Read Alouds The Whole Family Will Love

My love for books started at a young age, thankfully my kids share my enthusiasm for a captivating adventure story. Over the many years of listening to audio books in the car, we’ve read countless books together as a family, especially as camping season is upon us. Unlike my van, our truck doesn’t have a video player, which has caused us to forgo screens and electronics and choose books to listen to on family road trips. Read alouds on long road trips is a great way to bond as a family, improve listening skills and vocabulary, while making the miles fly by. Here are my favorite fiction book recommendations that are ideal read alouds or audiobooks during family vacations, that both children and parents can enjoy.

This list of children’s books are our favorite, top notch picks and are filled with adventure, travel, and rich character development. I have personally read all of these books with my kids and have included the duration of read time and the number of pages, plus helpful links for audible books and hard cover books. Help kid’s listen better with these 20 Activities to do while listening to audio books.

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for purchases made through the links, at no additional cost to you. All opinions expressed are my own.

How to Get Free or Low Cost Audio Books

1. Did you know many of the books in this list, you can listen to for FREE. Put those tax dollars you pay every year to use at your local library. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars by utilizing this program. All you need is a library card to access thousands of books. If your local library doesn’t own the audio book, many libraries participate in an interactive library loan program, where they can obtain the book you desire from a huge data base of libraries. In my personal experience, book’s requested take about a week to obtain, so make sure you plan ahead.

2. Another great option is your libraries online resource programs. Two examples are Libby or Hoopla. These audio books can be easily accessed using the downloaded app on your phone for FREE.

3. Join Audible, where you can even get one month free and easily download your next book for your upcoming car trip. There is a selection of free audiobooks on Audible too, which you can utilize through their "Free Listens" section.

Adventure Audio Books for Families with Younger Children

My four children span a wide gamete of ages from elementary school to middle school. From an early age we have done read alouds before bed and around the campfire while camping. Although the reading level says ages 8 -12, these books are appropriate for even lower elementary ages. In addition, my children from as early as age 4 and up enjoy listening to chapter books during many 3- hour car rides to my parent’s house across the state.

Wish Tree by Katherine Applegate | Ages 8-12

224 Pages | Read Time: 2 hours 33 minutes

Red is an oak tree that towers above the the neighborhood. For years people have attached their wishes, scribbled on strips of cloth, tying them to the widespread branches of the aged tree. Featuring a host of colorful animal characters, who call Red’s trunk and branches home this funny and heart warming story is written by the talented story teller, Katherine Applegate. When a unique family moves to town, they are greeted by hostility. A sweet story with loveable animal characters that I read with my children ages 4, 6, 8, 10 at the time, that opened up conversations of acceptance.

Wild Robot by Peter Brown | Ages 8-12

320 Pages | Read Time: 4 hours 37 minutes

A favorite with all my children, ages 4-10, The Wild Robot is the story of Roz, a robot who gets stranded on an island after her ship sinks during a hurricane. Surprisingly, Roz doesn't just survive on the island, she begins to adapt. Developing a way to communicate with animals she soon establishes unlikely friendships. I’ll be honest the voice of the robot annoyed me slightly, but didn’t bother any one else. Bonus, there is a sequel Wild Robot Returns, and it’s just been made into a movie.

GreenWild by Pari Thomson | Ages 8-12

384 Pages | Read Time: 9 hours 6 minutes

When Eleven-year-old Daisy Thistledown’s mother disappears, she knows deep down that she must locate her and find out what happen. On the run from those plotting to obtain a memento her mother gave her, she quickly learns that all is not what it seems. While be hunted through London, she discovers a a secret doorway into an enchanted world of Greenwild. Here she must face daunting odds and utilize magic to find her mother. This book is part of a series, so if you love it you’ll have more stories to listen too.

