Listening Recommendations: 1^st – 8^th Grade

Sounder
by William H. Armstrong (4^th – 5^th)
Read by Avery Brooks – CD and Cassette

Summary: Angry and humiliated when his sharecropper father is jailed for stealing food for his family, a young black boy grows in courage and understanding by learning to read and with the help of the devoted dog Sounder. Newbery Medal Winner: 1973

The Indian in the Cupboard
by Lynne Reid Banks (3^rd – 4^th)
Read by the author – Cassette

Summary: A nine-year-old boy receives a plastic Indian, a cupboard, and a little key for his birthday and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes to life in the cupboard and befriends him.

Other audiobooks in the series:
The Return of the Indian
The Secret of the Indian
The Mystery of the Cupboard
The Key to the Indian

The Lost Years of Merlin
by T.A. Barron (4^th – 6^th)
Performed by Michael Cumpsty – Cassette

Summary: A strange young boy, who having washed up on the shores of ancient Wales, is determined to find his real home and his true name. One day he will become the greatest wizard of all time, but he knows nothing of this now.

Other audiobooks in the series:
The Seven Songs of Merlin (#2)
The Fires of Merlin (#3)

Peter and the Starcatchers
by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson (3rd – 6th)
Read by Jim Dale - CD

Summary: In an evocative and fast-paced adventure on the high seas and on a faraway island, an orphan boy named Peter and his mysterious new friend, Molly, overcome bands of pirates and thieves in their quest to keep a fantastical secret safe and save the world from evil.

Other related audiobooks:
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
by Ann Brashares (Young Adult)
Read by Angela Goethals – Cassette

Summary: A funky pair of dungarees and a strong friendship lie at the heart of this compelling coming-of-age novel. During the first summer they'll be separated from each other, four friends share a pair of second-hand jeans, and experience happiness, heartbreak, and all the complications of growing up.

Other audiobooks in the series:
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood
Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood

The Mouse and the Motorcycle
by Beverly Cleary (3rd – 4th)
Narrated by William Roberts – Cassette

Summary: A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling.

Other audiobooks by the Beverly Cleary:
Runnaway Ralph
Ralph S. Mouse
Ribsy Series
Henry Huggins Series
Ramona Series
Socks

Artemis Fowl
by Eoin Colfer (5th – 7th)
Read by Nathaniel Parker – CD

Summary: When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll.

Other audiobooks in the series and by the author:
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
Artemis Fowl: The Eternal Code
Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception
The Supernaturalist
The Wish List

The Dark is Rising
by Susan Cooper (4th – 8th)
Narrated by Alex Jennings – CD and Cassette

Summary: On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark.

Other books in the series:
Over Sea, Under Stone (#2)
The Grey King (#3)
Silver on the Tree (#4)

Walk Two Moons
by Sharon Creech (6th – 7th)
Performed by Hope Davis - Cassette

Summary: The struggle of 13 year old Sal to understand and deal with her mother's disappearance unfolds while on a cross-country trip with her eccentric grandparents. Sal tells them the story of her friend Phoebe whose mother has also left home, but in reality it is her own story. A funny, mysterious, and touching novel. Newbery Medal: 1995.

Other audiobooks by the author:
Love That Dog
Ruby Holler
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup
Bloomability
Heartbeat
The Wanderer

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
by Roald Dahl (4th – 6th)
Performed by Eric Idle, CD and Cassette

Summary: Each of five children lucky enough to discover an entry ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory takes advantage of the situation in his own way.

Other audiobooks by the author:
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
James and the Giant Peach
The BFG
The Twits
The Witches

The Door in the Wall
by Marguerite de Angeli (4th – 6th)
Ready Roger Rees –Cassette

Summary: A crippled boy in fourteenth-century England proves his courage and earns recognition from the King. Newbery Medal Winner: 1950

The Tale of Despereaux
by Kate DiCamillo (3rd – 5th)
Read by Graeme Malcom – Cassettes

Summary: The adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin. Newbery Medal Winner: 2004

Other audiobooks by the author:
Because of Winn-Dixie
The Tiger Rising

Inkheart
by Cornelia Funke (4th – 6th)
Read by Lynn Redgrave – Cassette

Summary: Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.

Other audiobooks by Cornelia Funke:
The Thief Lord
Dragon Rider

Lord of the Flies
by William Golding (Young Adult)
Narrated by the author – Cassette

Summary: The classic tale of a group of English school boys who are left stranded on an unpopulated island, and who must confront not only the defects of their society but the defects of their own natures.

Flush
by Carl Hiaasen (5th – 8th)
Read by Michael Welch – CD

Summary: Noah's dad is so mad that the Coral Queen casino boat is dumping raw sewage into the waters of the Florida Keys that he sinks it. When the boat is refloated and his Dad goes to jail, Noah aims to succeed where his father failed. This quick-reading, fun, family adventure harkens back to the Hardy Boys in its simplicity and quirky characters.

