Best audiobooks and radio stations for kids

Whether they’re taking the train to Rockaway Beach or riding in the backseat en route to the Hamptons, there’s a good chance your kids will get bored of playing the license- plate game and singing along with Justin Bieber. Listening to an audiobook is a refreshing alternative, not to mention a great way to keep kids interested in books. We asked Rebecca Burton, an editor at Reading Is Fundamental (a nonprofit kids’ literacy organization); Beth Puffer, manager of the Bank Street Bookstore; and Robin Whitten, editor of AudioFile magazine, for their summer picks.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
This sweet classic about an unlikely friendship gives kids a front-row seat at the county fair where pig Wilbur earns top honors. Author White delivers an emotionally charged reading—children will feel they’re experiencing Wilbur’s joy and sadness firsthand. $27; 3hrs 30mins. Ages 9 and up.

Keeper by Kathi Appelt
Set in the Gulf of Mexico, this tale is read by its author, who infuses the narrative with an atmospheric Texas twang. Mermaid fans will be gripped by the lure of the sea when the protagonist sets sail to find her mother, who she believes lives in the ocean. $20; 5hrs 30mins. Ages 8 to 12.

The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole
Planning a night under the stars? Psych up for the fun by joining Miss Frizzle and her students as they zoom to the sun and back again. Countdown sound effects blast listeners off into outer space, enhancing the experience. $10; 30mins. Ages 3 to 8.

Return to the One Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus
Just hearing about the unbearable heat when “Tigger hardly bounced at all” will have tykes pining for lemonade. Celebrity narrator Jim Dale is pitch-perfect as squeaking Piglet and gloomy Eeyore. $20; 3hrs. Ages 4 to 6.

The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller
Ideal for car trips that cross state lines, this book depicts the chaos that would result if all the states traded places. The story is so vivid that little listeners will swear they can hear Florida’s chattering teeth after it switches with Minnesota.Kids may recognize the voice of reader Lorelei King, who plays several characters on Bob the Builder. $10; 1hr. Ages 4 to 9.—Pamela Brill

Radio wars
My daughter Julie, 6, craves tunes with stories and singable choruses, while Mallory, 3, requires a good beat for dancing. Can the children’s channels on two Internet radio stations—Pandora and Slacker Radio—make them both happy? We tested them to find out.—Jeff Bogle

Number of kids’ channels
Pandora Six, including Sleepytime, Tween Radio (great for Miley fixes) and kindie-rock-filled Radio for Kids
Slacker Radio Four: Kids, Teen Pop, Teen Rock and Toddler, where Barney and (curiously) Owl City songs stream

What you’ll hear
Pandora We grooved to Recess Monkey, Justin Roberts and They Might Be Giants—a stacked rotation of the finest in modern kid rock.
Slacker Radio The same tunes that blast on Z100. Kids delivers Lambert and Lovato; Lady Gaga and Ludacris hang in the Teen Pop category.

Our take
Pandora Totally entranced, Julie said the song mix “sounds like our car on road trips”—minus the prepared track order, of course.
Slacker Radio Fans of top-40 radio may dig Slacker, but my kids couldn’t find a good fit—the songs were either too mature or too TV-oriented.

Cost
Pandora Free; a $36 one-year upgrade includes unlimited listening, no ads and a desktop player
Slacker Radio Free; a $48 one-year upgrade includes unlimited song skips, no ads and a desktop player