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate Dicamillo | Ages 7-12

Pages 192 | Read Time: 2 hours 55 minutes

On a normal summer’s day, 10-year-old Opal rescues a dog while at her local grocery store. This unique dog, she calls Winn-Dixie, begins to change her life in the most unexpected ways. From helping her make friends in the town to processing through the abandonment of her mother, this story will tug at your heart strings, as your introduced to these unique characters. The book deals with themes of friendship, abandonment and resilience. Watch the movie when you’re finished, its well done.

The Green Ember by S.D. Smith | Ages 7 -12

400 Pages | Read Time: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Sibling rabbits, Heather and Picket live ordinary lives until tragedy strikes their small home. They soon discover a world full of adventures where they learn they are crucial to forces far beyond their simple lives. Vivid nature descriptions and complex characters will delight children and adults. ( Book one in a Series of Three Books)

Pax by Sarah Pennypacker | ages 8-12

304 Pages | Read Time: 5 hrs and 32 mins

Pax, an orphaned young fox, was rescued by Peter when his parents were killed. Sadly, as war rages around them, there friendship is tested when Peter must release his beloved pet into the wilderness. This story will show the depths of how far friendship can survive. Get the tissues ready for this moving story of loyalty.

Campground Kids Series by C. R. Fulton and Dylan Bakken

172 Pages | Read Time: 2 hrs 47 mins

This series of books features a family that adventures to each National Park. Although fictional, sprinkled into the story are facts about the specific parks along with camping safety, animals and plants in the area. While visiting the specific park, we love to pair the books to get our whole family excited about what we can encounter.

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasely | Ages

304 Pages | Read Time: 6 hrs 19 mins

Wonder-filled, spellbinding story of a young boy determined to help his dying grandfather gain his promised miracle from the Lightbender, who is the leader of Circus Mirandus. With the help of his classmate, Jenny Mendoza, Micah embarks on a journey to locate the circus and the man he believes could help his grandfather. The book contains some heavier subject matter including: disease, death, disappointment, abandonment, loyalty, and faith.

Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg | Ages 8-12

176 Pages | Read Time: 3 hours 45 minutes

A survival story set it the most unlikely of places. When two siblings, Claudia and Jamie Kincaid, decide to run away, they must survive on their own and avoid detection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Once there, the children stumble upon a mystery involving an angel statue that might just be from the Renaissance time of Michelangelo. Claudia won’t quit until she finds out the truth. This is an excellent book for a road trip, especially a trip to New York or an art museum. Themes of growing up, loyalty and integrity are found between the pages of this 1968 Newbery Medal Winner.

Audio Books for Ages 8 + Up

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen | Ages 9 & Up

192 Pages | Read Time: 3 hours 42 minutes

One of the most classic survival stories for children and adults. When stranded in the Ozark mountains after his plane crashes, Brian, a 13 year old boy, must survive on his own with only a hatchet in Northern Canada. He processes and grapples with the reality of his parent recent divorce, as he survives against unsurmountable odds.

Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson | Ages 10 & up

Pages 288 | Read Time 4 hours 44 minutes

A survival story with a female protagonist is a win, win in my book. Fourteen year old, Victoria Secord, lives in Alaska with her father and her team of sled dogs. When an unexpected snow storm occurs, she and a city slicker boy get lost in the wilds of Alaska. She must trust her dogs and learn to work together to survive.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart | Ages 8-12

352 Pages | 9 hours 12 minutes Read Time

A road trip book perfect for families. Coyote and her father, Rodeo, live in an RV while they travel across the country. When Coyote discovers that her childhood park is being torn down, she concocts a plan to have her unsuspecting dad drive back 3,600 miles so she can dig up the memory box she buried years ago. Along the journey, she is joined by an unlikely bunch of misfits. Themes include loss, death and family ties.

Leepike Ridge by N.D Wilson | Ages 9-12

Pages 256 | Read time 5 hours

Underground caves and treasure hunters, combined with phenomenal writing, quirky characters and humor will leave you riveted from the moment you pick up this book. The adventure begins when Tom, a boy of 10, drifts down the river near his home on a slab of packing foam. After falling asleep he awakes to find himself swept underground, where he becomes trapped in an underground cave. Now, with the help of a dog and an unexpected character he must attempt to make it out of the caverns alive. Fast paced action packed book with rich language.

