11 Compelling Nonfiction Audiobooks for Children

Looking for some Olympic-themed audiobooks for kids? Johnston’s historical narrative nonfiction reaches even greater heights with narration from Goodeve. It’s the biography of Lis Hartel, who was paralyzed after contracting polio in 1944 and yet defied doctors and learnt to ride horses again. While it’s no spoiler to know Lis and Jubilee went on to win an Olympic medal, the real story is behind the journey — cliche but true. As an audiobook, kids will hear how Lis rebuilt her dreams and new relationships while learning about the importance of Therapy Animals.

Come and learn the story of Mary Walker, who was born and lived in slavery until her freedom at the age of 15. Only a few years later, she was a wife and mother. Mary worked numerous jobs to help support her family, including cooking, cleaning, and caring for other people’s children. However, it was not until the age of 116 that Mary learned to read.

On June 19, 1865, 250,000 enslaved people of Texas learned they were free, ending slavery in the United States of America. It is a significant part of American history, and frankly, it is not celebrated enough. For those in Houston, you should definitely visit the Emancipation Park and explore the history it embodies. But for many of us who can’t visit the Park, this audiobook captures the very essence of all it is meant to commemorate: the struggles, the triumph, the courage. Kids will love the open feel from listening to this book and its hopeful message.

Who here loves food? Every single kid in my 11-year-old’s class LOVED this audiobook. It has been played on repeat during their history class while learning about the influence of multicultural cooking during great moments in history. Lisa Ling’s narration carries listeners through categories of foods and shares the folktales and legends behind the dishes like dumplings, Kung Pao chicken, and noodles. Grace Lin’s extensive research is perfectly matched with an approachable writing style that unfolds with each bite.

Aimed at listeners 12 and up, Kendi and Stone narrate this book as if it’s a podcast. It’s like reading with a mentor/friend and learning from the natural flow of conversation. This is a journey, in both the audiobook and where listeners will take it from here. My younger readers especially like the inclusion of anecdotes and data that relate directly to life experience, making it sound more like a guide than a lecture.

Books like this are a prime example of truth-telling in history, highlighting so many elements of history that are ignored or removed because of fear and racism. Asia is a big place with a complex and diverse mix of cultures, languages, and history. The history of Asian migration to North America is equally complex, yet Lee and Soontornvat display a beautiful format for filling gaps, explaining context, and highlighting the future impacts we feel today. There will be many “How Did I Not Know This?” moments, but it may also elicit some fantastic conversation with the kids.

Dr Suzie Edge is already famous on TikTok and Instagram for her fascinating, entertaining, and sometimes a little disturbing facts — “But it was OK!” Her voice has the perfect pace and intonation to deliver these fascinating facts about medicine and science throughout history while still maintaining the appropriate level of humour (i.e., gross but funny). Edge has clearly had fun researching and writing this book, and the middle grade kids will definitely have fun listening to it!

Talking about money, reading about money, and even listening to an audiobook about money are unlikely to be top of your to-do list with teenagers. But let’s face it: many adults wish they had some guidance about financial literacy when they were younger. Ignore the cover image: this audiobook is probably too advanced for most younger readers, but it is compelling and supportive enough to hold the interest of teenagers (and some middle grade readers). It’s a fun audiobook that looks at a range of contemporary issues, from credit to scams, and the psychology behind marketing in a consumer-centric society.

This powerful memoir is written with such warmth and tenderness that I was worried the audiobook would be too much for young listeners. I was wrong — it is equally beautiful in audio format: still able to break my heart but also put it back together, stronger and more hopeful than before. It is a long audiobook, coming in a little over 10 hours, and worth breaking up into smaller bites to allow time for young listeners to process all that is shared. Sabic-El-Rayess shares her story of five cousins in the three years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide. In some ways, it will sound like any other tween experience, but it is most influential in how it portrays normal everyday people caught in all of the lead-up to war. It is also worth reading about Sabic-El-Rayess’s experience during the war, in her book The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War, and Survival.

During World War II, a very very small group of people were invited to attend Station X at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire (UK). Today, we now know it was filled with cryptographers, debutantes, and academic professors. Less is known about the teenage girls who moved around the premises, helping out wherever they were needed. Fleming’s research unfolds over four-and-a-half hours, showcasing the various skills and the roles they played in the most secretive wartime efforts. Fleming and Quirk make it easy to picture the kind of people who could help in Bletchley Park, including the mix of soft skills and the ability to keep a secret.