Summertime often means travel, which typically includes long car rides or flights. It can be hard for everyone to agree on the same music and even harder for most parents to listen to that one soundtrack over and over and over. You know the one I mean! It’s time to let it go and embrace audiobooks. Here are some favorites that the whole family can enjoy.
“Some Kind of Courage” by Dan Gemeinhart
This title is getting some early Newbery buzz, and rightfully so, as Andrew Eiden does an excellent job of bringing this historical fiction set in the 1890s to life. This is a classic tale of a boy and his horse with lots of twists and turns along the way. “Some Kind of Courage” is a great listen for anyone seeking action and adventure, but be warned it is not for the faint of heart. (I may or may not have cried during the last 45 minutes of the book.) However, it is well worth the tears to reach the end of this powerful story where a boy loses just about everything along his journey but his courage — and gains a lot more.
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” by Roald Dahl
This audiobook is actually a compilation of Dahl short stories, but “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is my favorite. Chris O’Dowd (who acts in “The I.T. Crowd” and voices characters in “Puffin Rock” and the “Monsters vs. Aliens” television shows) narrates the tale of the wily Mr. Fox and his family in their struggle to outsmart the local farmers and purloin their livestock and produce. After you listen to the book, you can watch the wonderful movie! If you listen to the book AND the watch the movie and still want more, you can come to the Columbia branch for our Roald Dahl program — Celebrating the World of Roald Dahl — on July 19 from 2-3 p.m. You can register now by calling (573) 443-3161.
You can find these titles and more at your library branch. Need a book while you’re out of town? No problem! Download Hoopla or Overdrive to your favorite device to use our apps on the go! Both have a wide selection of audiobooks to download. Happy listening!
