Today is serious business.  Despite all my blog posts about family travel, I was more than a little hesitant about our 14 drive to the Yellowstone region.  So much so that I almost cancelled our trip.  Fortunately, I had some friends who walked me through some thoughts on our itinerary, we made some adjustments, and I felt excited for the adventure again.  I knew we needed a good audiobook.  My kids keep up on the more popular book series so we were in need of some fresh ideas.  I turned to fellow mothers and readers on Facebook and was so excited with the response I received. 

Whether it’s for listening in the car, reading together as a family, or for a child to read on their own, here are the top recommendations we received for kids ages 10-16.  Now I have not listened to every single one of these titles.  Please—that’s a lot of listening, but each of these comes highly recommended.  I didn’t want to keep this list to myself.  Enjoy!  Thank  you to Facebook friends who shared your wisdom to create this list!  

If you are looking for a more specific age range or wonder about language, violence, or sexual content, check out commonsensemedia.org.  They not only review the book, but rate it based on specific content.  When we are looking to please a variety of ages, this is a tool I love.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Louis Sachar

Leven Thumps – Obert Skye

Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

Little Britches – Ralph Moody

Laddie – Gene Stratton-Porter

Carry on Mr. Bowditch – Jean Lee Latham

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson

Code Talker – Jospeh Bruchac

The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

The Work and the Glory – Gerald N. Lund

Fablehaven – Brandon Mull

Beyonders – Brandon Mull

Harry Potter – JK Rowling

Chicken in the Headlights – Matthew Buckley

Bullies in the Headlights – Matthew Buckley

Janitors – Tyler Whitesides

Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites Series - Chris Heimerdinger

The Gravity Keeper – Simon Bloom

Candy Shop Wars – Brandon Mull

The Rithmatist – Brandon Sanderson

The Ascendance Trilogy – Jennifer Nielsen

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – Kamkwamba

Unbroken – Laura Hillenbrand YA version

Percy Jackson and related Rick Riordan titles

The Enchanted Collection (Audible)

The Adventure Collection (Audible)

The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman

Nick of Time Series – Ted Bell

Incident at Hawk’s Hill – Allan W Eckert

Brighty of the Grand Canyon- Marguerite Henry

Cheaper by the Dozen - Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Charlie Bone Series – Jenny Nimmo

Magyk series – Angie Sage

Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis

Sweetness at the Bottom of my Pie – Alan Bradley

 

Tip #1:  Electronic devices—bring ‘em!  This is a great time to let the kids zone out. 
-Get some fresh movies and apps for the road.
-Screen shot the route of travel and identify cities/monuments along the way.  (Easy to do on paper and let kids color the route.)
-Think extra battery or portable charger!

Tip #2:  Music.  Take out the earbuds and listen together.
-Have each person pick 10 songs and ask older kids to create a family playlist.
- Laurie Berkner has great silly songs with a more soothing sound to the adult ear.  “Gross Songs Kids Love to Sing” by Twin Sisters is fun and entertaining for kids up to 10.

Tip #3:  Audiobooks.  This is as close to magic as it gets in our family.  Start a few hours in.  It’s a great distraction as people tire of movies and electronic devices.  Try a free membership at  Audible.com or check to see if your library has a digital system that allows for free downloads. 

Tip #4:  Shopping at Gas Stations
A long stop at the gas station makes me crazy.  I hate it!  My family loves it.  Indluge.  $3 per kid at the gas station works wonders if you didn’t plan enough snacks or they just need a pick me up.  

Hint:  Plan an extra little bit for the magic question, “Can I have 25 more cents!?” 
or
Respond with, “How much do you have to spend?  Choose quickly.”

Tip #5:  Pack plenty of snacks and a small cooler.  Granola bars only taste good for so long.  A quick sandwich on the road can be a big boost; especially if you are in the middle of nowhere.  Hungry kids = grumpy kids.

Tip #6:  Create a small store.  Grab a tub and fill it with snack or dollar store finds.  Then as each hour or 65 miles passes, announce shopping time.  

 Tip #7:  Give gifts.  Wrap small games or treats to pass out on the hour.  Even my teenagers liked this. The items only hold their attention for a short while, but it’s nice to break it up device use and connect with one another if even for a few minutes.  Ideas we've enjoyed:  playdough pictionary with mini-playdough tubs, pictionary with dry erase markers on the windows (older kids), card games, favorite candy bar, a new CD or movie to watch together. (Hide a download on their device).

Tip #8:  Plan for motion sickness.  Have gallon Ziploc bags tucked into pockets just in case.  Cinnamon bears or peppermint essential oils on the wrist help with mild nausea.

Tip #9:  Conversational Games seem to last longer than independent activities and help keep the driver awake.   "Would you Rather?"  "A my name is Alice" and "The Ungame" are easy to adapt for a long car ride.  

Tip #10:  Hand over the camera and see what delights make it back to you...a string of selfies, blurred images of fingers and toes, 500 cow pictures..who knows!?  

Above all, have fun!  That’s what this is all about, right?  
Remember, there is no magic formula!  Roll with the punches and enjoy the ride!