Glitch by Laura Martin | Ages 8-12

Pages 400 | Read Time: 8 hours 23 minutes

Regan Fitz and Elliot Mason have never gotten along since they entered the Glitch Academy. Both cadets are in a training program to become Glitchers, who are time travelers attempting to keep history intake from those individuals who seek to alter it. When the pair discover a letter from Regan’s future self, this unlikely duo must team up to help save the future from imminent destruction. Filled with an action packed story line, time travel, and historical elements. Themes of injustice and friendship make great conversation starters.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis | Ages 8-12

288 Pages | Read Time: 5hrs 14 minutes

A Tom Sawyer style adventure set during the Great Depression. Following the journey of a homeless black boy on the run, who is trying to find the father he’s never met. Following clues left by his deceased mother, he sets out on an adventure like no other. Winner of both Newbery Medal & Coretta Scot King Award. This book deals with subjects of abandonment, death, foster care system and poverty.

Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston | Ages 8-12

416 Pages | Read Time: 11 hours 12 minutes

My son recommended this book to our family when he was competing in Battle of the Books through school. Filled with supernatural components and unexpected twists, Amari and the Night Brothers is an ideal read aloud for the whole family. Amari’s is struggling with the mysterious disappearance of her older brother, who the police believe is dead. After receiving a recorded message from him, she learns the truth that there is a supernatural world. She dives head first in to this unexpected world and discovers the truth about her brother and herself along the way.

The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel |Ages 8-12

336 Pages | Read Time: 8 hrs 7 mins

This high-speed story will have you flying threw the pages as quickly as the gigantic train barreling down the tracks. From circus performers to sasquatches in the wild, this book is filled with a tale of massive proportions. While the Boundless takes it’s first journey across the country, Will Everett is having his very own adventure being chased by greedy men determined to obtain a hidden object Will possesses. To survive, he must rely on help from Mr. Dorian, the ring master and Maren an escape artist to reach his father and save the Boundless.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling | Ages 8+

Pages 288 | Read Time: 5 hours 27 minutes

This is a resilient story of Aven Green, a young girl who was born without arms. When her father takes a job and uproots the family to run a theme park out west, Aven is worried about starting over at a new school. After befriending Connor, a fellow classmate who also feels excluded, they begin an unexpected friendship together. In the midst, they are busy solving mysteries, helping friends and learning resilience in the face of adversity. Themes include social acceptance, identity, adoption, and self-acceptance.

Willa of the Woods by Robert Beatty Ages 9-12

400 Pages | Read Time 8 hours

On a recent family trip to the Smokey Mountains we listened to this audio book during the drive down to Tennessee and while slowly driving through Cade’s Cove. Since Willa of the Woods is set in the Smokey Mountains it was the perfect read aloud. It features a young, sprite girl. A unexpected encounter with a human leaves her questioning the strict rules of the clan and she chooses to challenge what she’s always been taught. The book will keep you riveted from the very opening chapter. There were some darker scenes scenes so I recommend it for children 9 and up or children who are not highly sensitive.

Savvy by Ingrid law | Ages 9-12

384 Pages | Read Time: 6 hours 16 minutes

The Beaumont family is unique as they come. Each person in Mibs' family possesses a magical ability, or 'savvy. ' When a member of her family turns 13, their supernatural gift begins to reveal itself. When Mibs and her siblings climb aboard a bus, they encounter adventure, mishaps and unimaginable events.

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Closing Thoughts

Hopefully you’ll love these audiobooks as much as we did!

Reading quality books together is a wonderful way to connect as a family. Stop in at your local library to acquire your next book through Libby or Hoopla or join Audible today.

Make sure to PIN and save for later. Follow Discovering Anew’s Instagram for tons of fun things to do including: Midwest travel, camping, Michigan day trips, and the best kid-friendly hiking trails and parks. Need some more book recommendations check below are recent posts for my favorite nature inspired books for adults.