The Best Books in the Audible Plus Catalog

(P.S. If you are looking for ways to start listening to more audiobooks, pop in your email address and I’ll send you a list of my best tips for starting audiobooks!)

Rivals: Frenemies Who Changed the World by Scott McCormick
This was a recommendation from several readers and we listened to it together. It’s laugh-out-loud funny and also really informative. Heads up that it has a little bit of slightly crude humor.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
This is one I’ve never actually read (you may know about me that I don’t have a lot of love for wacky and this one has always just felt too over-the-top to me).

The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame
This one is less than an hour long – perfect for quiet time or some errands in the car.

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
This Newbery winner is set during the Revolutionary War. I remember loving it as a child and am excited to revisit it with my girls.

Jack and the Beanstalk and other stories by Lenny Henry
Tally and I listened to this in the car a few months ago when we were running errands just the two of us and it was charming.

Laurie Berkner’s Song and Story Kitchen by Laurie Berkner
I mean, you cannot go wrong with Laurie Berkner and this audio collection is delightful – it’s not just songs but instead nearly five delightful hours of singing, storytelling, and all around fun. Highly recommended if you have a toddler or preschooler in the car with you!

Stella Batts by Courtney Sheinmel
If you have a child who loves short chapter book series, this is a great one!

I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino
This is another Newbery winner about Juan, the assistant to Spanish painter Diego Velasquez. Juan is an enslaved African who, as he helps Velasquez, learns to paint himself, despite such activities being forbidden.

Iron Thunder by Avi
Avi is a master of historical fiction and this one, set during the Civil War and the sea battles that take place in the Atlantic Ocean, is a winner.

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
Growing up with a pilot father, it’s not surprise that all Ida Mae Jones wants to do is fly. But since it’s 1940s Louisiana and Ida is both female and Black? It’s going to be hard for her to make her dreams come true.

Nancy Drew Girl Detective by Carolyn Keene
There are a couple of these Nancy Drew titles in the Audible Plus catalog!

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
This one’s a classic and fun to listen to as a family or for kids on their own.

The Weirdies by Michael Buckley
This one is a darkly whimsical tale about the Weirdie triplets (Barnacle, Garlic, and Melancholy) as they endure tragic mishaps, laughably grim adventures, and the challenge of fending for themselves after being left behind. They prove that even the darkest misfortune is easier with family by your side.

The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury
This magical middle grade book was the first one we listened to together after we joined Audible Plus – it’s delightful! Amelia’s lifelong dream is to attend the Mystwick School of Musicraft but after a failed audition, it looks like her dreams might be crushed. A lucky second chance gets her into the school but now Amelia is realizing that getting in might have been the easy part.

Princess Cora and the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Brian Floca
Cora is a princess and she’s so tired of being bossed around. Every minute of her day is scheduled with activities she DOESN’T want to do. Until her fairy godmother grants her wish by sending a crocodile. Who is VERY hard to boss around.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Orphaned Mary Lennox is shipped off to live with a distant uncle after her parents die and she feels nothing but loneliness. She spends her time on the Yorkshire moors exploring the surrounding gardens…and that’s when she finds a key. A curious old key that fit perfectly in a mysterious little door. And then she realizes what she found. A secret garden.

The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
Four book in the series and four siblings getting into mischief to keep your 4th or 5th grade son entertained nonstop. These hilarious books turn an ordinary day into quite the adventure for the Moffat clan.

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell and Jonathan Bean
This is still one of my favorite middle-grade books. It’s on the long side, but if you have a child that just can’t get enough to read, this is a great pick. (Full review here)

Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke
Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa with both her immediate and extended family, including twin baby brothers and there are plenty of adventures to be had in this sweet chapter book series.

Selected Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
You might know Rudyard Kipling as the author of The Jungle Book, but these classic animal fables are just as delightful. Ever wondered why animals look or act the way they do? Drawing on stories he heard as a child in India plus folklore he gathered from around the world, Kipling spins imaginative, whimsical explanations that make these tales so much fun.

Clementine by Sara Penny Packer
Clementine is kind, artistic, and a little bit unpredictable. Many of her third grade adventures include helping her friends, but also innocently ending up in the principals office because of a misunderstanding.

By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman
We listened to this Gold Rush story on a family road trip and every last one of us – from my four year old to my husband was INTO it.

Miracles on Maple Hill by Cynthia Bishop
I listened to this sweet Newbery winner more than a decade ago and absolutely loved it. Marly’s dad has just returned home after being a prisoner of war and he’s very changed. Hoping to help him recover, the family goes to Maple Hill, the home of Marly’s great-grandmother. So tender and charming.