Other children’s audiobooks by the author:
Hoot

Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton (Young Adult)
Read by Jim Fyfe – Cassette

Summary: Ponyboy can count on his brothers. And on his friends. But no one much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up "greasers" like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect--until the night someone takes things too far.

Redwall (#1)
by Brian Jacques (4th – 6th)
Performed by Keith – CD and Cassette

Summary: When the peaceful life of ancient Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, determines to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior which, he is convinced, will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy.

Other audiobooks in the series:
Mossflower (#2)
Mattimeo (#3)
Mariel of Redwall (#4)
Salamandastron (#5)
Martin the Warrior (#6)
The Bellmaker (#7)
Outcast of Redwall (#8)
Pearls of Lutra (#9)
The Long Patrol (#10)
Marflox (#11)
Legend of Luke (#12)
The Lord Brocktree (#13)
Taggerung (#14)
Triss (#15)
Loamhedge (#16)
Rakkety Tam (#17)

A Wrinkle In Time
by Madeleine L’Engle (5th – 7th)
Narrated by the author – Cassette

Summary: A well-loved classic and 1963 Newbery Medal winner, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is sophisticated in concept yet warm in tone, with mystery and love coursing through its pages. Meg's shattering, yet ultimately freeing, discovery that her father is not omnipotent provides a satisfying coming-of-age element. Readers will feel a sense of power as they travel with these three children, challenging concepts of time, space, and the triumph of good over evil.

Ella Enchanted
by Gail Carson Levine (4th – 6th)
Narrated by Eden Riegel - CD and Cassette

Summary: This is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you've ever read.

Other audiobooks by the author:
Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (The Narnia Chronicles)
by C.S. Lewis (4th – 6th)
Performed by Michael York – CD

Summary: Four English school children find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter.

Other audiobooks in the series:
The Magician’s Nephew (#1)
The Horse and His Boy (#3)
Prince Caspian (#4)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (#5)
The Silver Chair (#6)
The Last Battle (#7)

Anne of Green Gables
by L. M. Montgomery (4th – 6th)
Narrated by Barbara Caruso – CD and Cassette

Summary: Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.

Other audiobooks in the series:
Anne of Avonlea (#2)
Anne of the Island (#3)

Pendragon Series: The Merchant of Death (#1)
by D.J. MacHale (4th – 6th)
Narrated by Barbara Caruso – CD

Summary: Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy, who, before he can object, is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution. He comes to realize that he must save Earth and all of the Cosmos.

Other audiobooks in the series:
The Lost City of Faar (#2)
The Never War (#3)
The Reality Bug (#4)
Black Water (#5)
The Rivers of Zadaa (#6)
The Guide to the Territories of Halla (#7)

Shiloh
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (3rd – 6th)
Read by Henry Leyva, – CD and Cassette

Summary: When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs. Newbery Medal Winner: 1992.

Other audiobooks in the series:
Shiloh Season
Saving Shiloh

Midnight for Charlie Bone
by Jenny Nimmo (4th – 6th)
Read by Simon Russell Beale – Cassette

Summary: This adventure is the first installment in Jenny Nimmo's Children of the Red King, a new series of fantasy adventures in the vein of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.

Other audibooks in the series:
Charlie Bone and the Time Twisters (#2)
Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy (#3)
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors (#4)

Keys to the Kingdom: Mister Monday (#1)
by Garth Nix (6th – 8th)
Read by Allan Corduner – CD and Cassette

Summary: Seven days. Seven keys. Seven virtues. Seven sins. One mysterious house is the doorway to a very mysterious world -- where one boy is about to venture and unlock a number of fantastical secrets.

Other audiobooks in the series:
Grim Tuesday (#2)
Drowned Wednesday (#3)

The Abhorsen Trilogy: Sabriel (#1)
by Garth Nix (Young Adult)
Narrated by Tim Curry – Cassette

Summary: Since childhood, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who refuse to stay dead.

Other audiobook in the series:
Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr (#2)
Abhorsen (#3)

Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O’Dell (4th – 7th)
Narrated by Tantoo Cardinal – Cassette

Summary: O'Dell was inspired by the real-life story of a 12-year-old American Indian girl, Karana. The author based his book on the life of this remarkable young woman who, during the evacuation of Ghalas-at (an island off the coast of California), jumped ship to stay with her young brother who had been abandoned on the island. He died shortly thereafter, and Karana fended for herself on the island for 18 years.

