Playlisted Best Back-to-School Audiobooks Get the youngster in your life excited about the new school year with these back-to-school favorites! By Madeline Anthony Sep 14, 2020 Going back to school—or starting for the very first time—can be anxiety inducing, exhilarating, freeing, and an all-around big moment for kids under any circumstances. This year, the specifics of back-to-school may vary, but the feelings will inevitably remain the same: new year, fresh notebooks, budding friendships, intriguing teachers, and that pit-of-the-stomach excitement of walking into the unknown. We hope this carefully selected group of audiobooks will help your little (or maybe not-so-little) ones feel reassured, confident, and maybe even a bit giddy about diving into this strange new school year. Tomorrow I'll Be Kind stop Principles By Jessica Hische Narrated by Robin Miles 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. This heartwarming audiobook teaches children everyday lessons that all of us (adults included!) sometimes forget in the blur of our busy lives. A follow-up to the very popular Tomorrow I’ll be Brave, this snack-size audiobook has a simple central message: learn to be grateful, helpful, and kind. Narrator Robin Miles delivers the story with a gentle, easy tone that reflects the tenderness of the story.Perfect for: kids 3-7 Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History stop Principles By Vashti Harrison Narrated by Robin Miles, Bahni Turpin 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. Little Leaders tells the story of 40 groundbreaking Black women who have broken barriers and changed the world in the process. Among some of these incredible women are abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash. If you aim to educate and inspire the young ones in your life, this audiobook chalk full of real-life role models is a great choice.Perfect for: kids 8-12 The Day You Begin stop Principles By Jacqueline Woodson Narrated by Jacqueline Woodson 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. National Book Award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson does not disappoint with this heartfelt story centered around finding connection by gaining the courage to reach out to others. Narrated by the author herself, this uplifting audiobook is worth returning to again and again to show kids that we are all uniquely wonderful.Perfect for: kids 5-8 Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja stop Principles By Marcus Emerson Narrated by Josh Hurley 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. This hilarious and heart-warming audiobook is sure to keep kids entertained while getting them excited for their first day back at school. The particular ninja telling his story, Chase Cooper, is starting the year at a brand new school—but that doesn’t stop him from chronicling his journey from scrawny 4th grader to full-fledged 6th grade ninja! Narrator Josh Hurley’s energetic tone perfectly matches the thrilling adventure our hero takes us on.Perfect for: kids 9+ A Happy Start to School stop Principles By Amba Brown Narrated by Amba Brown 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. A Happy Start to School is a playful audiobook with an important goal: to help kids prepare socially and emotionally for their first day of school. Author and narrator Amba Brown has studied positive psychology and is an active member of the International Positive Psychology Association. Brown is passionate about alleviating the anxieties of youth, and has put her passion to work in A Happy Start to School, which is based in what she calls the science of happiness. If a child in your life needs some support and encouragement before starting school, this audiobook may prove to be the perfect listen.Perfect for: kids 3-6 The King of Kindergarten stop Principles By Derrick Barnes Narrated by Sullivan Jones 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. From Newbery Honor-winning author Derrick Barnes comes the story of a confident little boy who can’t wait to take on kindergarten. This fun and empowering listen takes little ones through some of the most important moments of the school day: from making friends to learning about the importance of sharing. The hero’s enthusiasm and confidence are contagious, making this a great choice for any soon-to-be kindergartener who could use a boost of excitement about heading off to school! Perfect for: kids 3-6 Wonder stop Principles By R. J. Palacio Narrated by Diana Steele, Nick Podehl, Kate Rudd 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. Anyone who has listened to Wonder likely won’t be surprised to hear the novel has made it’s way to the coveted New York Times Best Seller list. This story of a