Aladdin and Other Stories by Audible Studios
My girls would absolutely love listening to the magical retellings of these three classic fairy tales – Aladdin, The Elves and the Shoemaker, and Thumbelina.

Frozen: Olaf’s Quest for Kids by Disney Press
For little fans of Frozen, this one is a homerun audiobook! Olaf loves books, and when a mysterious message sends him on a quest with Anna, Kristoff, and Sven to find the legendary Haus Biblio – a “sea of stories” – their journey is filled with mountains, friendly creatures, and enchanting tales.

Viva Durant by Ashli St. Armant
Viva Durant, New Orleans’ youngest sleuth, sets out across New Orleans to crack a jazzy treasure mystery tied to the famous song Miss Mary Mack, following clues from lively streets to the haunting paths of the French Quarter. This 3 book series is bursting with music, culture, and colorful characters – perfect for mystery lovers!

Zero G by Dan Wells
Zero is aboard a spaceship on its way to colonize a new planet. Everyone on board is in hibernation in order to survive the century long trip, everyone that is except Zero. Initially he is excited to roam the ship all by himself, until a family of space pirates tries to hijack the ship. Can he save the ship from being taken hostage?

A Mind of Her Own by Paula McLain
Wondering about Marie Curie? This historical fiction book about the famous scientist is a fascinating place to start.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
I always think of this book as an audio book since my mom and I listened to it together on a road trip when I was 13. (She kept stopping it to help me keep the characters straight, bless her).

1984 by George Orwell
I still remember reading this one so clearly in my AP English class as a high school junior. 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Read this and then you’ll never make the mistake of calling the monster Frankenstein again (spoiler: Frankenstein is the doctor who creates the monster).

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, read by Tim Curry
I love A Christmas Carol and I particularly love this narrated version. It is such a fun way to cozy up during the Christmas season and it’s only about three hours long, so it’s not a big time commitment. 

Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Do we all imagine Benedict Cumberbatch now as Sherlock? Just me? This is the classic mystery series of all mystery series – full of adventures from the most well-known detective and his trusty partner Dr. Watson. Fun fact: when we lived in London for my husband’s semester abroad, we lived just around the corner from Baker Street and passed the fictional detective’s door almost daily.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Two sisters, Marianne and Elinor, navigate love and heartbreak in a society where social status and money play a significant role. Marianne is impulsive while Elinor is practical, and they both learn that they must have both sense and sensibility if they want to find true happiness.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
You can’t compete with Jane Eyre – it’s one of the finest books ever written. Read it and love it. We’ve also seen and loved the TV series. I highly recommend it after reading this incredible book!

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
In 1994, when the Winona Ryder and Christian Bale version of Little Women came out, my mom told me that if I read the book, she’d take me to see the movie. I read the book in a few days and loved every second of it. An all-time classic, it’s just so good!

Mistletoe Murders by Ken Cuperus (and Middlebridge Mysteries)
Emily Lane may run a festive shop in Fletcher’s Grove, but when murders strike, her secretive past and sleuthing instincts draw suspicion – especially from smitten detective Sam Wilner.

The Stand-In by Lily Chu (also The Comeback and Rich Girl Summer)
Gracie Reed is holding it together, even though she recently got fired by her boss and she is still trying to get her mother into a nursing home. Her life gets turned upside down when she is asked by a famous actress to be her stand in thanks to their almost unbelievably similar appearances. Gracie thinks the money will make it all worth it, but she might be wrong.

Once Upon a Crime by Brynn Kelly
When Lana Fleming sneaks onto a TV set to investigate her sister’s disappearance, she’s forced to team up with A-list actor Griffin Hart, and together they uncover a deadly scandal in Hollywood that turns their meet-cute into a race for survival.

The Return of Ruby Darling by Leeanne Slade
Ruby Darling, reeling from heartbreak and career chaos, embarks on a transformative journey to New Zealand with her estranged best friend Nate, where stunning landscapes, rekindled friendship, and family secrets force her to confront her past.

The Dispatcher by John Scalzi
For a quick, two-hour listen, this sci-fi thriller follows professional Dispatcher Tony Valdez as he navigates a world where nearly everyone who’s killed comes back and races against time to find a missing colleague before even his skills can’t save them.

An Arrangement of Sorts by Rebecca Connolly
In this regency romance, Moira Dennison enlists the mysterious Nathaniel Hammond to help find her fiancé, unaware of his noble title, and as secrets and attraction draw them together, their carefully planned paths may lead to love instead of duty.

This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live by Melody Warnick
You already know I love love love this book – for anyone trying to feel more at home in a new (or old!) place, this book is a must read.

Where the Light Gets In by Kimberly Williams-Paisley
This book is heartbreaking and wonderful about losing a parent to dementia. (I included it on my Summer Reading Guide a few years ago).