Heard any good books lately? Yes, we're talking about audiobooks --- children’s books that have been recorded on audiocassette (and in some cases, on CD). From such classics as CHARLOTTE’S WEB to newer works like HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE and THE TWO PRINCESSES OF BAMARRE, there has never been a better selection of audiobook titles available at your local library and bookstore.

If you’ve never tried an audiobook, summer is a great time to explore this wonderful way of enjoying a book. In addition to being enormously entertaining for the whole family, audiobooks benefit kids in a multitude of ways. Even if you don't like to read, you're sure to find an audiobook that grabs your attention. Many audiobook titles are narrated by famous actors or even full casts of performers. Recent research also confirms that while you're having fun listening, you are also on the road to improving your reading ability, your vocabulary and your comprehension --- all great for getting ahead in your classes. And audiobooks can be a fantastic way for you to fulfill requirements for your summer reading lists from school. Most teachers agree: listening to unabridged recordings (books that are recorded word-for-word from the print version) is NOT considered cheating.

Besides all their entertainment and educational value, audiobooks are a great way to make the most of time in the car. Like most families these days, you probably spend lots of time in a family vehicle. And during the summer months, many of you will be hitting the road for a vacation getaway. Whether you’re driving to a soccer game, a picnic or cross-country to see the sights, there are always hours and miles to fill. Why not use drive time as listening time? When license-plate bingo gets to be a drag, why not tune in to a few chapters of a spell-binding story?

And if you'll be hopping on a plane, train, or bus instead of taking the car, why not take along an audiobook with a portable cassette player and headphones? The players are relatively inexpensive these days and you may be able to take along a tape player and an age-appropriate audiobook for every kid in your family.

Are you convinced yet? If the thought of purchasing a tape is still daunting, check out some titles from your library --- a fun way to play before you pay. And don’t give up until you’ve sampled several different narrators and types of books. Whether you like your books (and tapes) funny, sad or suspenseful there truly is something for every listening taste. For starters, check out our list of recommended titles. We're sure you'll find something to excite your ears.

Happy listening!

   --- Shannon Maughan

THE MAGIC TREEHOUSE COLLECTION: Volume 1
by Mary Pope Osborne
Read by the Author
Listening Library
ISBN: 0807261645
Ages 7-up

The first four books in the popular series about the exciting adventures of siblings Jack and Annie who discover a magic tree house filled with books that can send them traveling through time and space.

THE BAD BEGINNNIG (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the First)
by Lemony Snicket
Read by Tim Curry
Listening Library
ISBN: 0807261785
Ages 10-up

British actor Tim Curry --- known for his portrayals of dastardly characters --- gives plenty of creepy (and funny) color to this first book about the three Baudelaire orphans and the nasty Count Olaf, who is after their family fortune. Volume 2 is also read by Tim Curry. Volumes 3 and 4 are read by the author himself, recorded by Harper Children's Audio.

BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE
by Kate DiCamillo
Read by Cherry Jones
Listening Library
ISBN: 0807261866
Ages 8-up

Ten-year-old Opal is lonely and feels out of place when she moves to a small Florida town with her preacher father. But things begin to look up when Opal adopts a friendly stray pooch she names Winn-Dixie, after the supermarket where she found him. The dog proves to be a wonderfully special companion, helping Opal cope with her problems --- and helping her meet all kinds of unusual new friends.

CHET GECKO --- PRIVATE EYE: The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse/The Mystery of Mister Nice
by Bruce Hale
Read by Jon Cryer
Listening Library
ISBN: 0807261874
Ages 8-up

These hilarious whodunits are even more fun in the audio version. Chet Gecko, Private Eye, the lizard of the fourth grade, is on the case when Shirley Chameleon's friend Billy disappears, and when Principal Zero suddenly starts acting nice.

NOTES FROM A LIAR AND HER DOG
by Gennifer Choldenko
Read by Ariadne Meyers
Listening Library
ISBN: 080720434X
Ages 10-up

Twelve-year-old Antonia, Ant for short, feels like a freak in her own family. She just can't seem to do anything right in the eyes of her mother, and she certainly is nothing like her perfect older sister "Your Highness Elizabeth" or tattle-tale younger sister "Katherine the Great." Ant finds everything --- and everybody --- easier to take when she creates clever (and funny lies) about herself and spends time with her dog, Pistachio, and her best friend Harrison. But when Ant's favorite teacher starts to uncover some truth behind Ant's lies, everyone is in for a surprise.

