Books Featuring Animals

For animals in picture books, see Picture Books Featuring Animals

Animals (General)

Companion Animal Stories (U.S. Humane Society): Author, title, publication info, and summary for over 75 animal-friendly books compiled by the Washington (D.C.) Humane Society, from Aliki's Tabby to A.N. Wilson's Stray.

Animal Stories (Novi Public Library, MI): Author, title, grade level (from K-8th), summary for over 35 books, from CS Adler's Fly Free to Renee Weiss's Bird from the Sea.

Animal Fantasy (St. Charles Public Library, IL): A 'sampling of recommended fiction from the animal fantasy world.' The list is subdivided by reading level:' grades 2-3 (7 titles), grades 3-6 (26 books), grades 6-8 (10 books).

Animal Adventures for preK-3 (Reading Is Fundamental): Title, author, publication year, grade level, one-line summary for each of about 25 books, from The Adventures of Sparrowboy by Brian Pinkney to Verdi by Janell Cannon.

Realistic Animal Stories (Stanly County Public Library, NC): Books similar to Shiloh and White Fang. Author, title, publication year, page count, summary (for most) for about 30 books, from Sheila Burnford's The Incredible Journey to Gloria Whelan's Silver.

Animal Stories (Stanly County Public Library, NC): Readalikes for EB White's Charlotte's Web Author, title, publication year, page count, summary (for most) for about 45 books, from Michael Bond's Tales of Olga da Polga to Patricia Wrightson's Moon-dark.

Animal Adventures for grades 4-8 (Reading Is Fundamental): Title, author, publication year, grade level, one-line summary for each of 9 books, from Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo to Wander by Susan Hart Lindquist.

Animal Stories - Novels for ages 10-14 (The Logan Library - Utah): Listed by author, provides title and notes series.

Chapter Book Animal Stories ( Sarah S. Wright, Monroe County Public Library, IN): Provides author, title, one-line summary of each of almost 60 juvenile books (many appropriate for readers older than 3rd grade). From Richard and Florence Atwater's Mr. Popper's Penguins to EB White's Charlotte's Web. Compiled May 1999.

Fiction for Grades 1-9: Animals (Zuckerman's Barn, Massachusetts): Author, title, summary (no grade levels) for about 575 children's books featuring various animals -- dogs, cats, horses, pigs, insects, reptiles, fish, and dinosaurs -- from 10 Minutes till Bedtime by Peggy Rathmann to The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings.

Noah's Ark Variants (Dawn Rose - Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN): Author, title, publication date only listed for about 75 books retelling or recreating the Noah's Ark story. Updated March 2006.

Animal Stories (Ipswitch Library, Australia): Lists author and animal series, from Samantha Alexander's Hollywell Stables series to books by Joyce Stranger. Over series listed. No summaries.

Dogs

Fiction for Grades 1-9: Dogs (Zuckerman's Barn, Massachusetts): Author, title, summary (no grade levels) for about 85 children's books featuring dogs, from Akiak: A Tale From the Iditarod by Robert J. Blake to Woodsong by Gary Paulsen.

Dog Fiction for Young Readers (Dog Lovers Bookshop, NY): Author, title, publication info, page count, brief summary for about 45 fiction titles for kids. See also their similar list of about 80 dog picture books.

Shaggy Dog Stories (Penticton Public Library, British Columbia): Provides author, title, summary for 20 books with dogs, from Woof! by Allan Ahlberg to Kingdom by the Sea by Robert Westall.

Dog Books for a 10- or 11-Year-Old Girl (Barbara Oberlin, of Marlborough Public Library, MA - Fiction-L List): Over 35 books or series listed, with author and title(s) only.

Dog Stories (St. Charles Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary, page count. The list is subdivided by reading level:' grades 2-3 (8 titles), grades 3-6 (15 books), grades 6-8 (11 books). Compiled Jan. 2000.

Woof! A List (The Bulletin for the Center for the Book): The Bulletin's May 1998 list of a dozen or so recommended books. Title, author, grade level, pub. year, and brief summary.

Hank the Cowdog Books (The Logan Library - Utah): Lists the books (over 30) in order.

Cats

Fiction for Grades 1-9: Cats (Zuckerman's Barn, Massachusetts): Author, title, summary (no grade levels) for about 65 children's books featuring cats, from Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett to Zoom at Sea by Tim Wynne-Jones.

Cattails: Felines in Fiction (Penticton Public Library, British Columbia): Provides author, title, summary for 15 books with cats, from A Question of Trust by Marion Dane Bauer to Cat Walk by Mary Stolz.

A Purrfect Dozen: Cat Books for the Dog Days (The Bulletin for the Center for the Book): The Bulletin's Aug. 2000 list of a dozen or so recommended books. Title, author, grade level, pub. year, and brief summary.

Cat-Themed Picture Books (Cynthia Leitich Smith - Children's Literature Resources): About 25 books listed, with authors, titles, publication info, and summaries.

Cat Fiction for Younger Readers (Pat's Cats, Australia): Author, title, publication info, summary for about 60 fiction books on cats for younger kids.

Cat Fiction for Older Readers (Pat's Cats, Australia): Author, title, publication info, summary for about 40 fiction books on cats for older kids.

Cat Stories (St. Charles Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary, page count. The list is subdivided by reading level:' grades 2-3 (10 titles), grades 3-6 (19 books), grades 6-8 (8 books). Compiled Oct. 2000.

I Love Cats (Louisville Free Public Library, KY): Author and title only for over 30 books featuring cats, from Blitzcat by Robert Westall to Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander.

