jason Reynolds, Raúl the Third (illustrator), Guy Lockard (narrator)
“Part of what is so fun about Stuntboy is that he is a normal kid… but he’s also making this really fun world for himself and making strong friendships. It’s a really funny and sweet audiobook.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2023
Emily Connelly, Journalist
Warrior Girl Unearthed
by Angeline Boulley & Isabella Star LaBlanc (narrator)
16 year old Perry Firekeeper-Birch is looking forward to a summer of fishing and relaxing, but an internship at a tribal museum upends her plans. When she finds out that museums and private collectors continue to keep Native American remains in everything from display cases to cereal boxes, she decides to take matters into her own hands and return ancestors to Sugar Island for burial. As our Indigenous Lara Croft embarks on her reverse Tomb Raider mission, she also has to contend with the horrific rate of abduction and murder of Indigenous women — who will be next? This is a gripping novel with a strong protagonist who navigates injustice and cares about her community. A stand-alone follow-up to the prize-winning Firekeeper’s Daughter.
The Last Mapmaker
by Christina Soontornvat & Sura Siu (narrator)
Ages 8-12
🏆 2023 Newbery Honor Book
“This is one that was a family favourite. It’s a Thai-inspired fantasy world… I think it is an excellent audiobook, and one that stood out for its beautiful narration and also the complex story it’s telling for younger readers.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2022
Emily Connelly, Journalist
“It’s an alphabet book, so you’re following the alphabet and learning more about orchestras and all the different instruments and concepts that go into making these performances. As you go, you get to hear these selections of music, some that are familiar and some that are less familiar. You can hear what an English horn sounds like and hear the lilting flute after hearing the poem about each. It’s just so beautifully done… The title is A Is for Oboe; the reason is not necessarily intuitive, so it’s fun to see what each letter stands for. You get to piece it together as you listen and learn a little bit.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2022
Emily Connelly, Journalist
“It’s about a boy who’s going fishing with his dad early in the morning to catch fish for their family. He learns a little bit more about his father’s past in Vietnam and what brought them to the United States. It’s such a sweet story about the relationship between the father and son. I loved hearing the son’s pride in helping catch dinner and have food for their family. There are children who are very young who are experiencing things like the characters in the story and like the author Bao Phi.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2022
Emily Connelly, Journalist
All My Rage
Sabaa Tahir, narrated by Deepti Gupta, Kamran R. Khan and Kausar Mohammed
🏆 Winner 2023 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
***2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (USA)***
***American Library Association Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults 2023***
“Of the three different characters, two are best friends who are in a difficult spot with each other. And the third is the mother, whose voice is telling her story in the past leading up to the present. It gets into some heavier topics, where the three of them are facing a lot of hardship. At the same time, there are beautiful relationships that you’re discovering. While there’s a lot of anger and grief, there’s also a lot of joy that’s found.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2022
Emily Connelly, Journalist
What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix
Tasha Suri, narrated by Becca Hirani and Alex Williams
“This audiobook is Tasha Suri’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights. She’s usually a fantasy writer. This is more of a departure for her into historical fiction with a touch of fantasy. It really stood out to me, because Alex Williams and Becca Hirani, the narrators, did a beautiful job making it an absorbing and intense audiobook, they really connect with the characters’ emotions. They’re both from Yorkshire and are South Asian, like the characters in the story are. I appreciated the thoughtfulness that went into the casting. And I think it all was very, very successful.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2022
Emily Connelly, Journalist
We Are Still Here: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know
Traci Sorell, Frané Lessac (illustrator)
“It is one that I would recommend listening to while also looking at the picture book, because it has beautiful, bright illustrations and the words and pictures are paired very well together. It’s definitely striking to hear on audio because you have this full cast of narrators who are reading the story. They are from Cherokee, Navajo, Choctaw, and Chickasaw backgrounds, so you get to hear the voices of the people the stories are about too.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2021
Emily Connelly, Journalist
Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood
Kwame Mbalia (editor), Amir Abdullah & Taj Leahy (narrators)
“This is another great book for middle grade readers at eight years old and up. It would appeal to young teenagers too. It’s a collection of stories from Black male and non-binary authors that has two narrators. One is Taj Lahey, who narrates just one story, Kwame Mbalia’s story. You hear a part of it at the beginning, a part in the middle and a part at the end, and it works to tie the collection together.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2021
Emily Connelly, Journalist
Stuntboy, In the Meantime
Jason Reynolds, Raúl the Third (illustrator), Guy Lockard (narrator)
***2023 Odyssey Award: Best Audiobook for Children***
***2023 Audie Awards: Best Audiobook for Middle Grade***
“Stuntboy is a very dynamic and fun audiobook, and Jason Reynolds is a celebrated children’s author, for good reason. He has done it again, written a story that’s very good at meeting kids where they are…..I’d say for reluctant readers or for kids who haven’t seen themselves in children’s literature before, or for kids who are looking for a fun story, this is great. And the audiobook is a whole other amazing experience, narrated by a full cast. “ Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2021
Emily Connelly, Journalist
Firekeeper's Daughter
by Angeline Boulley & Isabella Star LaBlanc (narrator)
***Winner 2022 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature***
***American Library Association Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults 2022***
“It’s a great combination of a young adult thriller and a love story… It’s a story of a community, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians on reservation in Michigan. The story takes place on and off the reservation. The main character, whose name is Daunis, has grown up between those two cultures. She gets caught up in an investigation into a new street drug that has very devastatingly been impacting their communities… There’s a lot about understanding yourself and your family as well. It’s an engrossing story.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2021
Emily Connelly, Journalist
Redemptor
Jordan Ifueko, narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
This is the sequel to the beautiful West African inspired fantasy novel Raybearer for age 12+.
King and the Dragonflies
by Kacen Callender, narrated by Ron Butler
***2020 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (USA)***
Ages: 9 – 12
Narrator: Ron Butler
Audiobook length: 5 hours and 3 minutes
“In this story we’re in Louisiana with a young Black boy, who is grieving his older brother who had just died, suddenly. It’s a tough topic, certainly, but we’re in a year where so many people are experiencing such trauma. Ron Butler’s narration just brings these different characters off of the page and into your ears.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020
Emily Connelly, Journalist
Before the Ever After
by Jacqueline Woodson, narrated by Guy Lockard
Ages : 10 – 14
Narrator: Guy Lockard
Length: 2 hours and 14 minutes
“This is a novel, and it’s no secret that Jacqueline Woodson is an incredible author. She is a favourite of ours at AudioFile. It’s a story about a young boy, ZJ, who really idolises his father. His father was a former pro football player who had to stop playing because of this mysterious illness.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020
Emily Connelly, Journalist
When Stars Are Scattered
by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson, narrated by Faysal Ahmed (and full cast)
***American Library Association Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults 2021***
“It’s inspired by a refugee from Somalia, Omar Mohamed, who is one of the co-authors. It’s roughly the story of him growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya and trying to get to safety in America. It’s about spending so many years there, waiting.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020
Emily Connelly, Journalist
Overground Railroad
by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome, narrated by Shayna Small and Dion Graham
***2021 Audie Awards Best Audiobook for Young Listeners***
“They’re beautiful pictures, and they really did such a marvellous job making a soundscape that goes along with it… It’s a piece of history that is great to explore with children.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020
Emily Connelly, Journalist
“If you listen to the audiobook, you can hear all the sounds of Little Lobo and his friends going to the market, buying food for the luchadores, who are these pro wrestlers who are very hungry and want some food before their match. Gary Tiedemann is the narrator and he does a great job with all the different character voices. They’re not too silly but they’re definitely a little silly.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020
Emily Connelly, Journalist
“Both With the Fire on High and The Poet X are just spectacular listening for teens. Elizabeth is a performance artist, she writes in verse, she’s the whole deal.” Read more...
