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Books on Tape
Because we live in the boondocks
(note from Jenna. Did you know
that term is from the Tagalog word "bondoc", which means
mountains?), we spend a lot of
time driving. Chess club is an hour
away (but well worth it!), Cousin
Scarlett's is 70 minutes, and even
our church is 20. We play games
and sing sometimes, or just
talk, but occasionally we listen to
books on tape. Here is what David
and I think about some of these
tapes (with a few notes from my
Mom, too.) We rated them 1 to 4
stars based on all the children's comments (including Elisha's and
Elizabeth's).
 Adventures in Odyssey Series - Modern day adventure stories from a Biblical viewpoint set around the fictitious city of Odyssey. This is a radio program from Focus on the Family whose tapes are available for purchase. David: These are good stories, but sometimes hard to listen to in the car because there's a lot going on in them. I like to listen at home better. They are exciting, and the good guys always win. Jenna: I like the morals in the stories, like teaching about how to properly use a credit card and not abuse it. The stories are okay, but they're mostly about boys.
Amelia Bedelia Audio Collection by Peggy Parish (a collection including Amelia Bedelia, Amelia Bedelia and the Surprise Shower, Play Ball, Thank You, and Come Back) - Jenna: Nobody's perfect. This is a very funny tape, and Amelia Bedelia is hilarious. She makes a lot of mistakes, but it all turns out okay in the end. David: This was a pretty funny tape. The first story was the best; after that, I could figure out what she was going to do.
American Too by Elisa Bartone - Jenna: I give this 2 stars. It was okay, but the attitudes of some of the girls, including Rosina, were not very good. David: The surprise part was good, but the rest of the story was kind of boring.
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. - Jenna: I loved this book! I don't know how David can only give it two stars. I like all the ideas for learning in it especially painting on the walls, and I really like that they had a dozen children. They had a funny family, and I liked listening about their adventures. David: There were a lot of curse words in here, and they used the Lord's name in vain a whole bunch. How come their mom never spanked them? Their dad was funny teasing them, though. Mom: I was a little surprised to find so many adult themes. For instance, I hadn't planned on discussing birth control or where babies actually DO come from with my 11 year old yet :-(. Still, a very good book, just be prepared for questions.
Davy Crockett, narrated by Nicholas Cage - Mom: Incredible. This has to be the BEST book on tape we have listened to all year because of the excellent production. The highlight is Cage, who is at his usual perfection in the portrayal of Crockett, with a "countrified" voice and a frontier attitude. The music is appropriate and fun, and the story keeps the children's interest.
Elizabeti's Doll by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen - Jenna: This is a cute story about an African girl who wants to be just like her Mom. When her Mom has a baby, she makes a rock her own baby. I like to listen to it, and read it to Elizabeth at the same time because it has very pretty pictures. David: This is a GIRL story and I thought it was boring. Mom: Ezra Jack Keats award winner.
Jerusalem, Shining Still by Karla Kuskin - Jenna: This story is really more of a long poem. It's easy to read, and interesting to listen to. We heard it when we studied about Israel, and it had a lot of information and history of the city in it. David: This was a good poem, and the man's voice made it good to listen to. I liked it a lot.
Joseph the Tailor and Other Jewish Tales by Syd Lieberman - David: I really like this one. The stories are short, and they're well put together. I especially like the Bible stories. Can I give it 3 1/2 stars? 4 for the Bible stories, and 3 for the other ones. Mom: Some of the Jewish folktales are a little on the corny side ;-), and some assume knowledge most Goyim don't have, but his Bible stories are passionate, scripturally correct, and well delivered in a live format. A master story-teller.
Lives of the Musicians by Kathleen Krull - Jenna: I like that this is broken up into short segments, and that it has the music of the composers on it. Tape 1 was more interesting than Tape 2. Mom: This would have been much easier to recommend had the author realized what "family listening" (her advertising) means. It does not mean PC comments such as "long ago before it was socially acceptable" about a composer's homosexuality or debauchery.
My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara - Jenna: This was a VERY long book. At first, there was so much background information that it was hard to follow. But once he started talking about the horse, it really came alive! I was really mad that we listened to four hours of tape only to think the horse was going to die. We almost didn't listen to the last tape because we were so disappointed. Good thing we did because it turns out well in the end. I wished the story would've continued instead of stopping where it did. I liked it, but won't listen to it again. David adds: There were a lot of curse words in the story, and I bet she got in trouble when her mother heard what she read. It was a good story, but so long!
No Jumping on the Bed by Tedd Arnold - David:We play this one mostly for Lizzie (age 6), but I like it too. It's short (8 minutes), and I know it by heart.
Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American School Publishers version. David: Ben read this at the church talent show so I'd already heard it. A very good poem, but Ben read it better than this guy. Jenna: I liked this. I have almost memorized the first part from listening to it a lot.
Princess Pocahontas - Peacemaker by Belinda Beth Ballenger - Jenna: This is one of my favorites of all the books on tape that we listen to. It's the real story of Pocahontas, not the one from the video which Mom says is hogwash. David: I like this. The story lady sounds like a grandma reading, and it makes me feel good to listen to it.
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner - Jenna: I love this book! I like that I can follow along in the book while I listen, too. It's a good story about people helping other people, and not too long. David: Even though I already know the ending, I always think it might be different. I like to listen to the descriptions about Stone Fox, the Indian and about Searchlight, the dog. A good story that we have listened to a lot. Four stars. Mom: Newberry Award Winner.
The Treasure Chest: Dramatized Bible Stories for Children - Mom: These 1975 tapes are not fancy, but present Biblical stories from a drama troupe in approximately 15 minute segments. The price is extremely reasonable when you buy the whole set ($~17 for 12 tapes/24 stories.) The thing is, the kids REMEMBER what's taught on them because they're presented in story form. Jenna's favorite is Esther, while David's is Elijah ("There's nothing." You'll understand if you've heard the tape ;-)
Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls - Jenna: This is one of the best stories I've ever heard. I liked that they won the contest. It was very exciting! I would definitely listen to this again and again. David: This is a really good story! It was especially exciting during the coon hunting. Mom: I turned this off before it ended because they were enjoying it so much that I thought the death of the dog would've been too sad for them. Ending it after the winning of the contest and trip home didn't seem to diminish their enjoyment, and they speculated for quite some time what would've happened at the next coon hunt, and to the boy.
Do you have a recommendation for a book on tape that you've listened to? Email us
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