Christian Audiobooks for the Whole Family
In the days before I was a mom, I remember hearing Adventures in Odyssey on the radio. I have to admit that I wasn’t really paying attention at the time because I thought it was just a “kid’s show” from Focus on the Family. I was wrong. Adventures in Odyssey is most definitely an audio show for the whole family, not just the kids.
Since that time, I have come to know and love the characters from Adventures in Odyssey as my daughters have grown up listening to them. They will always have a special place in my heart for that reason.
Christian Audiobooks for the Whole Family
We now own numerous sets of the Christian audiobooks on CD so we don’t have to rely on just catching them on the radio when they’re on once a week. My girls always look forward to getting a new CD from Odyssey. The latest one is called Up in the Air featuring stories of true friendship and reconciliation. It’s Volume 63 in this series that has endured for 30 years. Up in the Air is a two CD set with over 2 hours of listening time.
You don’t have to listen to the Adventures in Odyssey series in exact consecutive order to enjoy it. Although there are recurring characters throughout the series, you can easily appreciate the stories from any point in the series. Up in the Air is a good place to start!
The episodes included on Up in the Air are:
- Find a Penny, Parts 1 and 2, with a theme of Finding What is Lost
- Friend or Foe with a theme of True Friendship
- Have a Heart with a theme of God Changes Hearts
- B-TV: Revenge with a theme of (you guessed it) Revenge
- Crash Course with a theme of Facing Your Problems
I really appreciate the fact that each episode has a particular theme — the moral to the story, you might say. If my kids are having a particular problem with a specific life issue (jealousy, lying, pride, etc.), I can look for episodes that pertain to those themes. With such a history, you can bet that Adventures in Odyssey has probably covered it at some point.
Adventures in Odyssey is not afraid to tackle tough topics like divorce, death, crime, and other real life problems. They do it all with gentleness and truth while offering hope through Jesus. Many of the characters have had conversions during the show’s tenure, but they also acknowledge that some do not accept the free gift of salvation. The characters are treated with dignity and respect, not mocked or ridiculed.
Even the youngest members of the family can pick up on the messages in the stories. We’ve laughed and cried together as a family while listening. (Okay, I was the one crying, but you get the idea.) Each of my daughters have gotten something out of listening to them, including my oldest daughter who made a decision for Christ after listening to an episode when she was 8 years old.
Because these are just plain good stories with engaging characters, kids are likely to listen to them and not hear them as a sermon as much as relatable moments in life. If you’re looking for a resource that will reach your children’s hearts without being “preachy,” Adventures in Odyssey is a good choice. Some of the stories are silly and some are serious, but there is likely some story that will appeal to your family no matter what age, boy or girl.
We often listen to Adventures in Odyssey as part of our morning time. Since it’s an activity that we all enjoy together, regardless of age, and it’s a great way to start the day with stories of Biblical truth and worldview, it works perfectly for us.
Although I have not listened to every single episode from the 30 years worth of Adventures in Odyssey (still working our way through!), I have listened to a majority of them. I highly recommend this “theater of the mind” to Christian families. Not only does it encourage your children to work on their auditory learning skills, it strengthens their hearts and minds with Biblical truth in an antidote to today’s culture.
Be sure to check out Up in the Air and listen to the audio preview sample!
You can also follow Adventures in Odyssey on Facebook and Twitter.
Adventures in Odyssey Giveaway
Focus On The Family is giving away 30 Up in the Air CDs (US residents only).
~Sara
- 35 Christmas Books for Kids - December 4, 2024
- The Best Homeschool Black Friday to Cyber Monday Deals 2024 - November 26, 2024
- Spring Books for Kids - March 15, 2024
