Who Wants a Story?

A post about the gift of stories (with some recommendations from my kids)

Nov 28, 2023

This post explores how stories connect, and why gifting stories is good for everyone—including you.

Stories Connect Us

To be human is to love a good story. We long to hear what happened on an adventure in the high seas, who will win the fight between the good monster and evil human, the meaning behind the red marble the sad mother holds, and what will happen in the real-life romance between a beautiful singer and a talented football player (yes, I did go there).

Whether they come to us in the form of Instagram reels, Netflix specials, dog-eared paperbacks, or a storyteller on a stage, story captures our imagination and our hearts.

So, the answer to the question of who wants to hear a story is simple. We all do.

The Function of Story

Most people are familiar with the idea that the human mind is built for telling and listening to stories—it’s one of the features of the human brain that sets us apart from other animals. And there’s good reason for that. Stories serve many functions, including helping us understand social norms, develop language, and gain valuable skills like empathy.

But what most people don’t realize is that stories are connecting. Stories serve as a form of social glue, helping us learn from each other, grow together, and connect over joy and sadness. So whether it’s exploring new topics with your book club friends, cuddling on the couch with your kid as you read Goodnight Moon, or tracking the seasonal drama of your favorite sports team with your colleagues, stories bond us to one another.

We can leverage this connecting quality that stories offer. That’s something to think about as we enter the holiday gift-giving season.

Gifting Connection

Studies show that experiential gifts—that is, gifts that we enjoy by living through them—are more connecting than material gifts. The gift of sharing stories is one of the purest forms of a experiential gifting. Whatever form you choose to give a story—a subscription to a streaming service, shows to a Broadway play, or a copy of your favorite book—story gifts are pure gold.

But my own favorite version of story gift-giving, as of late, are books in audiobook form. That’s probably because the only thing I like better than reading stories with my own kids is having someone else do the reading for me.

Consuming read aloud stories is both a new(ish) technologically, and as old as humankind. After all, before the written word, humans would share stories aurally. Stories were passed from one generation to another by telling and re-retelling. Audiobooks are just a newfangled way to do that sharing. And so fun in the gift-giving department.

In case you’re looking for inspiration, I’ll share some of my sons’ recommendations of audiobooks they’ve loved below. And we’d love to hear yours, too. So please share in the comments!

Make Audiobooks Extra-Connecting

For several years now, my three boys (now ages 7, 10, and 13) and I have been on a audiobook kick. We play them on car rides, lazy Saturday afternoons, and sometimes while I’m making dinner. Listening to stories together is as much a gift for me as it is for them. Yes, stories are naturally connecting, but a few psychology-backed tips amplify that bonding experience, making it an extra-special gift:

Let everyone have a vote in what you listen to. Letting people choose—whatever their age—feeds the very human desire to have agency. Decades of research show that when we have agency, we tend to be more invested in the activity (this is particularly helpful to remember as a parent… but also helpful to remember if you’re a partner, friend, etc.). So, take a vote. And if you can’t reach good consensus, turn-take as to who picks the next book.
Use story themes to connect. As Emily Oster noted in her recent ParentData newsletter, reading and talking is one of the most reliable predictors of childhood outcomes. But the power of discussing literary themes extends far beyond childhood because these kinds of discussions open up our minds and hearts, creating more opportunities for new understandings. Listen for important themes and/or topics and use those themes to open up conversations.
Get lost in the magic of the story together. Most importantly, don’t forget to get lost in the wonder of story together. That might mean listening side-by-side, or listening and discussing at a later time. Any way you do it, sharing stories helps creativity, curiosity, and connection, curiosity bloom.

My Boys’ Audiobook Recommendations

I asked my boys to share their favorite listens (in a later post I’ll share some of my favorite solo adult listens). I’m including links to Audible for these audiobooks because that’s the format most people use. But a colleague recently told me about a company called Libro.fm that supports local bookstores when you listen to audiobooks with them—I’ll be gifting that to myself this season!