“The Hate U Give was one of those blockbuster books that connected with so many teens, no matter what their cultural background might have been. It let them see into another world and forged this super-strong connection with so many teens and adults. Replicating the same duo of author plus narrator—with Bahni Turpin again doing Angie Thomas’s book—there’s this nice alignment of an author-narrator team.” Read more...
“Lovely War, to me, is one of those really strong and amazing representations of a multi-voiced production. It also is one of those crossover titles. As an adult, I loved it just as much as I think a teen would. It’s historical fiction” Read more...
“set in 1980s New York and is about a teenage boy from Iran who is grappling with being gay in the midst of the HIV/AIDS crisis.” Read more...
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1
The Skull
Jon Klassen, Fairuza Balk (narrator) -
2
Stuntboy, In-Between Time
Jason Reynolds, Raúl the Third (illustrator), Guy Lockard (narrator) -
3
Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy
by Angie Thomas & Joniece Abbott-Pratt (narrator) -
4
Ander & Santi Were Here
Jonny Garza Villa, Avi Roque (narrator) -
5
Warrior Girl Unearthed
by Angeline Boulley & Isabella Star LaBlanc (narrator)
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2023, recommended by Emily Connelly
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2023, recommended by Emily Connelly
From the USA to Germany to China, audiobooks are growing in popularity, especially with young people. AudioFile’s Emily Connelly talks us through her selection of the five best audiobooks for children and teens in 2023.
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1
A Is for Oboe: The Orchestra's Alphabet
by Lera Auerbach, Marilyn Nelson, Paul Hoppe (illustrator) & Thomas Quasthoff (narrator) -
2
A Different Pond
by Bao Phi & Thi Bui (illustrator) -
3
The Last Mapmaker
by Christina Soontornvat & Sura Siu (narrator) -
4
What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix
Tasha Suri, narrated by Becca Hirani and Alex Williams -
5
All My Rage
Sabaa Tahir, narrated by Deepti Gupta, Kamran R. Khan and Kausar Mohammed
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2022, recommended by Emily Connelly
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2022, recommended by Emily Connelly
As audiobooks for kids continue to grow in popularity, AudioFile’s Emily Connelly explains some of the reasons why, and talks us through her pick of the five best audiobooks for kids and teens of 2022.
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1
We Are Still Here: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know
Traci Sorell, Frané Lessac (illustrator) -
2
Stuntboy, In the Meantime
Jason Reynolds, Raúl the Third (illustrator), Guy Lockard (narrator) -
3
Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood
Kwame Mbalia (editor), Amir Abdullah & Taj Leahy (narrators) -
4
Redemptor
Jordan Ifueko, narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt -
5
Firekeeper's Daughter
by Angeline Boulley & Isabella Star LaBlanc (narrator)
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2021, recommended by Emily Connelly
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2021, recommended by Emily Connelly
Audiobooks are a wonderful way for children and teenagers to access stories, whether by themselves or as a shared listening experience. AudioFile’s Emily Connelly talks us through her selection of five of the best audiobooks for children and teenagers in 2021.
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1
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat
by Raúl the Third, narrated by Gary Tiedemann -
2
Overground Railroad
by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome, narrated by Shayna Small and Dion Graham -
3
When Stars Are Scattered
by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson, narrated by Faysal Ahmed (and full cast) -
4
Before the Ever After
by Jacqueline Woodson, narrated by Guy Lockard -
5
King and the Dragonflies
by Kacen Callender, narrated by Ron Butler
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020, recommended by Emily Connelly
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020, recommended by Emily Connelly
Whether you’re on a car journey or sitting on the sofa together at home, listening to audiobooks with kids can be an incredible experience. Some will make you laugh, some will make you weep. Many will help us develop empathy for other human beings in the world around us. Here Emily Connelly, Assistant Editor at AudioFile, talks us through the magazine’s choices of the best audiobooks for kids of 2020.
The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten
Audiobooks are a great way to keep teenagers entertained and informed. Mary Burkey, an expert on kids’ audiobooks, and Robin Whitten, editor and founder of AudioFile magazine, talk us through the wonderful titles that were finalists in this year’s Audie Awards in the ‘Young Adult’ category.
