Explore our list of the best audiobooks for young gifted kids 4-8 years old.
This post is the result of a lot of poor choices. My child has always been a voracious consumer of audiobooks and we have started too many books to find that they were not a good fit. For example, we started the Henry Huggins series, a classic by Beverly Clearly had been recommended to me, but it was full of “Ew, that’s for girls” language I did not want to expose my young son to. And frankly, I did not want to listen to it either. Likewise, I put on the audiobook Little House on the Prairie as it is so often recommended, only to overhear the child in the story being threatened with whipping and a lot of really racist language. In my opinion, a lot of classic children’s books should be reserved for older children.
Likewise, we started When You Trap a Tiger, an award-winning middle grade novel about a young Korean-American girl, but the terminally ill grandmother vomiting nightly and a dark brooding teenage sister felt inappropriate for my 5 year old.
Middle grade novels have an exceptionally wide range in the material that can be very hard to determine from a simple synopsis.
Additionally, many gifted children struggle socially so it is especially important to provide them with great content and good social role models. I really believe great books can have a real positive impact on a children’s social and emotional growth.
With this in mind, this list is curated for children whose verbal comprehension and capacity for complexity creates challenges with finding the right books. We have focused on books with strong modern morality, good social models, complex and rewarding plots, and diverse characters. Each listing includes a Bookshop affiliate link so that we receive a portion of each book you purchase, so you can support Little Polymath and Bookshop.org. Read on to find your next favorites!
Journey Across the Hidden Islands by Sarah Beth Durst
Lexile: 640L | Pages: 352
Synopsis: Twin sisters Seika (the heir to the throne) and Ji-Lin (her body guard) must navigate magical islands filled with wonders and monsters to protect their home.
Why we love it? Sarah Beth Durst navigates complex concepts including tradition, obedience, truth, and the different forms of strength and bravery at a pace that is accessible to young children.
Please note, some readers have been offended by what feels like a mish-mash of Eastern cultural references in this imaginary land.
Even & Odd by Sarah Beth Durst
Lexile: ~650L | Pages: 288
A Mighty Girl Book of the Year
Synopsis: Sisters Even and Odd share one spark of magic between them. On “Even” days, one sister is magical; on “Odd” days, the other is. When their mother disappears, they must work together and trust a very talkative unicorn to bring their family back together.
Why we love it? These sisters work through their differences and the story features lots of silly laughs for kids, like a unicorn named Jeremy who poops cupcakes.
Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Lexile: 740L | Pages: 320
Synopsis: This acclaimed novel can listened to as an audiobook, though the illustrations are lovely. It tells an extraordinary story that is full of action and thought-provoking questions as a robot learns to survive in the wilderness.
Why we love it? The relationship between Roz (the robot), Brightbill (the orphaned gosling), and Fink (the fox) teaches that family isn’t just about who you are born to. In a world that often rewards being the “strongest” or “fastest,” Roz survives by being the kindest.
Eva Evergreen Semi Magical Witch by Julie Abe
Lexile: 760L | Pages: 416
Synopsis: Eva only has a tiny “pinch” of magic. To earn her title as a witch, she must move to a coastal town and use her small abilities to help the community prepare for a coming magical storm.
Buy Eva Evergreen on Bookshop.org
Why we love it? Wholesome, sweet and happy, this book will leave you feeling sunny.
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Lexile Level: 840L | Page Count: 485
Synopsis: After responding to a mysterious newspaper advertisement seeking “gifted children,” four brilliant orphans pass a series of mind-bending tests. They are recruited by the eccentric Mr. Benedict to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened to stop a global “Emergency” that is being broadcast into people’s minds.
Why we love it? While there is some gentle ribbing between the characters, on the whole their relationships demonstrate good social models. Key themes include problem-solving and teamwork. I particularly enjoyed the different types of giftedness. Sticky has an incredible memory, Kate has exceptional physical capabilities and can judge distance with perfect accuracy, Reynie has strong reasoning skills, and Constance is just Constance. It’s a series of 4 excellent books that will keep your kid occupied for weeks and is enjoyable for adults as well.
Note: The plot of Mysterious Benedict Society is complex. Some younger readers/listeners may find it confusing and some scenes are a bit scary. There are villains called “ten men” that commit minor violence, like knocking people unconscious. It is suspenseful, but my 6 year old did enjoy all 4 books with few pauses.
Humphrey Series by Betty G. Birney
Lexile Level: 500-600L | Page Count: ~150 pages each
Synopsis: Humphrey is a classroom pet and a “quiet hero” who observes the world from his cage and finds small, clever ways to help his “room 26” friends. There is zero name-calling or mean-spirited humor; the focus is entirely on empathy, kindness, and understanding others. There are 13 excellent books in the series.
Why we love it? We spend most of our time in the classroom with Humphrey as he learns about school and his fellow students, but each weekend Humphrey goes home with a different classmate. These weekend experiences help Humphrey to understand each student and help our own little listeners develop empathy and Theory of Mind. While Humphrey might lean a bit too much towards people-pleasing, I think this series is one of the absolute best for social-emotional learning in young kids.
The plot line is so gentle and the narration so annoying for my own adult ears that I preferred to let my kid listen to these without me present whenever possible.
Spark by Sarah Beth Durst
Lexile: 690L | Pages: 320
Synopsis: Mina is a quiet and unassuming young girl in a magical world. Her time comes to be paired with a dragon and she is unexpectedly given a lightning dragon, which ought to only happen to impulse brave types. Together, they must investigate why the weather is failing, proving that a quiet voice can still change the world.
Why we love it? There’s a reason that Sarah Beth Durst appears 4 times on this list. This book has it all: exploration of rich yet child-appropriate themes, non-violent suspense, strong female characters, and rich fantasy. This is ultimately a political book about standing up for what is right. At one point, she asks a question to the prime minister that gets her into trouble. After being whisked away to be dealt with, she sits there wondering what was wrong with her question. Then it dawns on her that maybe there wasn’t something wrong with her question, but something wrong with the answer. I loved her thought process.