Without further ado, here are my kids’ top 10 picks of audiobooks, in no particular order:

Cog by Greg van Eekhout, read by James Fouhey. A friend recommended this book a few years ago and it was one of the early ones that caught my youngest’s attention. The main character’s name, Cog, is short for “cognitive development” because he was built by a scientist to be able to learn new things. Surprise: he learns by making mistakes. But the adventure really begins when Cog discovers some evil scientists want to remove his brain so they can study him.
Ickabog by J.K. Rowling, read by Stephen Fry. This mythical story is only available in audiobook format, which is perfect because the music and sound effects truly make Rowling’s magical characters and the adventure come to life. It begins in the Kingdom of Cornucopia, once a happy place and follows two brave children, a mythical monster (The Ickabog), and some evil rulers. My boys enjoyed this one a lot, but it’s been my absolute favorite family audiobook thus far.
Jason Reynold’s Track Series, read by Guy Lockard. Looking for realistic fiction about kids and sports, we found this series. Each book features the story of one of the kids on an elite middle school track team. The stories do have heartbreaking elements—abuse, parental death, guns, bullying. But if you think your kids are ready for it, they are good fodder for conversation about these important issues.
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team, by Christina Soontornvat, read by Quincy Surasmith. This book tells the story of a Thai boys’ soccer team (twelve boys and their coach) who got trapped in a cave in 2018 and captured worldwide attention. A 17-day rescue mission to save the boys and their coach inspired and engaged the global community. It’s a true story about humans really do have the capacity to come come together in altruistic ways.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, series by Rick Riordan, read by Jesse Bernstein. If you like Greek mythology, sarcastic teenagers, and adventure, this series is a fun one. The stories are great for kids, and I loved the refresher course in the Greek gods. And Riordan’s humor kept both me and my kids laughing. (We’ve also enjoyed others by Rick Riordan, with our second favorite series being The Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard.)
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, read by Christina Moore. This beautiful story reminds me a lot of Harry Potter, with its magic and magical characters. A kindly forest witch, Xan, saves babies that are sacrificed annually. One magical baby becomes the girl who drinks the moon, and Xan and her forest family, a swamp monster and a tiny mischievous dragon, raise her together. Eventually, they are endangered and the girl must protect those who have protected her.
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, read by Jim Dale. We discovered Jim Dale through his reading of the Harry Potter series (see below) and my boys and I think he is the most talented reader we’ve ever encountered. We went on a quest to figure out what else he had narrated and found this absolutely terrific book full of magic and fantastic characters. Peter and the Starcatchers is the prequel to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan (and far less prejudiced than the classic). Sadly, only the first book is available in audiobook format. Mr. Dale, if you see this, please narrate the rest of the series!
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling, read by Jim Dale. I hear that not everyone loves the Harry Potter series, but I can’t relate. I read the entire series with my oldest son, but by the time my third was ready, they all realized Jim Dale was a far better narrator than I. I agree, and it’s one of the few audiobooks we re-listen to because we are enamored with both the stories and Jim Dale’s brilliance in reading them.
Matilda by Roald Dahl, read by Kate Winslet. We have Matilda in its paperback version and all three of my boys had already read it when a friend told me we couldn’t miss the Kate-Winslet-read version. My friend was right. Winslet’s performance in the this audiobook version of Mathilda is absolutely extraordinary—worth listening to even if you already know this book well.
Restart by Gordon Korman, read by Todd Ross, Laura Knight Keating, Ramon de Ocampo, Andy Paris, Suzy Jackson, Graham Halstead, and John Kroft. In this story, a boy falls off the roof of his house and hits his head so hard that he suffers memory loss. He literally can’t recall how much of a cruel bully he was before the accident. This story shows how a new perspective on an old way of being can allow you to restart your life.

It didn’t make the official list because we’re not quite done with it, but so far we love Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan. This is another audiobook that has music throughout—in this case, harmonica. It’s led to a lot of harmonica-playing in my home. I’ll let you imagine your own story about how that’s going.

A Book for Your Favorite Working Parent?

Before I sign off, I’ll mention that my book, Work, Parent, Thrive is available in both audiobook and paperback versions (currently on sale at Amazon). It’s a story-filled, science-backed book about how to thrive in working parenthood. The audiobook version is read by Jennifer Cole, also a working parent. She and I both hope you and your gift receiver will connect with you and with us by reading or listening.

Remember: sharing stories is a deeply human way to connect with others. Share your favorite audiobooks with me and other readers here, if you’re willing. And if you disliked any of the books on my boys’ list, please pipe up—others will appreciate the variety of opinion since no book is beloved by all.

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