Trips are fun to most people, especially when it is a family journey for the holidays. However, those long drives may also turn out to be boring when you run out of snacks and all on board strolls to the slumberland. If you are behind the stirring-wheel and all your accompaniments go dozing off, an engaging story is the perfect solution.
Grab your headphones, or connect your car speakers and sink into a fabulous story that will keep everyone awake and entertained. Audible offers a lots of audiobooks that can keep you company for twenty hours or more. We've collected a list of the best Thanksgiving audiobooks on Audible for family travel to make your family trip one of the greatest adventures this year.
How to Choose a Thanksgiving Audiobook for Family Road Trip
When selecting audiobooks for a multi-generational family road trip, you want stories that appeal to all ages and offer a good mix of entertainment, humor, and heart.
A great family listen should:
1. Offer engaging narration and a strong plot;
2. Be long enough to cover a significant portion of your travel time;
3. Spark conversation and prevent boredom.
Here are our top picks for the perfect Thanksgiving Audible audiobooks for family to your drive to Grandma's house.
Top Family-Friendly Audible Audiobooks for Thanksgiving Travel
1. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Grace Lin
This modern classic is an ideal choice for a family listen. The story is about a young girl named Minli and whose family lives in absurd poverty. In an effort to change her family's destiny, she sets out on a long journey to look for the old man of the moon.
Along the way, she is accompanied by a wise Jade Dragon and encounters a variety of mystical characters and adventures. This tale is a beautiful blend of Chinese folklore, fantasy, and adventure. The story will drive you to a far off land as you wait for the moon to actually meet with the mountain.
2. Appleblossom the Possum - Holly Goldberg Sloan
Dustin Hoffman is an awesome narrator who incorporates humour and suspense. These two traits will leave the entire family glued to the story until the destination. This is a story of young possum siblings who set off together. Just as the clever hare, these baby possums are extremely clever and charming. The story cannot be complete without Mama Possum who never tires in teaching her children new tricks.
In a nut-shell, they have to be performers in all circumstances. In adept to keep at par with the changing trends, they keep on with their practices of acting skills. These help them on several occasions though. Turns of events come around and one-day Appleblossom misses his steps and falls down a chimney then is adopted by some little girl. You won't stop listening to find out how Appleblossom’s acting skills help him through his unexpected new life, making this a truly delightful listen for the whole family.
3. Crenshaw - Katherine Applegate
This Audible audiobook for Thanksgiving travel will not only entertain but will encourage the better off kids to show compassion to the less privileged. The story is about Jackson, a young boy aged 10 who has well-off parents and a comfortable life. Jackson's imaginary friend, the giant cat Crenshaw, reappears during this difficult time.
This imaginative tale explores deep themes of poverty and family stability through the eyes of a child. It serves as a gentle teaching moment, helping better-off kids show understanding and support for friends who might be less privileged.
4. Peter Pan - J.M Barrie
This classic fantasy tale will elevate the mood of the entire family members certainly. A magical tale of the boy who never grew up will make the adrenaline of your kids shoot up. Lily Collins's enchanting narration brings to life the journey to Neverland, a place where people don't grow old.
This is an ageless story that will appeal to the childlike wonder in everyone, making your long drive feel like a truly magical escape.
5. The Trumpet of the Swan - E. B. White
The Trumpet of the Swan is another best Audible book for Thanksgiving road trip that will make your trip memorable. It's the charming tale of Louis, a mute trumpeter swan who cannot "trumpet" like the rest of his family.
Louis comes from a family of five siblings. The rest are girls, so he is adored by his parents. The parents' dreams are shattered when they realize that he is mute and not able to interact like his other siblings. However, Louis never gives up and wants to help in every possible way. He attends classes and learns how to read and write. Besides, Louis learns how to use a trumpet. It is an instrument that helps him find a voice, allowing him to attract the attention of his love, Serena. He ends up marrying Serena and together they have very beautiful children.
It's a beautiful story about perseverance and finding one's unique path in the world.
6. In the Country We Love - Diane Guerreo & Michelle Burford
For a listen aimed more at teens and adults, this story is a fantastic choice that will keep you awake during the entire journey. Diane Guerreo, a star on his shows like 'Jane the Virgin' and 'Orange Is the New Black', tells her own story.
She was only fourteen when she came home to find her parents had been detained and deported back to their original country, Colombia. The family has been living as undocumented immigrants for quite a long time. However, the end of the road turns out to be the beginning of a bright light.
The book details her difficult journey navigating life as a teenager alone in America and her ultimate success. It is a powerful, non-fiction story of resilience and finding light after a traumatic event.
Travel Tips: Play Thanksgiving Audible Audiobooks for Family Trip on Any Device
If you haven't loaded your Audible account, then it is high time you did just that. Even the longest journey can go like a flash once you are in hold of any of these Audible audiobooks for Thanksgiving travel. Perhaps you may wonder why your audiobooks don't play on certain devices. Well, let's give you a hint. Once the audiobook is DRM copyright protected, there is no way out other than to unlock the copyright.
Availability of third-party tools makes it possible to play any audiobook of your choice. AudFree Audible AA/AAX Audiobook Converter is at the frontlist. Besides being freely available, you can use it to remove DRM from Audible audiobooks and convert them to MP3 or other common audio formats. This makes it possible to play Audible audiobooks in the car as freely as you wish, enabling you to enjoy every bit of that long trip.
Whether your trip is two hours or twenty, having the right audiobook can turn a tedious drive into one of your family's greatest shared adventures this Thanksgiving holiday. Be sure to load up your Audible account with your favorite stories from this list.
Ready to start your journey? Browse Audible now to download these titles and make your next Thanksgiving road trip memorable!
Ivan Scott
Staff Editor