Other audiobook by the author:
Black Pearl

Animal Farm
by George Orwell (Young Adult)
Read by Richard Brown – CD and Cassette

Summary: Orwell's classic satire centers on the bold struggle to transform Mr. Jones's Manor Farm into Animal Farm -- a wholly democratic society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal.

Inheritance Trilogy: Eragon (#1)
by Christopher Paolini (Young Adult)
Read by Gerard Doyle –CD and Cassette

Summary: In Aagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters.

Other books in the series:
Eldest (#2)

Junie B. Jones’ Collection: Books 1-4
by Barbara Park (K – 3rd)
Narrated by Lana Quinta - Cassette

Summary: This recording gives the full flavor of Barbara Park's delightful character, Junie B. The recording includes Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus (Random, 1992), Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth (Random, 1993), Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business (Random, 1993), and Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying (Random, 1994.) These stories take us inside the kindergartner's mind as we get to know the fears, frustrations and reasoning of an "almost 6" year old.

Other books in the series:
Junie B. Jones’ Collection: Books 5-8
Junie B. Jones’ Collection: Books 9-12
Junie B. Jones’ Collection: Books 13-16

Hatchet
by Gary Paulson (6th – 8th)
Read by Peter Coyote– CD and Cassette

Summary: This Newbery Honor book is a dramatic, heart-stopping story of a boy who, following a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness, must learn to survive with only a hatchet and his own wits.

His Dark Materials Series: The Golden Compass (#1)
by Philip Pullman (6th – 8th)
Narrated by the author supported by a full cast – Cassette

Summary: Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments in the Far North.

Other audiobooks by the author:
The Subtle Knife (#2)
The Amber Spyglass (#3)
The Scarecrow and His Servants

Where the Red Fern Grows
by Wilson Rawls (4th – 6th)
Read by Richard Thomas – Cassette

Summary: A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart's desire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J.K. Rowling (4th – 8th)
Performed by Jim Dale – CD and Cassette

Summary: Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Other audiobooks in the series:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (#2)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (#3)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (#4)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (#5)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (#6)

Holes
by Louis Sachar (4th – 8th)
Read by Kerry Beyer – Cassette

Summary: As further evidence of his family's bad fortune, which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself. Newbery Medal Winner: 1999

Other audiobooks by Louis Sachar:
Sideways Stories From Wayside School
Wayside School is Falling Down

Septimus Heap, Book One: Magyk
by Angie Sage (4th – 7th)
Read by Corduner Allan – CD

Summary: The first book in this enthralling new series leads readers on a fantastic journey filled with quirky characters and magykal charms, potions, and spells. Magyk is an original story of lost and rediscovered identities, rich with humor and heart.

Other audiobooks in the series:
Flyte (# 2)

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning (#1)
by Lemony Snicket (3rd – 5th)
Performed by Tim Curry – CD

Summary: After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.

Other audiobooks in the series:
The Reptile Room (#2)
The Wide Window (#3)
The Miserable Mill (#4)
The Austere Academy (#5)
The Ersatz Elevator (#6)
The Vile Village (#7)
The Hostile Hospital (#8)
The Carnivorous Carnival (#9)
The Slippery Slope (#10)
The Grim Grotto (#11)
The Penultimate Peril (#12)

The Five Ancestors: Tiger (#1)
by Jeff Stone (4th – 7th)
Read by Kiki Barrera – CD

Summary: Five young warrior-monk brothers survive an insurrection and must use the ancient arts to avenge their Grandmaster.

Other audiobooks in the series:
Monkey (#2)
Snake (#3)

Bartimeus Trilogy: Amulet of Samarkand (#1)
by Jonathan Stroud (4th – 6th)
Read by Simon Jones – CD

Summary: Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice, summons up the djinni Bartimeus and instructs him to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from the powerful magician Simon Lovelace. Nathaniel can summon Bartimaeus, but can he control him?

Other audiobooks in the Bartimeus Trilogy:
The Golem’s Eye (#2)
Ptolemy’s Gate (#3)

The Hobbit
by J. R. R. Tolkien (6th – 8th)
Read by Rob Inglis – Cassette

Summary: Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit-hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to take part in an adventure from which he may never return.

Other audiobooks by the author:
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Young Adult):
The Lord of the Rings (#1)
The Two Towers (#2)
The Return of the King (#3)

Death Gate Cycle: Dragon Wing (#1)
by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Read by the authors – Cassette

Summary: An assassin and the royal child he has been hired to kill form an unlikely and unstable alliance as the plots of human sorcerers, elven pirates, and dwarf revolutionaries threaten to overwhelm the airborne kingdoms of Arianus.

Other audiobooks in the series:
Elven Star (#2)
Fire Sea (#3)
Serpent Mage (#4)
The Hand of Chaos (#5)
Into the Labyrinth (#6)
The Seventh Gate (#7)

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