ROAD TRIP!!

Heading to the beach or the mountains to escape the heat?  Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house?  Whether you’re going alone or with a car full of kids, it’s always nice to listen to a good book!

If you’re doing everything through your gadgets, check out all the downloadables at jmrl.org.  You’ll find books, magazines, audiobooks, and stuff for the young ones at Tumblebooks.  There are apps and tutorials right on the page with the library contact information, if you have questions.

If you use your cd player in the car, JMRL has much to choose from!  Did you know there’s a whole collection of old-time radio programs?  They include Abbot and Costello, the Green Hornet and Kato, Fibber McGee and Molly, the Lone Ranger, quiz shows, Jack Benny, the Shadow, and many others.  Search in the catalog using the keyword Radio Spirits.  Or try A Prairie Home Companion, StoryCorps, or Doctor Who.

Sometimes listening to a book can make a world of difference.  Some of my favorites:

The ever-popular Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon – Davina Porter, the reader, does a fantastic job with all the accents.  She really pulls you into the adventures of Claire, Jamie, Frank, and Black Jack Randall.  These are very long audiobooks, so save them for an extended trip or you may find yourself sitting in the parking lot waiting for the end of the chapter!

 

And the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik – Simon Vance brings the dragons, as well as the humans, to life in this alternate history series.  It’s the Napoleonic Wars with dragons!  Meet Temeraire and his intrepid Captain Laurence. The series begins with His Majesty’s Dragon and just finished with book number 9.

 

 

For less stimulating fare, try the Irish Country Village series by Patrick Taylor.  John Keating transports us to lovely pastoral settings with his lilting Irish accents in this series about a country doctor and the folks he tends.  Visit Ballybucklebo and become immersed in the lives of the residents.

 

 

If you’re traveling with teens, try Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, read by the author.  Alexie’s voice adds a layer of poignancy to Junior’s tale of modern-day life on a reservation.  Or choose Coraline, read by the author Neil Gaiman, or the Richard Peck classic, A Day No Pigs Would Die.  Check the school’s summer reading list for titles you might all enjoy together.

 

And for fun for all ages, check out Hank the Cowdog, read by author John Erickson.  Guaranteed to have you laughing out loud as you roll down the road!

Safe travels!