Audio books are a wonderful shared reading experience and a shared story gives everyone in the family something to talk about. If the narrator’s voice grates on your nerves or you find added background music and sound effects to be a distraction, you’ll save all the listeners in your family some time and pain. Whenever possible, listen to a sample of the audio book before you dive in. But also get kid opinions on selections to help get them invested before listening begins. When choosing audio book titles, seek suggestions from your librarian and consult recommendations from experts, such as Notable Children's Recordings from the American Library Association or Reading Rockets’ Favorite Audio Books. There are also many online digital services such as Audible and Tales2Go where you can subscribe to an extensive catalog of audio content.

Your library may also provide audio books as digital files through a service like OverDrive that you can check out and download to your personal device.

Some libraries also carry Playaways, which are books pre-loaded onto MP3 player available for checkout. Audio books are available as CDs and you can often find them at your local public library packaged with a copy of the picture book or early reader. Consider what format will work best for you and your child. Being familiar with the story will help your child enjoy hearing it from a different reader and become a willing listener. In introducing audio books to your child, look for audio books of stories your child has heard you read or tell before. For your child, listening to an audio book is a very different experience from hearing you read a book aloud. Though popular with many families during long car trips, audio books are a great way to experience stories anytime, anywhere.

Listening to audio books also gives kids the valuable and enjoyable experience of using their own imaginations to visualize the people and places they’re hearing about. Have Growing Readers delivered each month right to your inbox! (In English & Spanish) Sign up here >Īudio books are a wonderful way to expose your child to complex language, expressive reading, and fantastic stories.

Audio books for young adults