Horses

Fiction for Grades 1-9: Horses (Zuckerman's Barn, Massachusetts): Author, title, summary (no grade levels) for about 15 children's books featuring horses, from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell to Willa and Old Miss Annie by Berlie Doherty.

Horse Stories (St. Charles Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary, page count. The list is subdivided by reading level:' grades 2-3 (9 titles), grades 3-6 (16 books), grades 6-8 (12 books). Compiled Jan. 2000.

Picturing Horses (Louisville Free Public Library, KY): Author, title, summary, publication info, and cover image (for most) for over a dozen horse picture books, from Old Thunder and Miss Raney by Sharon Darrow to Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. Nicely done.

Horse Books (Louisville Free Public Library, KY): Author and title only for over 50 picture books, easy readers, chapter books, and non-fiction books featuring horses.

The Sound of Hoofbeats (The Bulletin for the Center for the Book): The Bulletin's April 1999 list of a dozen or so recommended books. Title, author, grade level, pub. year, and brief summary.

Horse Stories (The Logan Library - Utah): Listed by category (ER, Picture, Novels, and Folklore), provides author and title.

Other Pets

Rat Tales: And Other Stories of Mice, Hamsters, Gerbils and Rodents of All Kinds (Duluth Public Library, MN): Author, title, publication date, short summary for over 50 books about small rodents, from Alan Arkin's The Lemming Condition to Paul Zindel's Rats.

Farm Animals

Fiction for Grades 1-9: Pigs (Zuckerman's Barn, Massachusetts): Author, title, summary (no grade levels) for about 35 children's books featuring pigs, from Ace: The Very Important Pig by Dick King-Smith to The Wimp by Kathy Caple.

Picture Books About Pigs, Farm Animals, and The Three Little Pigs (One Book New Jersey): Author and title listed only for 10 books on pigs, 8 books on farm animals, and 10 books that are versions of the Three Little Pigs story.

Wild Animals

Fiction for Grades 1-9: Reptile and Amphibians (Zuckerman's Barn, Massachusetts): Author, title, summary for about 30 children's books featuring reptiles and amphibians, from Amazing Rescues by George Shea to Weird Henry Berg by Sarah Sargent.

Books About Snakes (Jessica Kallman): Author, title, publication year, extensive summary of about 20 kids' books on snakes (most fiction), from picture books to novels. Also: Note on teaching about snakes using the books.

Butterflies Booklist (Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN): List of about 40 books about butterflies, with title, author, year published. Updated Oct. 2005.

Fiction for Grades 1-9: Birds (Zuckerman's Barn, Massachusetts): Author, title, summary (no grade levels) for more than 70 children's books featuring birds, from Angus and the Ducks by Marjorie Flack to Wringer by Jerry Spinelli.

Picture Books That Aren't Just For the Birds (Ms. Brenda, Kansas City Public Library, KS): Eight picture books about birds, with author, title, summary of each.

Bear Stories (The Logan Library - Utah): Listed by category (ER, Picture, and Folklore), provides author and title.

Children's Fiction About Foxes (The World of Vicki Fox): Lists almost 300 children's fiction books about foxes or fox characters, many with links to Amazon reviews.

Children's Fiction About Skunks (The World of Vicki Fox): Lists over 50 children's fiction books about skunks or skunk characters, many with links to Amazon reviews.

Fiction for Grades 1-9: Invertebrates (Zuckerman's Barn, Massachusetts): Author, title, summary for 50 children's books featuring invertebrates (insects, spiders, etc.), from Ananse's feast: An Ashanti Tale by Tololwa M. Mollel to Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Tale by Verna Aardema.

Zoo Animals

Zoo and Aquarium Books (Kansas City Public Library, KS): Author, title, and summary for about 35 books (fiction and non-fiction) about zoos, zoo animals, and home aquariums.

Sea Animals

Tuxedo Junction: A Great Place to Chill Out! (Lynne M. Kennedy, Sachem Public Library, NY): Alphabetical list of books by title, including fiction and non-fiction, juvenile books and adult. Title, author, publication year for all, and more information, including summaries, for many. About 150 titles.

Fish Stories (St. Charles Public Library, IL): Author and title only for about 35 books on fish. Some fiction, more non-fiction. Compiled March 1997.

Imaginary and Extinct Animals

Dragons in Chapter Books for Children and Novels for Children and Young Adults (Tina L. Hanlon, PhD): Separate sections: Retellings of Ancient Dragon Stories; Modern Dragon Stories; Dragon Episodes in Other Fantasy Novels. Author, title, publication info, and summaries that vary in length for about 45 series and stand-alone books. Also: Collections with Lots of Dragons.

Magical Creatures: Angels, Unicorns, Mermaids and More (Penticton Public Library, British Columbia): Provides author, title, summary for 15 books, from Skellig by Greg Almond to The Nargun and the Stars by Patricia Wrightson.

Books About Dragons (Elmhurst Public Library, IL): Author and title listed only for about 65 books about dragons, organised by reading level (picture books, beginning readers, chapter books/novels; and folktales).

Dragon Illustration Booklist (Sara Patalita - Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN): Author and title only for about 70 books featuring dragon (dragon illustrations?). Updated Feb. 2006. Nov. 2005.

Dealing with Dragons (Louisville Free Public Library, KY): Author and title only for over 20 books featuring dragons, including books by Irina Korschunow, Laurence Yep, Jane Yolen, Patricia Wrede, Bruce Coville, Ruth Stiles Gannett, etc.

Fiction for Grades 1-9: Prehistoric Animals (Zuckerman's Barn, Massachusetts): Author, title, summary for 20 children's books featuring dinosaurs, from A Bone From A Dry Sea by Peter Dickinson to Whatever Happened to the Dinosaurs? by Bernard Most.