Audiobooks can be absolutely delightful for younger readers. They’re a great way for kids who may not yet be strong readers to experience chapter books and longer texts they otherwise wouldn’t be able to access. Audiobooks also help keep kids company and work well as a read-along guide for illustrated books, so kids can listen to the audio while they follow along in their own books. Whatever your use case, I have some fun audiobooks for 2nd graders today. This list includes funny books, spunky protagonists, and many, many series to keep your kids listening for a long time.
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15 Fun Audiobooks for 2nd Graders to Enjoy
Here are 15 of my favorite audiobooks for 2nd graders:
Narwhal and Jelly Series
Published: September 08, 2020
Listening Length: 11 minutes
This full-cast audiobook is a whole production! With under-the-sea sound effects, silly character voices, and a story that second graders will adore, it’s the first audiobook that came to my mind for this list. Even first graders will love this one — and it’s less than 15 minutes long. You can also buy the collection of books 1-5 (which is just over one hour long).
Stella Batts Series
Published: January 23, 2013
Listening Length: 1 hour and 36 minutes
This is an Audible-only audiobook, perfect for those who have a subscription. It’s all about eight-year-old Stella Batts who loves to write. The first book follows what happens when Stella decides to change her name after a classmate keeps calling her Smella, making fun of her name. It turns out picking a new name isn’t as easy as it sounds. I love how this book encourages kids to be themselves.
Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey
Published: May 04, 2021
Listening Length: 1 hour and 39 minutes
Marisol Rainey’s mother was born in the Philippines. Marisol’s father works and lives part-time on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. And Marisol, who has a big imagination and likes to name inanimate objects, has a tree in her backyard she calls Peppina . . . but she’s way too scared to climb it. This all makes Marisol the only girl in her small Louisiana town with a mother who was born elsewhere and a father who lives elsewhere (most of the time)—the only girl who’s fearful of adventure and fun. This summer, Marisol is determined to have fun and surmount her fears. This is a cute chapter book about handling anxieties.
Charlotte’s Web (Read by a Full Cast)
Published: October 24, 2003
Listening Length: 3 hours and 34 minutes
Everyone loves the classic Charlotte’s Web, but this audiobook version is made even better by Meryl Streep’s narration and a full-cast of narrators, including Robin Miles who does the Vanderbeeker books. It’s absolutely delightful.
Zoey and Sassafras
Published: March 01, 2019
Listening Length: 55 minutes
Zoey and her pet cat Sassafras use science to help out the injured magical animals that arrive at her backyard. This fun audiobook feels like a science TV show and kids who enjoy all thing STEM with a touch of magic will adore this series.
Frindle
Published: June 23, 2009
Listening Length: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Nick Allen becomes an unwitting local icon when he starts calling the pen a frindle. This is such a fun, fun book about the power of words and being creative! Great for introducing kids to chapter books and absolutely delightful! Kids as young as ages 5 or 6 would love this.
Judy Moody
Published: June 10, 2011
Listening Length: 1 hour and 31 minutes
To start, Judy Moody doesn’t have high hopes for third grade. Her new desk won’t have an armadillo sticker with her name on it. Her new classroom will not have a porcupine named Roger. And with her luck, she’ll get stuck sitting in the first row, where Mr. Todd will notice every time she tries to pass a note to her best friend, Rocky. Judy also has an abundance of individuality and attitude, and when Mr. Todd assigns a very special class project, she really gets a chance to express herself!
Definitely Dominguita: Knight of the Cape
Published: March 23, 2021
Listening Length: 1 hour and 43 minutes
Dominguita would rather be reading than playing at recess. She especially loves the books her Cuban grandmother gifted her. One of her favorites, Don Quixote, tells of a brave knight errant who tries to do good deeds. Dominguita decides that she, too, will become a knight and do good deeds around her community, creating a grand adventure for her to share with her abuela. But then, the class bully tells her that girls can’t be knights. Will Dominguita be deterred?
Ways to Make Sunshine
Published: July 30, 2020
Listening Length: 2 hours and 51 minutes
Ryan Hart and her family are moving to a new (old) house because her dad lost his post office job and his new job doesn’t pay as much. Ryan is unhappy about the change for many reasons. She liked their old house, and even though she has her own room in this new house, this house is a smaller bungalow, which means there will be no stairs to play on. She also fears that it will be too small to entertain guests, because Ryan loves to create new recipes — and cook them!
Still, there are small joys. She doesn’t have to change schools and is still close enough to one of her best friends. With the new house, and selling one of their cars, her parents can better deal with their financial struggles. Throughout this slice-of-life book, Ryan learns how to believe in herself, enjoy public speaking, be a bigger person, and love who she is. This is amazing for kids who love Ramona!
The Terrible Two
Published: January 13, 2015
Listening Length: 3 hours and 22 minutes
This young middle grade book about two pranksters caught in a prank war manages to remain wholesome and educational, while being laugh-out-loud funny.
Jojo Makoons: Fancy Pants
Published: May 11, 2021
Listening Length: 52 minutes
Jo Jo Makoons Azure is a spirited seven-year-old who moves through the world a little differently than anyone else on her Ojibwe reservation. It always seems like her mom, her kokum (grandma), and her teacher have a lot to learn – about how good Jo Jo is at cleaning up, what makes a good rhyme, and what it means to be friendly. The narrator of this series is super lively and because there are so many Ojibwe words, it’s great to have it readaloud instead of reading it yourself.
Frog and Toad
Published: May 20, 2008
Listening Length: 24 minutes
Once upon a time there were two good friends, a frog and a toad…From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other – just as best friends should be. This is a sweet series about friendship that’s great for kids who love animal stories.
Pinkalicious and the Pinkamazing Little Library
Published: September 09, 2008
Listening Length: 7 minutes
Pinkalicious loves all things pink. From fairy dresses to cotton candy to bubblegum. Most importantly, she loves eating pink cupcakes. Mommy and Daddy warn her not to eat too many, but Pinkalicious can’t help herself. They’re just too good! But when Pinkalicious eats one too many, she turns pink herself! What will she do?
Anisa’s International Day
Published: September 20, 2022
Listening Length: 1 hour and 2 minutes
Third grader Anisa is excited about her class’s international day. She’s going to ask her mom to bring samosas for the class and share her Pakistani culture with everyone. But before she gets to reveal her plans, another classmate snags the samosa spot. As a creative, Anisa is desperate to be unique. With her aunt getting married soon, she decides that Mehndi is the perfect activity to introduce. But first, she’ll need to resolve a friendship misunderstanding.
Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business
Published: February 19, 2020
Listening Length: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Mindy and her father have recently moved from the city to a suburb in Florida where she is the only Asian girl in her school. On top of that, Mindy’s mom died shortly before their move and her dad is adjusting to being a single parent. Like any normal child, Mindy wants to be liked at her new school. She’s fortunate to meet a new friend on her first day, even though the kids complain about the way her Korean lunch smells.
Things start to look up for Mindy when the kids try and love her seaweed snacks. At first, she starts a snack trade-off, but later decides to start selling the snacks so she can save up money to buy a puppy. However, Mindy’s new business and friendship run into some problems along the way.
Get a printable of this list to take to your library. Just pop your email in the box below and it’ll come right to you!
There they are: 15 of the best audiobooks for 2nd graders! Which of these audiobooks have you listened to and loved? Which favorites did I miss?
More Audiobook Recommendations
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Pin This Book – Audiobooks for 2nd Graders
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