Have you ever popped in an audiobook for your kids to listen to, and then realized HOURS later that you have been pulled into the story just as much as they have? To give you an idea, we recently had a long car ride (seven hours there and seven hours back) and almost five hours of each leg was spent listening to an audio book. I had a book along to read – and ZERO pages were turned because I didn’t want to miss anything!

On a whim last month, we picked up the first book in the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events at the library. To give you an idea of how much we enjoyed it – we just finished the seventh book in the series (incidentally, there are THIRTEEN total). Yeah. We’re hooked.

The Quick Summary

The series follows the Baudelaire orphans and, well, the unfortunate events that seem to surround them. After the death of their parents, they are sent to live with a relative, Count Olaf, who is only intent on getting their fortune – and is a very evil and unkind man. The three children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are all wonderful children, but left in an unhappy and unfortunate situation – all the time. They escape from one dastardly event only to have misfortune follow them again and again. The fact that the entire series is called The Complete Wreck should give you a fairly good understanding of the nature of the books.

I will put in a brief disclaimer here to say that I do not feel this is a series for younger children because of some of the content in the stories. Our youngest is eight and we are comfortable with him listening, but you may want to do a little looking at the original book in the series and see if it is a good fit for your family.

What We Love (and groan over)

The first two books are read by Tim Curry (who does an amazing job). Books three through five are then read by the author (whom we don’t like as much). Fortunately Tim Curry returns in book six – and all is well again. Curry changes character voices, adds in extra sound effects, and just overall makes the stories even more enjoyable.

So far we’ve listened to…

1. The Bad Beginning
2. The Reptile Room
3. The Wide Window
4. The Miserable Mill
5. The Austere Academy
6. The Ersatz Elevator
7. The Vile Village

We love the sidenotes that the author, Lemony Snicket, goes off on. There are constant explanations of what a difficult vocabulary word means (which are hilarious and to the point), the quick wit of the children, and the overall humor – we are always laughing at something.

Our favorite quote from the books so far:

“If one is allergic to something, one should never put that thing in one’s mouth. Especially if that thing is a cat.”

Throughout the book the author is constantly saying, “I wish I could tell you that things became better for the Baudelaire orphans, but they don’t.” Or, “If you are looking for a story with a happy ending, you may want to put this book down right now and find another story.” There are constant groans from the backseat as the kids listen along.

We still have five more books to run back to the library and listen grab, but we are obviously enjoying these. Have you listened to them or read them? I’d love to hear your thoughts too!

What are YOU reading or listening together right now?

Books We’ve Previously Read (or Listened to) Together

Here are a few other books that we’ve read together and blogged about. Click over to see our thoughts on them!

• Raiders from the Sea by Lois Walfrid Johnson
• Under Drake’s Flag
• The Mysterious Benedict Society
• Darien’s Rise {Adventures in Odyssey Passages}
• The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
• Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
• The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins
• Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman
• 25 Books We Plan to Read Together This Year
• 30 Picture Books in 30 Days

• Other Recent Audiobooks: A Year Down Yonder, Secrets at Sea, A Season of Gifts
• The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

During our history time we are easing out of World War 2 and moving into the cold war era, but while in the thick of German invasions and concentration camps we pulled out The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom.

While the holocaust can be a very heavy topic with kids, it’s one that we want our kids to understand – and not gloss over. The Hiding Place audio drama version can be a bit deep (especially for younger kids – our youngest is 8 and I felt comfortable letting him listen to it), but it really brings to life scenes from the life of the ten Boom family and what they, and many others, endured while helping Jewish families escape during World War 2.

Netherlands with Corrie ten Boom, 1974

The Hiding Place holds a very special place in the hearts of my family. While I don’t remember the above picture, there was a time many years ago that I met her (grins). My mother worked for Corrie ten Boom as one of her secretaries before she and my father were married, and both Corrie and Brother Andrew (God’s Smuggler) were part of my parent’s marriage ceremony. When the audiobook opened with Brother Andrew introducing the life of Corrie ten Boom, I have to admit to tearing up – it’s so neat to hear the hearts of people that poured and were a central part of my parents life.

Reading The Hiding Place together has reminded me again and again how important it is to talk to our kids about history and how it impacts and affects us over the years. Corrie is one of the ‘heroes’ of Christian faith that I have admired over the years, and listening and hearing her heart and desire to honor and serve God – even in the midst of pain, sorrow, and not understanding – truly makes me want to be and do more in my faith.

Another great book for kids to read and learn about Corrie ten Boom is Corrie ten Boom: Keeper of the Angel’s Den.

What are YOU reading or listening together right now?

Books We’ve Previously Read Together

Here are a few other books that we’ve read together and blogged about. Click over to see our thoughts on them!

• Raiders from the Sea by Lois Walfrid Johnson
• Sky Jumpers: Forbidden Flats by Peggy Eddleman
• The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P Figg  
• The Mysterious Benedict Society
• Darien’s Rise {Adventures in Odyssey Passages}
• The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
• Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
• The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins
• Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman
• 25 Books We Plan to Read Together This Year
• 30 Picture Books in 30 Days

• Other Recent Audiobooks: A Year Down Yonder, Secrets at Sea, A Season of Gifts