I’m going to tell you something that might sound strange coming from a guy who didn’t really read until his forties: the best reading I’ve done in the last few years happened in a car.
Specifically, in the two hours between Boston and my brother’s place in New Hampshire, with my nine-year-old in the back seat and an audiobook running through the speakers. We started with something I picked mostly at random from the library — a kids’ adventure story, nothing special — and somewhere around the third chapter, Brendan started asking questions. Not interrupting. Asking. Like he wanted to figure out what was going to happen next, together.
That’s when I realized I’d been missing something. I spent years thinking reading was a solo activity, something you did alone on the couch while the house was quiet. But in the car, with my kid, it became a thing we did together. He had opinions about characters. He made predictions. He got scared at parts I thought would roll right off him and laughed at parts I didn’t think were that funny. I didn’t expect any of it. It was the best two hours we’d had in months.
Since then, I’ve gotten better at picking audiobooks for our drives. Not just picking what I thought he’d like — picking what I would like too. Here’s what I’ve found: kids’ audiobooks are often better written than adult stuff, because the writers know they’re competing with car chatter and gas station snacks and the general chaos of being nine. They have to earn every chapter. And when you find the right one, with the right narrator, the drive becomes something else entirely.
Quick Pick: The Best Audiobook for Your First Roadtrip Together
If you only have time for one book and your kid is around nine, go with “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio”. I know what you’re thinking — the movie is already everywhere, the message is everywhere, you’ve heard enough about choosing kindness. But the audiobook is narrated by a full cast, including kids, and it does something the movie can’t: it puts you inside Auggie Pullman’s head. My son and I listened to this on a drive to visit my mother, and we didn’t talk for the last forty minutes, which never happens. When we got there, he said, “Dad, that was actually sad.” I said, “Yeah.” We sat with that for a while. That’s not a thing that happens in a car usually.
The 10 BEST AUDIOBOOKS FOR A ROADTRIP WITH YOUR 9-YEAR-OLD THAT YOU’LL ACTUALLY ENJOY TOO
1. WONDER BY R.J. PALACIO
R.J. Palacio | ⭐ 4.8/5
Who it’s for: Kids around 8-12 and parents who want to have actual conversations about being different, choosing kindness, and what it feels like to be on the outside.
“You can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.”
The audiobook is what sold me. The full-cast narration keeps it moving even when the plot slows. But what I didn’t expect was how Auggie’s perspective would land with my son. He asked me questions I didn’t have easy answers to. That’s the point.
I don’t know if this counts as a review, but here’s what happened when I read it: I talked to my son about what it means to be kind when it’s hard. He talked to me about what it’s like when someone looks different. We had a conversation that started in a book and ended somewhere real. I didn’t plan that. It just happened.
My take: This is the one I’d hand a guy who’s skeptical about reading to his kid. It works because it doesn’t preach. It just tells a story and trusts you to figure out the rest.
2. THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER BY MARK TWAIN
Mark Twain | ⭐ 4.5/5
Who it’s for: Kids who like adventure and parents who want to introduce the classics without the intimidation factor.
“The reports of my death were greatly exaggerated.”
I didn’t read this as a kid. I figured it was one of those books you were supposed to read in school and didn’t actually enjoy. Turns out Tom Sawyer is still funny. The cave adventure, the fake death, the whole thing with the witness at his own funeral — my son was on the edge of his seat. I was re-reading it for the first time as an adult and realizing Twain is doing something more complicated than I understood.
The narrator makes a difference. There are versions with full casts and versions with one person doing all the voices, and I’d recommend the full-cast version if you can find it. The Mississippi accent is hard to do with one voice and harder to listen to for two hours straight.
I read this the week my son was at his mother’s. That’s relevant because I had time to think about it, and what I kept thinking about was how Twain writes adults as these looming, half-comic figures — which is exactly how kids see them. My son isn’t thinking about class or race or the historical context. He’s thinking: Tom is smarter than all the adults and none of them know it. That’s a timeless thing.
My take: A classic that earns its place. Don’t skip the cave chapter.
3. THE WONDERLINGS BY JENNY MCLACHLAN
Jenny McLachlan | ⭐ 4.3/5
Who it’s for: Kids who like magical elements mixed with real life, especially readers who liked Harry Potter but want something lighter.
“All the best stories have a door you weren’t supposed to find.”
This is a newer one. The Wonderlings are kids who discover they can step into books and be part of the action. It’s a high concept and it works because McLachlan understands: kids want stories to be real in a way that matters.
My son was into it — that sense of being somewhere else while your body is just sitting still. The narrator is good and there are a lot of voices. He asked me what I thought would happen next, which he doesn’t always do.
My take: A good choice for the drive to somewhere when you need the time to go fast.
4. PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF BY RICK RIORDAN
Rick Riordan | ⭐ 4.7/5
Who it’s for: Kids who like action, mythology, and protagonists who are smarter than they let on.
“Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood.”
I know this one is everywhere. Here’s why I’m including it: the audiobook is narrated by Jesse Bernstein, and he’s very good — not just reading words, performing them.
We listened on a four-hour drive to Maine and needed every minute. My son knew more Greek mythology than I did by the end. Turns out Percy’s version is more fun than the real one, at least when you’re nine.
This is the book I’d hand to a kid who says they don’t like reading. It’s fast, it’s funny, the chapters are short. It’s designed to make you keep going.
My take: The audiobook is better than the movie. Don’t tell my son I said that.
5. CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY BY ROALD DAHL
Roald Dahl | ⭐ 4.6/5
Who it’s for: Kids who like gross humor, adults who forgot how dark Dahl can be.
“Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.”
I read this as a kid and I didn’t remember much except the chocolate river and the Oompa-Loompas. Listening to it with my son was like rediscovering it. Dahl is genuinely strange in a way I hadn’t registered — the punishments for the bad kids are brutal, the adults are mostly useless or worse, and yet it all feels like a dream you’re supposed to have.
The narrator matters here. There are versions read by different people and I’d look for the one with a full cast if you can find it, or at least a narrator who can do the voices. Dahl’s rhythm is specific. It sounds right when it’s read right.
My son liked Veruca Salt best, which is the correct opinion. He also asked me if Willy Wonka was a good guy or a bad guy, and I didn’t have a good answer. That’s the point. Dahl is interested in complicated adults, and that went over better with my kid than I expected.
My take: Still holds up. The Augustus Gloop chapter is still disgusting in the best way.
6. THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS BY KENNETH GRAHAME
Kenneth Grahame | ⭐ 4.4/5
Who it’s for: Parents who want something gentler and older-fashioned, kids who like animal characters with personality.
“There is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
I didn’t know this one was still read. My therapist mentioned it, which I mention because I’m trying to be honest about where recommendations come from. He said it was about friendship and it’s about the river and it’s about a kind of calm that kids don’t always get to experience in books. He was right.
The audiobook is quiet. It’s not action-heavy. Mole and Rat and Toad and Badger are just living their lives along the river, and the book asks you to slow down and be with them. That’s not something my son usually wants. But on a long drive, when the snacks are gone and he’s tired of looking out the window, it worked. We listened to a chapter about Toad’s motor car obsession — which is funny and also a little sad — and my son said it sounded like his uncle. That’s the kind of observation I save up.
I don’t know if this counts as a kid’s book exactly. It’s more like a book that’s safe for kids, if that makes sense.
My take: A good one for the second half of a long drive when everyone’s a little tired.
7. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE Ugly Truth BY JEFF KINNEY
Jeff Kinney | ⭐ 4.2/5
Who it’s for: Kids who like humor, parents who are okay with books that aren’t trying to teach anything.
“I’m going to write down exactly what happened.”
The Wimpy Kid series is what I’d call reliable. It’s not trying to be important. It’s trying to be funny and fast and something a kid can finish. My son devours them, which I have mixed feelings about as a parent, but on a road trip, I’ll take reliable.
The audiobook works because it sounds like a kid talking, which sounds obvious but isn’t always true in audiobooks. There are pictures described, which is a thing these books do, and you can either follow along with a physical copy or just listen. My son did both.
I know this isn’t the kind of book I’m supposed to recommend highly. But here’s the thing: on a six-hour drive, I want my kid to be engaged and not fighting with his brother and asking are we there yet every ten minutes. This book bought me three hours of quiet. I don’t apologize for that.
My take: It’s doing a job and doing it well. That’s worth something.
8. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE BY J.K. ROWLING
J.K. Rowling | ⭐ 4.9/5
Who it’s for: Parents who grew up with Harry Potter and want to share that experience with their kids.
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
I had to include this one. I know it’s huge and it’s everywhere and maybe you’ve already read it to your kid ten times. But the audiobook is narrated by Jim Dale, and he’s so good that even knowing what’s coming, I got pulled back in. My son didn’t know anything about it going in, which was the right way to experience it, and the drive from Boston to my sister’s place became a thing we both looked forward to.
Here’s what I’ll say: this is a book that earns its place. I know people have complicated feelings about the author now. I’m not going into that. I’m saying the book is well-constructed and it pulls you in and it does things with tension and release that my son responded to viscerally. He got scared at the mirror. He held his breath at the chess game. That’s the book working.
I read this the week my son was at his mother’s, which is when I do most of my real thinking. I kept thinking about how Rowling builds a world — the details, the rules, the way everything has a history. That’s craft. My son just thought it was cool. Both things can be true.
My take: Still the best place to start if you want a shared experience that lasts.
