Summer Reading Audiobooks for Kids

Listening to audiobooks can be a fun and enriching way for your child to tackle their summer reading list.

Summer break is fast approaching for students, and with all that extra free time, they need something to do with it. Of course, there aren’t many better pastimes than clearing out a summer reading list, but some kids just don’t enjoy reading as much as others. Fortunately, with an audiobook library, they can listen to their favorite pieces of literature instead of forcing themselves to read, ensuring all types of kids can develop a love of books. That being said, let’s take a look at some of the best audiobooks you can recommend to your kids or students for this summer.

Audiobooks for Grades K–2

Audiobooks are a great way to introduce kids to longer, more complex chapter books, so basic novels are prime summer listening material. Some of our favorites include: 

• Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White, a classic novel many of us enjoyed in our own childhoods. It follows the story of a piglet named Wilbur and the friendship he develops with his barn mate, a spider named Charlotte.
• The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne, another nostalgic kids’ classic that follows the adventures of inseparable siblings Jack and Annie as they travel across the eras in their magical tree house. There are tons of books in the series, so your kiddo won’t be bored for a moment!
• Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater, which tells the story of a poor Minnesota family who comes into the possession of a penguin, and everything that follows.

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Audiobooks for Grades 3–5

By this point, kids still have a similar taste in audiobooks but will be able to digest more complex novels. For this age group, we recommend:

• Matilda by Roald Dahl, a classic story about a fiercely confident young girl that teaches messages of individuality and self-reliance.
• The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, one of our favorite fantasy series for kids and adults alike.
• How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. Your kiddos have probably already experienced it in movie form, but it’s always worth getting the full experience of the original novel!

Audiobooks for Grades 6–8

By the time they’ve reached middle school, kids are growing into a more refined palate for literature, so you can start giving them more challenging and interesting works to listen to. We recommend:

• The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, the prequel to the Lord of the Rings series and a classic novel of bold and epic adventures in its own right.
• The Lord of the Rings series itself by J. R. R Tolkien, the tale of a motley band of adventurers and a household name for fantasy and literature buffs alike. Many would argue that this series is the work that established what we now define as high fantasy, so it’s an excellent listen for young literary adventurers.
• The A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket, a grim but humorous account of the Baudelaire siblings and their attempts to protect their inherited fortune from the evil Count Olaf.

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Audiobooks for Grades 9–12

By this point, the kids aren’t so much kids as they are developing adults in their own right. As such, if there’s any time to recommend heavier, more complicated topics, it’s now. Some of our favorites are:

• The Road by Cormac McCarthy, the gritty, touching and tragic tale of a father and son, their unbreakable bond, and their fight to remain by each other’s side among the last vestiges of a ruined world.
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, widely thought to be the first science-fiction novel and the crown jewel of the Gothic era of literature, is the story of a mad scientist who, after an experiment gone awry, learns of the consequences of toying with forces beyond humanity.
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare, an excellent choice for someone looking to read the works of the old bard himself and a gripping tale of love, grief, and betrayal.

Of course, this list is just scratching the surface. There are countless great audiobooks out there, so if you’re looking for ways to enrich your kids or students, all you have to do is perform a quick search online. If you’d like to learn more about reading or get more great book recommendations, feel free to check out our blog!

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