smart, silly, friendly boy starting the 5th grade while looking decidedly different from the other kids in his class has captured the hearts of millions. Author R. J. Palacio has called Wonder a meditation on kindness—and to be sure, listeners of any age will gain empathy and compassion from this powerful story about a young boy who looks different, but is brave enough to stand out.Perfect for: kids 8-12 Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure stop Principles By Jeff Kinney Narrated by Christopher Gebauer 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. Best-selling author Jeff Kinney of Diary of a Wimpy Kid fame has done it again with Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure. This epic tale follows best friends Roland and Garg the Barbarian as they leave their quiet village and head into unfamiliar territory, embarking on a quest to save Roland’s mother from the white warlock! If the thrilling story wasn’t enough on its own, Christopher Gebauer’s enthusiastic narration is sure to keep kids engaged until the very end.Perfect for: kiddos 9-12 Dress Coded stop Principles By Carrie Firestone Narrated by Cassandra Morris, Taylor Meskimen, Kim Mai Guest, Tara Sands, Sharinna Allan, Sophie Amoss, Andrea Emmes, Krystel Roche, Asia Mattu, Courtney Lin, Caitlin Kelly 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. This inspiring, girl-power audiobook is a great choice for the young heroine in your life! Narrated by a full cast of compelling voices, the story begins when 8th-grader Molly Frost has just about enough of the unfair dress-code enforcement at her school, and decides to take matters into her own hands. Molly starts a podcast for girls at her school to share their stories. and unknowingly starts a revolution in the process. This powerful and entertaining audiobook teaches girls not to back down from what is right and to stand up for what they know to be true.Perfect for: kids 9-13 Kristy's Great Idea stop Principles By Ann M. Martin Narrated by Elle Fanning 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. The Baby-Sitters Club is a listener favorite and it’s no wonder why—the series has been a go-to for tweens of the past three decades! These stories follow a dynamic group of pre-teen girls as they live out lessons of self-discovery, true friendship, and changing family dynamics. Whether you were a BSC member in the past and want to connect your kids with an enduring favorite, or you're discovering these stories for the first time, these ageless stories are sure to keep your whole family entertained while learning a lesson or two along the way.Perfect for: kids 9-13 Wishes and Wellingtons stop Principles By Julie Berry Narrated by Jayne Entwistle 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. Award-winning author Julie Berry brings us a fantastical middle-grade adventure, only from Audible. Wishes and Wellingtons follows the intriguing life of Maeve Merritt, who scoffs at the rigid rules of her London boarding school. When punishment forces her to sort through the trash, she finds a sardine tin that houses a foul-tempered djinni with no intention of submitting to a schoolgirl as his master. Soon an orphan boy from the charitable home next door, a mysterious tall man in ginger whiskers, a disgruntled school worker, and a take-no-prisoners business tycoon are in hot pursuit of Maeve and her magical discovery. This mystical audiobook is a great choice for brave young heroines who refuse to be tamed by silly things like rules!Perfect for: kids 10+ A Place at the Table stop Principles By Saadia Faruqi, Laura Shovan Narrated by Nikhaar Kishnani, Caitlin Kelly 00:00 05:00 Update RequiredTo play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. A Place at the Table explores the meaning of true belonging through the lens of a friendship between two sixth-grade girls from drastically different backgrounds. Sara is a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth is white and Jewish. The pair meet at a South Asian cooking class that Sara’s mom is teaching, and over time form an unbreakable bond. Narrated by two voices as distinct and compelling as the characters themselves, this is a wonderful choice for teaching kids about the beauty of diversity in life and friendship.Perfect for: kids 10-12 Recommended The Best Black Audiobook Narrators to Listen To Right Now Escape From Our Echo Chambers Starts With Listening Greatness Claire Adam's Debut Novel 'Golden Child' Shows That No Person Is An Island, Even When Living On One 7 Ways You Can Enjoy The Baby-Sitters Club Up Next 15 Essential Jewish Authors to Hear in Audio From fiction and poetry to history and memoir, literature from the Jewish diaspora is vast, diverse, and full of illuminating stories.
