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Auto Audiobooks
by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. and Mona Behan
reviewed by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Children love to hear their parents tell family stories or spin yarns, but when your own imagination and voice falter, there's an ever-growing selection of well-crafted children's books on tape or CD to help keep story time going. You'll need to consider the ages of your children, but some surefire kid-pleasers include:
- The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Even if you've seen the movie and your children have read The Sorcerer's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, and The Goblet of Fire several times, chances are that you'll still be mesmerized by these well-done audio versions.
- The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. J. R. R. Tolkien's classic works of fantasy are hot, hot, hot once more, thanks in large part to the much-anticipated December 2001 release of the latter on film.
- Charlotte's Web and The Trumpet of the Swan. Read by author E. B. White, who infuses them with sly humor, these gentle and wise tales make delightful traveling companions.
- Ramona the Pest, Ramona's World, Beezus and Ramona, and others in the well-regarded Ramona series by Beverly Cleary. The author perfectly captures the world of a young, energetic girl, and Stockard Channing brings the characters to life with an expert reading.
- Other classics that are wonderful on tape include The Prince and the Pauper, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain); A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens); Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (Lewis Carroll); and The Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum).
Books on tape or CD (or audiobooks, as they are often called) are usually expensive to purchase. A better solution can be to check them out of your local library. Often, if the library doesn't have a tape, they will order it for you by interlibrary loan. Many titles are available in both abridged and unabridged versions. The advantage of the unabridged version is that they convey every nuance of the story and take a long time to listen to--several hours, for many titles. Perfect if you spend many hours in the car.
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Created December 20, 2001
Reviewed December 20, 2001
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