When it comes to keeping everyone entertained on a road trip, we love encouraging our kids to read. And living books are our favorite type of book to share with our boys.
Partially because they are well written and perfect to listen to as audiobooks on a long drive (a.k.a. I don’t wanna claw my ears off 10 minutes in). 🙌
But, also because these are the kinds of books our kids can read on their own for hours. If you’re not there yet with your kids, hang on! I promise it gets better. But, in the meantime, these books will entertain you all.
If you don’t know what living books are, you may want to check out this definition. But, the short version is that living books are books that bring the story to life and pull you into the narrative — whether they are fiction or non-fiction.
For example, many of the classics we grew up with could be classified as living books: Charlotte’s Web, Little House on the Prairie, and Where the Red Fern Grows are great examples. I often think of them as the books that will stick with you for years to come because the author has done such an excellent job of drawing you into the story and making an impact.
We’ve pulled together some of our family’s favorite living books in several genres to help inspire a love of reading in your kids.
And, who knows? They might even get so absorbed that requests for Netflix and choruses of “Are we there yet?” might become a little less frequent. 😉
We love finding books at local shops or borrowing from the library. Though, in the list below, I included Amazon links because I know if you’re anything like me, you might run out of time and need one quickly. 😅
Living Books About Nature for Kids
Belle’s Journey
by Richard O. Bierregaard
Rascal
by Sterling North
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The Call of the Wild
by Jack London
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children
by James Herriot
A Dragon in the Sky
by Laurence Pringle
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Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt
by Kate Messner
Backyard Bears: Conservation, Habitat Changes, and the Rise of Urban Wildlife
by Amy Cherrix
The Trouble with Longtails
by Mary Duplex
Burgess Bird Book
by Thorton S. Burgess
Living Books for Little Readers
Pooh’s Library
by A.A. Milne
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
by Beatrix Potter
Frog and Toad: The Complete Collection
by Arnold Lobel
Living Books About Outdoor Adventure for Kids
My Side of the Mountain Trilogy
by Jean Craighead George
Hatchet
by Gary Paulson
Living Historical Books for Kids
Magic Tree House Series
by Mary Pope Osborne
Paddle-to-the-Sea
by Holling C. Holling
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales
by Nathan Hale
American Regional Series
by Lois Lenski
Little House on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Living Books to Inspire Kids to Travel
How to Catch a Keeper
by Stephanie Mulligan
Living Books about Adventure for Kids
Billy and Blaze Series
by C.W. Anderson
The Growly Books
by Philip Ulrich
The Ralph S. Mouse Collection
by Beverly Cleary
Wingfeather Saga
by Andrew Peterson
Green Ember Series
by S. D. Smith
Classic Living Books for Kids
Charlotte’s Web
by E.B. White
Babe
by Dick King-Smith
Peter Pan
by J.M. Barrie
Living Poetry Books for Kids
Shell Silverstein Books
A Child’s Garden of Verses
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Favorite Poems, Old and New
Compiled by Helen Farris
Final Thoughts about Living Books for Kids on Road Trips (or Anytime)
A lot of kids may be reluctant readers, but if you can do a little investigation and offer a variety of books, they may just find a series or genre that they fall in love with. And, what better time to introduce them to a new book than when you have them trapped in the car, right?! 🤪
Just kidding. But, for real. When we’re traveling, I can often convince our kids to try reading a new book that they might object to reading at home – whether it’s more challenging or the topic isn’t necessarily their favorite.
Tell us, do your kids have a favorite book or series?
