I like to think I’m a road trip pro. I’ve been on a lot of long car rides and so I know the perfect playlists, what snacks are great to take on the road, and how to make even the longest drives fly by. And one of those tricks is packing a fantastic read. If you think about it, it’s a great place to curl up with a book! You’re stuck in one place for a while, so why not make the best of it? Whether it’s a story about a road trip, or just a book we think would be perfect to pack for the journey, here’s a list of road trip books to keep the, “Are we there yet?” to a minimum.
Imagine thinking you’ve had the most boring summer ever, and the next thing you know, you discover you’re the descendant of a witch coven! Suddenly your aunt has cast a spell on your mother and you’re left with a talking tarantula, a friendly troll, and a whole bunch of questions. It’s the perfect, cozy fantasy read that will make the time in the car fly by so quickly, you’ll wonder if someone cast some sort of spell on you too.
OK the CatStronauts aren’t exactly going on a road trip anywhere, unless you count a trip to space as an intergalactic road trip of sorts. But the CatStronauts series is purr-fect to pack. It’s filled with adventure, hiss-terical hijinks, and pawesome puns. In this latest installment, Major Meowser is waiting for his dad, CatStronauts legend Buck Meowser, to make a big entrance. But when Buck decides to join the CatStronauts for their latest mission, father and son start to ruffle each other’s fur. And we know that hours in the car can definitely cause some ruffled fur in families too! But not to worry, with seven books in this series, you’ll have plenty of furry feline adventures to keep everyone occupied!
A secret Hollywood road trip adventure with your grandmother who just so happens to have been a movie star? Where do I sign up? Audrey’s parents are super strict, and Audrey is stuck helping move her grandmother into a retirement community. After Audrey sneaks off to the car to check her phone, her grandmother sneaks off herself, and takes the car without realizing Audrey is in it. They strike a deal to not tell Audrey’s parents where they are, and the adventure begins!
Whenever I think about road trips, I think about the sights along the way (and the snacks I’ll pack) but I kind of forget to think about the actual car, and the actual drive itself. In the graphic novel Drive, you meet two trailblazers: Janet Guthrie, one of the most successful female race car drivers in history, and Alex, a twelve-year-old determined to finish her grandfather’s restoration of a vintage Jaguar. Told in alternating timelines, both illustrate that the only way forward is to keep your foot on the gas.
Ok this isn’t a traditional road trip, but a trip through time and space. It’s an action-packed adventure starring two twelve-year-olds who just learned they’re time travelers. And they are the only thing that stands between an evil villain and world domination. No pressure!! As these twins embark on an epic journey, their travels through time are filled with real historical events. It’s an engaging mix of history, humor, mystery and adventure. Even if your trip is staying in the present day, you’ll want to pack this fun and funny start to the series!
As a kid, it can sometimes feel like the whole word is annoyed with you, and no matter what you do, you’re always in trouble! And no one knows that feeling better than K, who must navigate a world with outrageously unkind adults. This graphic novel is a hilarious adventure that examines the absurdities of childhood, and shows that most adults actually know less than a talking beetle. It’s the perfect road trip read to make readers of all ages feel seen, and laugh along the way too.
How about a scientific, fun-fact-filled road trip to read about, while you’re on a road trip? The creators of the award-winning podcast Brains On! have put together a wild ride of a book, taking readers on a journey through the Earth to learn all about our planet. While your road trip won’t (hopefully) venture beyond the Earth’s crust, you will get to learn all that’s happening beneath the roads we drive on. Learning something new while making the drive go by quickly? Yes, please!
