Librivox is an amazing organization, and I just want to say thank you to the thousands of volunteers who make it possible!
In case you haven’t heard of Librivox, it is a website with thousands of free audiobooks. They are all older books whose copyrights have expired (and I just love older books). All of the books are narrated by volunteers, so the quality of a reader or recording can vary greatly, but some of the readers beat the professional narrators I’ve heard on Audible!
The only downside to Librivox is that if you aren’t sure what you are looking for, it can be hard to find things.
So, I’ve put together this list of some of the best Librivox books for younger kids–specifically for preschoolers to early elementary school kids (I’ll write a separate post later for books for older kids).
I love all of Thornton W. Burgess’s books, but the one’s narrated by John Lieder will keep me enthralled right along with my kids! There are many more Burgess books than the one’s I’ve listed below, but these are the best-narrated ones.
- The Adventures of Ready Fox by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by John Lieder)
- The Adventures of Paddy Beaver by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by John Lieder)
- The Adventures of Old Mister Toad by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by John Lieder)
- The Adventures of Old Man Coyote by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by John Lieder)
- The Adventures of Johnny Chuck by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by John Lieder)
- The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by John Lieder)
- The Adventures of Bob White by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by John Lieder)
- The Adventures of Buster Bear by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by John Lieder)
- Mrs. Peter Rabbit by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by C.L.W. Rollins)
- Bowser the Hound by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by Laurie Anne Walden)
- Old Mother West Wind by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by Laurie Anne Walden)
- Mother West Wind’s Children by Thornton W. Burgess (narrated by Laurie Anne Walden)
Did you ever own a Raggedy Ann doll? Did you know she has her own book of stories? The Raggedy Ann and Andy stories are sweet and delightful, especially for little girls.
- Raggedy Ann Stories by Johnny Gruelle (narrated by Shannon)
- Raggedy Andy Stories by Johnny Gruelle (narrated by various)
The Among the People series by Clara Dillingham Pierson is very similar to the works of Thornton W Burgess. If your kids love his books, give these a try.
- Among the Forest People by Clara Dillingham Pierson (narrated by various)
- Among the Pond People by Clara Dillingham Pierson (narrated by various)
- Among the Meadow People by Clara Dillingham Pierson (narrated by various)
- Among the Farmyard People by Clara Dillingham Pierson (narrated by Claire Schreuder)
If your child is a bit more adventuresome, they might enjoy these stories about dragons (don’t worry, they aren’t too scary).
- The Book of Dragons by Edith Nesbit (narrated by Laurie Anne Walden)
- My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett (narrated by a kid! He does a great job!)
And, of course, Beatrix Potter’s classics like Peter Rabbit.
- The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter (narrated by Jenny Lundak)
Of course, if it’s a newer book you are wanting, Audible is the place to look for it. We enjoy our membership, and you can try it free by clicking the link below.
Do you have any favorite Librivox books for younger kids you would like to recommend?
I was unfamiliar with this website — I’ll definitely be bookmarking it for the future! Hopping over from the Kid Lit Blog Hop.
Do check it out! Librivox is an amazing organization! 🙂
Thank you for posting about Librivox and Audible. I’m going to check them out – we’re just reading Raggedy Anne 🙂
Great! I hope you enjoy these stories as much as we do. 🙂
This is wonderful! I have not heard of this site. I also tutor primary-aged children who struggle. I also like the old books. And your list is great. I will go meander over there and see what I can find. Thanks.
Visiting from Mary’s, ~ linda
Great! I hope you find some gems. 🙂 I love your list of whole-hearted books! What a great reasource! I’ll be sharing it next week with my Facebook/Twitter followers. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I have only used this site once, and then forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me of the wealth available!
I’d love for you to join my weekly link up, it opens Thursday mornings and runs through Sunday evenings. I hope you’ll stop by this week.
Marissa
The Cozy Reading Spot on Reading List
I’ll definitely check out your link up. Thanks, and thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I’ve been hearing about Librivox for several months now but have been intimidated to try it because it sounded like a lot to sift through in order to find the really good recordings. Thanks for doing the work for me! 😉
Hey Amy! That’s exactly why I put together this list! And there is even more to sift through than when I first started using it five years ago! Hope you and your kids enjoy it 🙂
We are huge Librivox fans, and I was contemplating doing a top ten list of our favorites! I think you and I must be kindred spirits!!! I love this post and have pinned it to return to many times. You’ve highlighted some books I’m as yet unfamiliar with. Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday!
Tina
Oh! I’d love to see your top ten list! We are always looking for new listens! 🙂 Thanks for the chance to link up!
Thanks for this list! Our selections from Librivox thus far have been quite underwhelming (with the exception of My Father’s Dragon, that little boy did a great job!). I’m looking forward to trying out your recommendations 🙂
Hope you find some you enjoy! Thanks for stopping by 🙂