Audiobooks galore! To listen and to not.

I am really getting into audiobooks while driving! They can be so entertaining and help in a long car ride (of which I've done 3 of so far this summer-three long drives that is, not books--more books than that).

Wayside School is Falling Down
Sideways Stories From Wayside School
Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger

By Louis Sachar

Rating: A must read/listen to with children! (Okay, or by your adult self too.)

Synopsis from Wayside School is Falling Down: Wayside School was supposed to be 30 classrooms, one story high; but by mistake it was built straight up 30 stories. And that's not all that's funny here.

I listened to the 1st and 3rd books on audio. My niece happened to have the copy of the 2nd book so I read that one and so did my son. I LOVED it. It is so entertaining and funny. All of them. 
  

Then as I was listening to the 1st book in the car I realized that I remembered this book. I had read Wayside School is Falling Down sometime in my youth (and the cover to #2 is so familiar as well) but the stories didn't stick out as too familiar while reading it. But even so-read it again. Listen to it! My son and I were laughing! Sure makes a long car ride fun.

The part that stinks is having to stop the car at the end of the trip and not have the book over with. But that makes looking forward to more car driving!

These books are silly. They're silly, but not so silly that it's stupid. Because it's not stupid. (Though it does say that word often enough in the books. Oh, they do use idiot too.) It's silly, but so logical at the same time. Or well, as logical as you can imagine. No child should go through readinghood without reading this one! (Or these ones.)

No Talking
By Andrew Clements

Rated: Another good book. Your elementary grade student will enjoy!

Synopsis

The fifth-grade girls and the fifth-grade boys at Laketon Elementary don't get along very well. But the real problem is that these kids are loud and disorderly. That's why the principal uses her red plastic bullhorn. A lot.

Then one day Dave Packer, a certified loudmouth, bumps into an idea - a big one that makes him try to keep quiet for a whole day. But what does Dave hear during lunch? A girl, Lynsey Burgess, jabbering away. So Dave breaks his silence and lobs an insult. Those words lead to other words about who's the biggest loudmouth, and those words spark a contest: Which team can say the fewest words during two whole days? And it's the boys against the girls.

This is another book I listened to. Once again, another fun Clements book. Once again another similar themed book as his others. It all kind of feels the same--empowerment to the students. They shouldn't get into huge trouble for using their brains (pretty much) or acting different from the norm. Which I do think is great.

I enjoyed the ending. And the book does make you think a bit about using less words!

Now onto a book I wouldn't suggest for audio...

The Secrets of Droon
By Tony Abbott

Rating: Not for audio. Not sure about book. 




Synopsis: Eric, Julie, and Neal discover an enchanted stairway in Eric's basement, which turns out to be a portal to the magical and troubled world of Droon! It's a wondrous place where adventure is always close at hand.

We listened to book #1. Personally I was kind of really bored listening to this book. I think my son liked it. So I feel bad that I didn't. I absolutely did not like the audio for it. At some points it seemed difficult to hear so you'd want to turn up the volume and then you'd have this creature with an awful voice (don't want to hear you) who would be very loud the next moment. Not enjoyable for a carride. 

I could have possibly found the book better if I had read it aloud.  And to me there was a part that wasn't very logical. But I mean it's a young kid's book. Probably for 1-3rd grade.