< Back

Audiobooks Students and Teachers Love: A Back-to-School Listening Guide

Engage struggling readers with some of the most loved—and most listened to—audiobooks in our library.

For students who learn differently, the right book can change everything. Whether it’s a thrilling fantasy, a hilarious graphic novel, or a classic that resonates, audiobooks help students connect with reading in powerful ways. That’s why educators and students using the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution keep returning to these top titles—books that spark curiosity, build confidence, and help struggling readers thrive.

Based on real bookshelf data and recommendations from teachers and students alike, here are some of the most added and read titles across grade levels.


Elementary School Picks

Graphic Novels & Series to Hook Beginner Readers

Series like Dog Man, Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and The Bad Guys continue to be top choices for younger students. These highly illustrated, fast-paced stories keep kids coming back—and listening.

Why it matters: According to BookTrust, daily shared reading drops sharply between ages 4–7. Yet this is exactly the time to hook beginning readers. Chapter books and graphic novels provide an accessible, entertaining path to reading independence.

Graphic novels, in particular, have been shown to:

  • Support comprehension with visual context
  • Offer chunked text for easier processing
  • Engage readers through fast-paced narratives and humor
  • Develop critical thinking and storytelling skills

Top Elementary Titles:


Middle School Picks

Adventures, Identity, and the Power of Series

Middle school readers are drawn to stories that reflect their inner worlds or offer epic adventures. Series like Percy Jackson top the charts—not only for their action-packed plots, but because students see themselves in the characters.

Scotty’s mom shares:
“Scotty loves to read with Learning Ally because he loves stories… His favorites so far this summer are the Inheritance Cycle, The Unwanteds series, and Artemis Fowl… His favorite book is The Last Olympian, but he LOVES all the Percy Jackson books.”

Student Emma says:
“I love Learning Ally because I get to read great books like the Percy Jackson series.”

Top Middle Grade Titles:

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Holes by Louis Sachar


High School Picks

Timeless Classics & Dystopian Thrillers

For older students, audiobooks are a lifeline to texts that may feel intimidating in print. The right narrator can bring these stories to life in ways that make even reluctant readers want to finish the chapter—and then the book.

Top High School Titles:

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury


Why Audiobooks Matter for All Readers

Audiobooks aren’t a shortcut—they’re a bridge. Especially for students with learning differences, human-narrated audiobooks offer access to the stories, vocabulary, and literary experiences that fuel academic growth and personal confidence.

📚 Browse the full audiobook library

🎧 Try the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution for Your Students
Empower every student to read grade-level content with tools built for learning differences.
👉 Schedule a demo today!