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A few years ago, Mickey and I were getting ready to take the kids on a 4-hour road trip, which is pretty common since we go to the beach a lot. Well, the problem is this: If the kids watch a movie, they are pretty disconnected from us (which is usually fine for a car ride). If they play on their tablets… same thing.

We wanted this trip to be all about family and not about electronics, so we tried to come up with a solution that was going to work for everyone. That’s when we thought of it: An audible book that we can listen to in the car.

Two kids sitting in a car laughing with text above them.

I can tell you, before I even tell you about the book, that this was the best car-trip we ever had.

We chose Land Of Stories, written & narrated by Chris Colfer. This 8 8-hourong book was like watching a wonderful movie. It is an adventure about twins, Alex and Conner Bailey and how they go the from modern day world to a fairy tale.

They leave our world behind and find themselves in a foreign land, filled with magic! They meet Little Red Riding Hood, Rumplestiltskin, Jack and so many more characters that we grew up reading about. They also meet witches, goblins & wolves… which try to stop them from getting back home. It’s just such a good book & our whole family loved it.

A close up of a book. Here are just a FEW reasons that you might want to try it. 😉

  • The book is just SO good! We all liked it (each of the kids, plus Mickey and I). It was funny, dramatic, exciting and thrilling. We hated to even stop to use the bathroom because we couldn’t wait to hear what was going to happen next!
  • Chris Colfer, already a well-known celebrity, has a wonderful voice for narrating the book. Plus, since he wrote it, he knew exactly how he wanted each character to sound, how he wanted them to come off to the rest of us, how he wanted each word to be pronounced – with excitement, with sadness, etc…
  • The book made the time fly by. Unlike a movie that you have to change, the book lasted the entire 8 hours, so we didn’t even realize that we were so far into the trip when we had it on.
  • There are others- we picked this book because Chris Colfer has several in this series, so we can listen to them all.
  • The kids used their imaginations! We had not looked at the book or even pictures before we started this Audible book. The kids had to use their imaginations from the get-go and it made me so happy to know that they were! They each had a different view of the characters in the story.
  • We talked about it afterward. I loved doing this because we had our own little “family book club” after we listened to it. We did it half-way through, when we arrived at the beach, and then again after we got home, when we finished the book.
  • Audible is free for 30 days, so there isn’t a reason not to try it. 🙂 They are offering a 30-day trial with a free download (yay!) (you can sign up for a free 30 day trial here).
    All in all, I HIGHLY suggest listening to an Audible book like this one, but I very highly suggest trying out Land of Stories for your next road trip. You can hear an audio sample here. Audible has an unmatched selection of audiobooks.A great book or performance is something that can inspire you, even change the way you feel or help you to see things differently. (That’s why I love Audible – it works with great narrators to bring books to life in a new way. Whether these performers are celebrities in their own right, like in Land of Stories, or simply powerful voices that bring a new depth to your favorite characters, listening to a book can be a very powerful thing.

    This is our favorite way to pass the time on a car trip- I can’t wait to hear how it works for you!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Audible. The opinions and text are all mine.

Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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11 Comments

  1. This is a really great idea! I wonder if I could find a book that would hold everyone’s attention. I’m definitely sharing this on my facebook page. 🙂

    1. It does for us. If they get antsy, they usually need to get out, so we’ll take a bathroom break & snack break. 🙂 (I also keep an eye pad & headphones in the car, just in case!) 🙂

  2. Are there any other books you’d recommend for a family car ride? My children love audibles and I’m looking recommendations or lists.

    1. Our older sons (8 & 10) LOVED the book Wonder about a boy with a severe cleft palate. They both couldn’t stop listening to it, even when we got home.

  3. We love doing Audio books on car trips. our sons are curretly almost 18 yrs and 10 yrs. WE have done Harry potter series, Percy Jackson, Oddyssey, Huck and Tom, to name a few.

  4. Great idea. I also like to play games with the alphabet and come up with a word for the next letter in the alphabet that is spotted. I also like the video option for long trips.
    Thank you!

  5. We are just finishing The Books of Beginning series by John Stevens. The kids are 9-15. Loved it! Plenty of action, and a whisper of romance.

  6. I’ll have to buy that book! Our favorite game during long car trips is “Pick your Color”. Each family member will pick a color of a car. Each car that passes your vehicle in your chosen color gives you a point. The first person to 25 points, WINS!

  7. I’ll have to buy that book! Our favorite game during long car trips is “Pick your Color”. Each family member will pick a color of a car. Each car that passes your vehicle in your chosen color gives you a point. The first person to 25 points, WINS!

  8. Audio books are great! I’ve only tried it once so far (I was the driver) And it kept me awake and intrigued.