bookbard Posted September 22, 2023 Share Posted September 22, 2023 Which short audiobooks have been winners for your kids (10-12)? We have done The Little Prince and The Snow Goose, which were both short. Any other classics which aren't too long? Oh, we've done The Phantom Tollbooth which was also not too long, and I Am David. We did end up with a very long audiobook which took forever to get through. I'd like something that isn't going to drag. Audiobooks are my way of exposing the kids to classic or at least well written books which I think they won't read otherwise. Books like Holes, Frindle, The Sheep-Pig have been successful. There have been a number that I've liked but they haven't (A Little Princess, Rooftoppers). I've got Tuck Everlasting on order, but anything else you'd recommend that is well-written and prompts interesting discussion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted September 22, 2023 Share Posted September 22, 2023 My boys have enjoyed the whole Wizard of Oz series. We used Libervox for that They also loved the famous five. I bought those ones. The Hobbit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted September 22, 2023 Share Posted September 22, 2023 You might see what you can get through your library. That would let you see what you can get at no cost. It looks like your dc enjoy humor, so maybe google funny chapter books for 5th graders. That's what I usually do to find books for my ds. He LOVES humor and that's kind of person specific. Freddy the Pig, Hank the Cowdog, Best Christmas Pageant Ever. You can take an author they liked (Dick King-Smith) and see what else you can get on audio by that author. You can look on amazon to see what else people who like those books like and then see if you can get it on audio. If the book is good but slow, you could increase the speed of the audio. Do they like books about animals? Kathryn Lasky has amazing stuff. My ds loved her Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted September 22, 2023 Share Posted September 22, 2023 (edited) Things that are episodic might work? Beatrix Potter and James Herriot’s Treasury for Children were huge faves here. Others faves that are regular chapter books: The Trumpet of the Swan A Single Shard The Chronicles of Narnia (regular audiobook, not dramatised multi-cast) Winnie the Pooh Definitely Hank or Freddy if you want silly! Edited September 22, 2023 by ScoutTN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostintheCosmos Posted September 22, 2023 Share Posted September 22, 2023 We have Charlotte's Web read by E.B. White himself, which is fantastic. William Stieg's books that I think of as kids' novellas: Dominic, Abel's Island, and The Real Thief. The Paddington books read by Stephen Fry The Children of Noisy Village is my actual favorite Astrid Lindgren book and not too long, but there's also Ronia the Robber's Daughter and, of course, Pippi Longstocking. Rosemary Sutcliff's epic retellings aren't too long: Black Ships before Troy, the Wanderings of Odysseus, and she has a Beowulf one too. Roald Dahl 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted September 22, 2023 Share Posted September 22, 2023 I am loving these suggestions. We do audiobooks daily and I had run out of ideas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookbard Posted September 23, 2023 Author Share Posted September 23, 2023 Oh, thanks for the ideas - I hadn't thought about Rosemary Sutcliffe, good idea. I second Charlotte's Web. I honestly think it is an incredible piece of literature - we listened to it say 2 years ago and I was frankly astonished at the quality of the writing and the depth of the characterisation. I'd vaguely remembered the plot as a kid, but the actual book was so much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookbard Posted September 23, 2023 Author Share Posted September 23, 2023 13 hours ago, ScoutTN said: The Chronicles of Narnia (regular audiobook, not dramatised multi-cast) I found a dramatised version of The Silver Sword and while it was fun to listen to, it missed out on quite a bit of the plot. I think it might have been a radio play version or something, but there were some good bits that just weren't in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted September 23, 2023 Share Posted September 23, 2023 13 hours ago, bookbard said: I found a dramatised version of The Silver Sword and while it was fun to listen to, it missed out on quite a bit of the plot. I think it might have been a radio play version or something, but there were some good bits that just weren't in there. Yes, the dramatised versions are abridged. The regular audiobooks are well read and unabridged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmeilaen Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 Sarah from "Read Aloud Revival" has wonderful audiobook booklists here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 (edited) Small Steps by Peg Kehret To Say Nothing of the Milk By Neil Gaiman George's Marvelous Medicine By Roald Dahl Edited October 7, 2023 by hellen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookbard Posted October 14, 2023 Author Share Posted October 14, 2023 We've started on Tuck Everlasting (which I have read before - never realised what a baby she is at age 10, my kids are hooting at her childishness). I also found a CD of Margaret Mahy's The Haunting, which I should have put on first as we're close to Halloween. It's a great story. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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