Back to School and Audiobooks

I need AUDIO books!

I know everyone is into podcasts, and I listened to several last year as I was picking up the girls from school.  But, it’s been five and a half months.  And we are lucky in that Little Lion’s school received a school waiver—we have allowed her to go to school in person as we believe her school has a good plan.  In all honesty, just like for many parents, our decision was wrought with uncertainty.  Like I tell my patient families, it’s a very individual decision that depends on many factors for each family.  Meaning, there isn’t a wrong or right decision right now.  

For us, we weighed Little Lion’s social-emotional well-being with the chance of getting sick.  And we instituted slightly stricter restrictions than what her school laid out.  Plus she showers as soon as she gets home and I wipe down her lunch box, backpack, laptop bag etc. 

So Little Lion has been back in school, in person, for three days now.  And this means that at least twice a week, I do the 1 hour and 15 minute carpool pick-up routine.  Her school is only 15-20min drive way, but carpool (school pick-up) takes a bit longer during the first weeks of school.

I listen to NPR until I pickup the girls.  And I always bring books—both actual books and books loaded onto my kindle and cloud library.  The reality is that it’s hard to read and wait in carpool. 

Last year I listened to a few of the Children’s Book podcasts.  And I listened to the beginning of the audiobook of David Yoon’s Frankly In Love (The paperback version was just released this week).  Beginning only as I read the rest—there’s the rub! I prefer to READ my books and see the words on the page! 

The only audiobook I recall finishing in its entirety is Toni Morrison’s Jazz on a road trip to Oregon with my twin when we were in our twenties. I still don’t feel like I know that book as well as Morrison’s other novels. 

And last year we listened to The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan during a road trip to San Diego.  A short drive, so we never finished it.  I should say I never finished it because Little Lion, Mini Me, and Mr. Bookworm had all read the novel before we listened to it. 

So now my conundrum:  I need to find some audiobooks that I won’t mind listening to instead of reading.  I’ve heard the audio of the Harry Potter series is amazing.  But it’s never available from my cloud library.

Help me out here! What are your suggestions for audiobooks for an hour and fifteen minutes a day?