Family-Friendly Audiobooks for Holiday Travel
Let library apps like Libby and Hoopla be your copilot this winter.
This holiday season, an estimated 119 million Americans are planning to hit the skyways and highways, making travel during the most wonderful time of the year often far less than.
Double that stress if you have a kid or two (or three) in tow, when traffic jams and slowdowns come standard with the holiday travel package. For those of you prepping for lengthy winter road trips who don’t want your tots glued to screens the whole ride, audiobooks can come to the rescue for everyone.
On a budget? Travel, socially pressured gift-giving, and grocery prices on the rise can turn even the most kindhearted into a Grinch this season. Thankfully, libraries nationwide have made it easier than ever to access audiobook titles for free, with apps like Libby and Hoopla syncing directly to your library card.
No smartphone? No problem. According to the Audiobooks and Public Libraries: 2023 Audiobook Survey Report, most libraries continue to collect and make physical audio in the form of CDs accessible for the foreseeable future. So go ahead and party like it's 2008 — load up that six-disc CD changer and let ‘er rip!
It can be tricky finding seasonally appropriate audiobook titles that are suited to a wide range of ages but still appeal to the adults behind the wheel and riding shotgun. With so many new audiobooks launching on a variety of platforms every day, it's hard to know where to start.
As a past audiobook proofer/editor and current reviewer for AudioFile Magazine, here are a few curated, universally loved, family-friendly titles I have discovered along the way that will make the hours and miles fly by like snowflakes.
The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir by Ken Harmon
Narrated by seasoned voice actor Johnny Heller, this hardboiled tale puts a dryly humorous twist on Santa and his elves. References and winks to well-known holiday classic characters and family films such as A Christmas Story and the Island of Misfit Toys from the 1964 stop-motion animated film Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer abound, and all ages will appreciate the tongue-in-cheek humor in an intriguing mystery running just under six hours that sounds serious but never takes itself too seriously.
Home for the Holidays (Mother-Daughter Book Club Series, Book 5) by Heather Vogel Frederick
Featuring a star-studded cast of audio queen talent that includes Cris Dukehart, Amy Rubinate, Kate Rudd, Emily Woo Zeller, and Shannon McManus, this one is sure to please tween and teen girl families. Running at eight hours and forty-four minutes with multiple-voice dialogue enlivening the source material centering around family ties, this is an excellent choice for those long-haul drives to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia Series, Book 2) by C.S. Lewis
Have a family of Anglophiles? This wintry classic tale of British children’s literature, smartly narrated by Michael York, is just your cup of tea and easily accessible via Libby. Only the hearts of four brave young souls from our world, guided by a fierce but kindly lion named Aslan, can defrost the fantasy land of Narnia from its eternal winter. Running four hours and twenty-one minutes, this one is sure to keep both littles and bigs entranced.
The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen
Performed by Julia Whelan, this Hans Christian Andersen classic is available for free for Audible Plus members and $6.95 retail. Running at a crisp one hour and fourteen minutes, Whelan does a masterful job breathing warmth into this frosty tale that stays true to the original source material about Gerda, who must save her dear friend Kai from the dark clutches of a compelling force of nature, and how the two grow into themselves along the way. Themes of family, fidelity, courage, and coming-of-age, coupled with a compelling narration, make this a perfect road trip choice.
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
This agelessly delightful children’s tale is thoughtfully read by noted Monk actor Tony Shalhoub. While it isn’t a holiday story per se, themes of travel, belonging, and the diverse sights and sounds of America’s undisputed Christmas Capital, New York City, set the mood for young and old. Fueled by Shaloub’s signature sparkling energy, the runtime on this is two and a half hours — perfect timing to get you over the George Washington Bridge on your way to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
Nothing on this list that suits your needs? Ask your local librarian or staff member for help with recommendations! Season’s listenings to one and all!
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