Dog Books

It's hard to imagine an American boyhood without a dog. The iconic image of a sandy-haired kid in overalls chasing a mutt or bird dog through fields and streams has taken its place beside apple pie and baseball as a symbol of our national heritage. A boy's love for his dog is wholesome, natural, fraught with adventure, and heartwarming all at once, which is pretty much the way we've come to think of our country.

For some reason, there aren't a lot of books about girls and their dogs. This is probably in part historical—boys were understood to be the future hunters and providers for their families, and while dogs were their friends they were also servants helping to track and retrieve game. The bond of man and animal united in hard work is stronger than the one between owner and mere pet.

A lot of the best dog stories are very sad. Old Yeller is the obvious candidate for best tear-jerker of the genre, but there are plenty of others. Dogs often throw themselves in harm's way to protect their masters, and when the faithful hound is killed we often feel more sad than if the human master had been sacrificed on behalf of the dog.

This isn't any crazy environmentalist sentiment, either. Dogs, perhaps more than any other animal, have personalities that humans can perceive, interact with, and love. Humans are pretty much all the same, but a good dog is different from all the rest. Even if you don't have dogs at home, we hope these books will help you love them as much as we do, and to experience one of the best parts of childhood and youth.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
Did you find this review helpful?
37 Items found Print
Active Filters: Animal Stories: Realistic, 2nd grade (Ages 7-8), New Books & Materials
Angus Lost
by Marjorie Flack
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Animal Realistic for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Bravest Dog Ever
Step Into Reading Level 3
by Natalie Standiford
from Random House
Animal Stories for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$5.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Floss
by Kim Lewis
from Candlewick Press
Realistic Animal Stories for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Ginger Pye
by Eleanor Estes
from Harcourt
Realistic Animal Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
1952 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.99
Hank the Cowdog #01
Hank the Cowdog #1
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #02
Hank the Cowdog #2
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #03
Hank the Cowdog #3
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #04
Hank the Cowdog #4
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #05
Hank the Cowdog #5
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #06
Hank the Cowdog #6
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #07
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #08
Hank the Cowdog #8
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #09
Hank the Cowdog #9
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #10
Hank the Cowdog #10
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #11
Hank the Cowdog #11
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #12
Hank the Cowdog #12
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #13
Hank the Cowdog #13
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$5.99
Hank the Cowdog #14
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #15
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #16
Hank the Cowdog #16
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #17
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #18
Hank the Cowdog #18
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #19
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Hank the Cowdog #20
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$6.99
Harry by the Sea
by Gene Zion
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Harry the Dirty Dog
by Gene Zion
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Henry and Mudge
by Cynthia Rylant
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Ready-to-Read (Location: EAR-R2R)
$4.99
Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble
by Cynthia Rylant
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Ready-to-Read (Location: EAR-R2R)
$4.99
Henry Explores the Jungle
by Mark Taylor, illustrated by Graham Booth
Anniversary from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Henry Explores the Mountains
by Mark Taylor, illustrated by Graham Booth
Anniversary from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Henry the Explorer
by Mark Taylor, illustrated by Graham Booth
45th Anniversary Edition from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Henry the Explorer
by Mark Taylor, illustrated by Graham Booth
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
James Herriot's Treasury for Children - Audio Book (CD)
by James Herriot (read by Jim Dale)
Unabridged from Macmillan
Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Audio Books & Dramas (Location: CD-AUDIO)
$14.99
No Roses for Harry!
by Gene Zion
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Silver
Stepping Stones: A Chapter Book
by Gloria Whelan
from Random House
Animal Stories: Realistic for 2nd-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.99
Stone Fox
by John Reynolds Gardiner
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for 2nd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$8.99
Tippy Lemmey
by Patricia McKissack
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)