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
by J.K. Rowling
Performed by Jim Dale
Listening Library
ISBN: 0807282588
Ages 9-up

Noted stage actor Dale created over 125 different character voices for this rich performance, which earned a 2001 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. Don't miss the fun and heart-pounding adventure as you relive Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

RAMONA'S WORLD
by Beverly Cleary
Read by Stockard Channning
Listening Library
ISBN: 0807281735
Ages 8-up

Cleary's beloved character, spunky Ramona Quimby, returns in this first new book about her after a 15-year hiatus. In this volume, nine-year-old Ramona enters fourth-grade where she faces challenges with spelling --- and makes a new best friend named Daisy. At home, she works hard at being a good sister to baby Roberta (and trying to deal with big sister Beezus). Channing captures all of Ramona's humor and personality. Familiar characters like Beezus, and buddies Yard Ape and Howie are still around to make this a must-listen for true Ramona fans.

THE DOLL PEOPLE
by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin
Read by Lynn Redgrave
Listening Library
ISBN: 0807204323
Ages 8-up

The 100-year-old Doll family, made of fine china and passed through generations of a doll-loving family, doesn't know what to think when the new neighbors --- the Funcrafts, a doll family made of shiny plastic --- arrive at the doll house. Only Annabelle Doll seems up for the challenge. She's bored and eager to have a new friend that will shake things up.

THE TWO PRINCESSES OF BAMARRE
by Gail Carson Levine
Read by Lynn Redgrave
Harper Children's Audio
ISBN: 0694525286
Ages 10-up

Shy and gentle Princess Addie is the complete opposite of her older sister Meryl who is both bold and courageous. But when Meryl becomes ill, only Addie can save her. Unfortunately, she must battle gryphons, dragon, ogres and other creatures on her quest to find the cure and bring it back to their kingdom. Will she be brave enough?

HENRY HUGGINS
by Beverly Cleary
Read by Neil Patrick Harris
Harper Children's Audio
ISBN: 0694525294
Ages 8-up

The funny and heartwarming adventures of Henry Huggins have won lots of fans over the past 50 years. Join the good times as Henry befriends a skinny stray dog, which he appropriately names Ribsy, and the two embark on a year of fun and a bit of suspense with Henry's family and friends on Klickitat Street.

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
by C.S. Lewis
Read by Michael York
Harper Children's Audio
ISBN: 0694524743
Ages 9-up

This new recording by British actor Michael York brings the magical world of Narnia vividly to life.

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
by Katherine Paterson
Read by Sean Patrick Leonard
Harper Children's Audio
ISBN: 0694524522
Ages 9-up

As the fifth-grade school year starts, Jess quickly becomes friends with the new girl at school (and his new next-door neighbor), a tomboy named Leslie. Jess and Leslie are soon inseparable, spending lots of time in the woods where they invent a secret kingdom that they call Terabithia, where they rule as king and queen. But Terabithia loses its luster for Jess when a tragic accident claims his queen. Leonard captures all the notes of grief, anger, guilt and the beginnings of healing in this beautifully crafted, emotionally moving tale.

MY LOUISIANA SKY
by Kimberly Willis Holt
Read by Judith Ivey
Listening Library
ISBN: 0553525980
Ages 9-up

In the summer following sixth grade, 12-year-old Tiger Ann Parker goes through some monumental changes. She tries to find her place in the world as she straddles the line between being a tomboy and a proper girl in a small town during the 1950s. And most of all, she feels terribly guilty about some of the embarrassing feelings she's been having about her parents, who are both mentally diabled, or "slow," as Tiger prefers to say. Luckily, her no-nonsense Granny is around to help her sort through it all. But by the end of the summer, Tiger has lost Granny and discovers that her love for Momma and Daddy and their hometown are more than enough to fill her heart and make her happy.

SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance
by Jennifer Armstrong
Read by Taylor Mali
Audio Bookshelf
ISBN: 1883332397
Ages 10-up

In 1914, a ship crew of 27 men sailed from England hoping to cross Antarctica. Unfortunately, the journey did not go as planned. Their ship, The Endurance, became trapped in ice and then sank. But this is not necessarily a sad tale --- believe it or not, all 27 men survived this ordeal. Hear them tell how --- and learn more about life on the seas and in the icy wilderness --- on this fascinating recording.

LOVE FROM YOUR FRIEND HANNAH
by Mindy Warshaw Skolsky
Read by Laura Hamilton and a full cast
Listening Library
ISBN: 080728078X
Ages 9-up

With plenty of pluck, narrator Hamilton perfectly depicts this book's young heroine, Hannah Diamond. In the 1930s, while much of the country is suffering hard times because of the Great Depression, Hannah's family runs the successful Grand View Diner in New York state. In a series of letters, Hannah shares stories of the interesting people who visit the diner, writes to her best friend Aggie who has moved away, writes to a pen pal in Kansas, and even strikes up a correspondence with President Franklin D. Roosevelt! You won't want to miss all the adventures that unfold here --- and you might be tempted to pick up your own pen and stationery.

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE
by J.K. Rowling
Read by Jim Dale
Listening Library
ISBN: 0807281751
All ages

Hmmm. The first book about Harry Potter. Many of you might say "been there, read that." But wait! Even if you've read HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE more than once, you still won't want to miss this amazing audiobook version.

BUD, NOT BUDDY
by Christopher Paul Curtis
Read by James Avery
Listening Library
ISBN: 0553526758
Ages 8-up

The winner of the 2000 Newbery Medal (and the 2000 Coretta Scott King Award) makes a terrific audiobook. Travel with Bud (not Buddy) Caldwell as he leaves his rotten foster care situation and goes on a trek to find the man he believes is his father --- band leader Herman E. Calloway. Sharp characters, a great story, and snippets of fine jazz music make this a delightful listen.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES
by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Read by Megan Follows
BDD Audio
ISBN: 0553450913
Ages 8-up

Feisty orphan Anne builds a new, exciting life in Avonlea with her adopted family.

CHARLOTTE'S WEB
by E.B. White
Read by the Author
BDD Audio
ISBN: 0553470485
Ages 7-up

Charlotte the spider and Wilbur the pig become fast friends in this classic tale.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS
by Philip Pullman
Read by Pullman and a full cast
Listening Library
ISBN: 0807281808
Ages 9-up

Lyra never dreamed that she would find herself in the middle of a mystery when she tries to find out the truth about her uncle, Lord Asriel. But when she discovers that Lord Asriel's work threatens her best friend, and other kids, too, Lyra knows she must take action --- even if it means making a dangerous journey to the snowy and cold far north. This gripping adventure will leave you breathless.

HOLES
by Louis Sachar
Read by Kerry Beyer
Listening Library
ISBN: 0807280712
Ages 10-up

Stanley Yelnats is wrongly accused of a crime and lands in a juvenile detention center where as punishment, he and the other boys must dig holes all day long. But things get interesting when Stanley discovers the secret behind all the digging and how it relates to his own family history.

SHILOH
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Read by Peter MacNicol
BDD Audio
ISBN: 0553471163
Ages 8-up

A boy quickly comes to love the dog he rescues from an abusive owner

THE AMBER BROWN COLLECTION
by Paula Danziger
Read by Alicia Witt
Listening Library
ISBN: 080727805X
Ages 7-up

Spunky Amber Brown deals with school, her parents' divorce and her best friend moving away in this funny and tender collection.

WINNIE-THE-POOH
by A.A. Milne
Read by Charles Kuralt
Penguin Audiobooks
ISBN: 0140866825
Ages 4-up

Late CBS correspondent Kuralt's grandfatherly voice gives new life to the adventures of The Bear of Little Brain and his friends.

KING OF THE WIND
by Marguerite Henry
Read by David McCallum
BDD Audio
ISBN: 055347829X
Ages 8-up

Come along for an exiting ride with this wonderful novel about a glorious Arabian horse named Sham and his faithful stable boy friend, Agba. With many twists and turns they travel from Morocco to France to England, where Sham is finely recognized for his amazing Thoroughbred qualities.

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