For Kids
The best audiobooks for ten-year-olds
At ten the children's canon is fully open, and several of these are better than most adult fiction.
We earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Prices come from Amazon and were last checked on October 6, 2026. It does not change which books we pick — see how we choose and how we are funded.
Ten is the best age to be a reader. Children's publishing's strongest work is aimed here, a ten-year-old can follow a genuinely complicated structure, and several of the books on this page are better than most of what adults read.
What works at ten
- Full-length novels, six to ten hours, with real structure. Holes runs three timelines that turn out to be one story.
- Difficulty. A ten-year-old enjoys being slightly out of their depth, which is the age's real pleasure.
- Long series. Keeper of the Lost Cities will cover a year of car journeys.
- Mythology and puzzles. Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and The Mysterious Benedict Society.
The best audiobooks for a ten-year-old
Every entry says what is in the book. Narrators from the publisher's catalog; prices from Amazon at our last check.
| # | Title | Best for | Narrator | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Holes Louis Sachar · read by Kerry Beyer & Louis Sachar A boy sent to a desert camp to dig holes, and three timelines that turn out to be one story. Perfectly constructed. | Ages nine to twelve, and the whole car | Kerry Beyer & Louis Sachar | $11.81on Amazon |
| 2 |  The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman · read by Neil Gaiman A toddler escapes the murder of his family into a graveyard and is raised by the dead. Gaiman's warmest book and a genuine all-ages listen. | A family listen that does not condescend | Neil Gaiman | $20.47on Amazon |
| 3 |  A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle · read by Hope Davis & Ava DuVernay +2 Three children cross the universe to find a missing father. Strange, theological and unlike anything else for the age. | Ages nine to twelve | Hope Davis & Ava DuVernay +2 | $14.18on Amazon |
| 4 |  The Girl Who Drank the Moon Kelly Barnhill · read by Christina Moore A witch accidentally feeds a baby moonlight and raises her. Lyrical, layered and genuinely surprising. | Ages nine to twelve | Christina Moore | $23.09on Amazon |
| 5 |  Amari and the Night Brothers B. B. Alston · read by Imani Parks A girl is recruited to a supernatural bureau to find her missing brother. Fast, funny and very easy to hand to a reluctant listener. | Ages nine to twelve | Imani Parks | $22.83on Amazon |
| 6 |  The Mysterious Benedict Society Trenton Lee Stewart · read by Del Roy Four gifted orphans infiltrate a boarding school using puzzles and nerve. Long, clever and properly plotted. | Ages eight to twelve | Del Roy | $26.39on Amazon |
| 7 |  Keeper of the Lost Cities Shannon Messenger · read by Caitlin Kelly A twelve-year-old discovers she is an elf and transfers to a hidden world. Enormous series, extremely bingeable. | Ages nine to thirteen with a lot of car time | Caitlin Kelly | $19.04on Amazon |
| 8 |  Percy Jackson's Greek Gods Rick Riordan · read by Jesse Bernstein The myths retold in Percy's voice, which makes them funny and keeps the worst details in. | A mythology listen for ages ten and up | Jesse Bernstein | $19.69on Amazon |
The picks, in detail
Our top pick · Ages nine to twelve, and the whole car
Holes
by Louis Sachar · narrated by Kerry Beyer, Louis Sachar
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 2
- Audio edition
- 2003
A boy sent to a desert camp to dig holes, and three timelines that turn out to be one story. Perfectly constructed.
On audio
Kerry Beyer handles three timelines without losing any of them.
Who should skip it
- Racial violence in the historical strand.
- The structure takes patience early.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 2 · A family listen that does not condescend
The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman · narrated by Neil Gaiman
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2008
A toddler escapes the murder of his family into a graveyard and is raised by the dead. Gaiman's warmest book and a genuine all-ages listen.
On audio
Gaiman reads it himself, and the deliberate slowness is clearly how he intended it heard.
Who should skip it
- Opens with a family being murdered — know that before a car trip with young kids.
- Episodic rather than driving.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 3 · Ages nine to twelve
A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle · narrated by Hope Davis, Ava DuVernay, Madeleine L'Engle, Charlotte Jones Voiklis
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 4
- Audio edition
- 2012
Three children cross the universe to find a missing father. Strange, theological and unlike anything else for the age.
Who should skip it
- The physics and theology are hard to follow aloud.
- Dated dialogue.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 4 · Ages nine to twelve
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
by Kelly Barnhill · narrated by Christina Moore
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2026
A witch accidentally feeds a baby moonlight and raises her. Lyrical, layered and genuinely surprising.
Who should skip it
- Multiple viewpoints take time to connect.
- Some real sadness about mothers.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 5 · Ages nine to twelve
Amari and the Night Brothers
by B. B. Alston · narrated by Imani Parks
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2021
A girl is recruited to a supernatural bureau to find her missing brother. Fast, funny and very easy to hand to a reluctant listener.
Who should skip it
- Conventional magic-school structure.
- Ends on a series hook.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 6 · Ages eight to twelve
The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart · narrated by Del Roy
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2022
Four gifted orphans infiltrate a boarding school using puzzles and nerve. Long, clever and properly plotted.
On audio
Del Roy handles a large child cast and a lot of riddles clearly.
Who should skip it
- Long for the age group.
- The puzzles slow the pace.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 7 · Ages nine to thirteen with a lot of car time
Keeper of the Lost Cities
by Shannon Messenger · narrated by Caitlin Kelly
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2018
A twelve-year-old discovers she is an elf and transfers to a hidden world. Enormous series, extremely bingeable.
Who should skip it
- Very long and still going.
- Repetitive series structure.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 8 · A mythology listen for ages ten and up
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods
by Rick Riordan · narrated by Jesse Bernstein
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2014
The myths retold in Percy's voice, which makes them funny and keeps the worst details in.
Who should skip it
- Episodic — no plot.
- The myths include plenty that is not child-friendly.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
What to know before pressing play
| Book | The thing to know |
|---|---|
| The Graveyard Book | Opens with a family being murdered. A lot in the first ten minutes of a car journey. |
| Holes | Racial violence in the historical strand, handled seriously. |
| Percy Jackson's Greek Gods | The myths include plenty that is not child-friendly, told plainly. |
| The Girl Who Drank the Moon | Real sadness about mothers. |
| A Wrinkle in Time | The physics and theology are hard to follow aloud; dated dialogue. |
Where to go next
- Back, audiobooks for eight-year-olds.
- Forward, audiobooks for teens.
- For the car, audiobooks for kids' road trips.
- If they loved Percy Jackson, books like Harry Potter.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best audiobook for a 10-year-old?
Is The Graveyard Book too frightening for a 10-year-old?
Should a 10-year-old listen to YA audiobooks?
What long series suits a 10-year-old for car journeys?
Are children's audiobooks worth it for adults too?
Sources
Read next
For Kids
The best audiobooks for eight-year-olds
The bingeing age. The question stops being what they can follow and becomes what keeps them going.
For Kids
The best audiobooks for teens
The YA label tells you the protagonist's age and nothing about the content. These notes tell you the rest.
For Kids
The best audiobooks for kids' road trips
The best place on earth for a children's audiobook, and the least forgiving if you have not checked it.
Read Next
Books like Harry Potter
Two completely different answers depending on whether you are nine or thirty-nine.
Genres
The best young adult audiobooks
The best-performed shelf in publishing, with honest notes on what the YA label does not mean.
By Occasion
The best audiobooks for family road trips
Books that hold a nine-year-old and an adult at once, with content warnings on every pick.