9. MATILDA BY ROALD DAHL
Roald Dahl | ⭐ 4.7/5
Who it’s for: Kids who feel like adults don’t understand them and parents who want to be reminded what it’s like to be small.
“I’m afraid children are rather overwhelming sometimes. I don’t think I shall ever be able to smell brown paint without thinking of her.”
Matilda is the one where Dahl’s darkness is aimed at the right targets — the adults who are cruel to kids instead of the kids themselves. That’s a meaningful difference. My son picked this one because he liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I was glad because I wanted him to hear the Miss Honey chapters.
The narrator Kate Winslet is good. She does the voices without making them cartoonish, which is a balance that’s hard to find. The scene where Matilda moves the chalk and writes on the board is as good in audio as it is on the page, which is to say: very good.
My son asked me if I ever had a teacher like Miss Trunchbull. I told him about a teacher I had in seventh grade named Mr. Brennan who used to make us read out loud in class and I hated it. My son said, “Did you have a Matilda?” I said no, but I wish I had. That’s the conversation this book can start.
My take: The ending still works. I won’t spoil it but I’ll say: it’s earned.
10. THE GREENGROUNDBLES BY JORDAN ROSTANKER
Jordan Rostanker | ⭐ 4.3/5
Who it’s for: Kids interested in sports, teamwork, and the experience of being on a team.
“We weren’t supposed to win. That’s what made it ours.”
This is a newer book and I found it because my son keeps asking me for sports books that aren’t just about one star player. He plays baseball and he’s on a team that’s not great, and he wanted something about kids who stick with it even when it’s hard. I did not have a good recommendation for this. I found this one.
The GreenGroundbles are a kids’ baseball team that’s losing and then something happens that changes how they see themselves. The book is about what it means to be part of something when you’re not very good at it yet.
My son listened on a drive to a baseball tournament. We didn’t talk much. At the end, he said, “We should listen to that again.” He has never asked me that before.
My take: Sometimes a book finds you at the right moment. This found my son when he needed it.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DO I PICK THE RIGHT AUDIOBOOK?
Here’s what I’ve learned: the narrator matters more than anything. A good narrator can make an okay book into a great listen. A bad narrator will lose your kid in the first ten minutes. Look for audiobooks with full casts if you can find them, or narrators who’ve done kids’ books before. I’d also say: let your kid have input. My son picked Wonder because of the cover, and it was the right call.
WHAT IF MY KID DOESN’T LIKE SITTING STILL FOR BOOKS?
Then don’t make them sit still. That’s the thing about audiobooks — your kid can be doing anything while listening. Drawing, building something, looking out the window. The book doesn’t care if they’re paying attention every second. They’ll pick up the parts that matter.
HOW LONG SHOULD THE AUDIOBOOK BE?
Depends on the drive. For an hour or less, anything works. For longer drives, I’d look for books with short chapters or ones where each chapter feels complete. That way you can stop at a rest stop and not lose momentum. The Wimpy Kid books are good for this — the chapters are short and each one has a little payoff.
WHAT IF WE DON’T LIKE THE BOOK?
You stop. I’ve done this. There’s a book we got from the library that my son was lukewarm on and I was not into at all, and we just didn’t finish it. I used to think stopping a book was failure. Now I think it’s just information — this one wasn’t right for us, here’s why, next one. My son doesn’t seem scarred by it.
MY KID ONLY LIKES ONE THING. IS THAT A PROBLEM?
My son went through a phase where he only wanted books about dogs. Then only books about video games. Then only books about dinosaurs. I’m not worried about this. Kids go deep before they go broad. When he’s ready for something else, he’ll find it. In the meantime, I’ll take a kid who wants to listen over a kid who doesn’t.
IS THIS JUST A WAY TO GET MY KID TO STOP SCREEN TIME?
I get asked this sometimes and the answer is no, or not exactly. The thing about an audiobook in the car is that everyone is a little trapped, which means everyone is a little more open to just being together. My son and I have had more conversations that started from audiobooks than from anything else I can think of. It’s not about the book. It’s about what happens when you’re both paying attention to the same thing.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Here’s what I know from doing this for a few years now: the audiobook is not a workaround for reading. It’s its own thing, and if you treat it right, it’s something your kid will remember. Not the book necessarily — the time in the car with you. The conversations that came from it. The parts you both laughed at or didn’t understand or are still thinking about.
If you’re new to this: start with Wonder by R.J. Palacio. The full-cast audiobook is worth it, and the conversation you’ll have afterward is worth more.
If you want something that will last a long drive: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the obvious choice for a reason.
If you want something shorter that your kid might want to listen to again: try Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It’s reliable and it works.
My three favorites that my son actually asks about: Wonder, Percy Jackson, and The GreenGroundbles. These are the ones he brings up when we’re not even in the car.
Which one are you starting with?
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