Favorite Animals

It would be easy to make a catalog of all the pets we've had over the years, but that's not the kind of "favorite animals" we're talking about. Favorite animals are those animals that have most thoroughly captured the imagination and love of humans. Okay, so maybe love is the wrong word to describe the dragon-craze or our enduring fascination with dinosaurs, but it surely applies to horses, dogs and cats.

The philosopher Plato had an idea that subsequent thinkers called "idealism." They didn't mean that Mr. Plato was an idealist in the way we'd call Rosa Parks or Gandhi idealists: the term idealism referred to the concept that for everything in the world (trees, chairs, noses), there was an ideal form or version of that thing in the spiritual realm.

According to Plato's theory, the azalea bush in your front yard is simply a physical representation of the perfect Azalea Bush floating who-knows-where in the infinite void. While we don't want to start any kind of philosophical war here, that's kind of the idea we're going for in this category. The animals you'll encounter in these stories, coloring books, and reference volumes embody "horseness," "catness," and "dragon-ness."

After all, the image Fred Gipson paints of Old Yeller is just a bit too good to be true. Sure, many of us have had a favorite dog who could do no wrong in our forgiving eyes, but Old Yeller is like every awesome dog who ever lived rolled into one mangy mutt. Which is the whole point—by creating a slightly unrealistic portrait of an old doggy, Gipson is able to celebrate doghood itself.

In a culture that generally looks only at the way things sometimes appear to be, however, it's easy to value animals too highly. Sure, they deserve our attention and care as representatives of creation, but no more. The Creator who made them is the only One deserving all our praise, glory and love; the animals He's made are simply avenues through which to show our worship and gratitude.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

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Active Filters: 7th grade (Ages 12-13), Trade Paperback
Album of Horses
by Marguerite Henry
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$13.59
Album of Horses
by Marguerite Henry
from Scholastic Inc.
Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Along Came a Dog
by Meindert DeJong & Maurice Sendak
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Fiction for 4th-8th grade
1959 Newbery Honor Book
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Along Came a Dog
by Meindert DeJong & Maurice Sendak
from Inheritance Publications
Realistic Animal Fiction for 4th-8th grade
1959 Newbery Honor Book
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Ancient, Strange, and Lovely
Dragon Chronicles #4
by Susan Fletcher
Reprint from Atheneum
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$12.99
Beowulf the Warrior
by Ian Serraillier
from Bethlehem Books
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$11.95
Black Gold
by Marguerite Henry
from Rand McNally
for 4th-7th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Born to Trot
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.39
Bulu: African Wonder Dog
by Dick Houston
from Yearling
for 5th-7th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Call of the Wild
by Jack London, Michael Clay Thompson
from Royal Fireworks Press
Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Champion of the Titan Games
Dragonwatch #4
by Brandon Mull
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Children of Odin
by Padraic Colum
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Norse Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
$10.99
Clockwork Twin
by Walter R. Brooks
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Come On, Seabiscuit!
by Ralph Moody
from University of Nebraska
Biography for 5th-9th grade
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$14.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Danger in the Desert
by Roger Cohen
from Sterling Publishing Co.
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Dinosaur Bone War
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
from Random House
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Dirk's Dog, Bello
by Meindert De Jong
from Paideia Press
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DK Eyewitness: Horse
DK Eyewitness Series
by Juliet Clutton-Brock
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-8th grade
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$9.99
Dogsong
by Gary Paulsen
from Simon and Schuster
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1986 Newbery Honor Book
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$8.99
Dragon's Milk (The Dragon Chronicles)
Dragon Chronicles #1
by Susan Fletcher
Reprint from Atheneum
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$12.99
Dragonwatch
Dragonwatch #1
by Brandon Mull
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$9.99
Draw 50 Cats
by Lee Ames
from Watson-Guptill Publications
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$9.99
Draw 50 Dinosaurs
by Lee J. Ames
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$9.99
Draw 50 Dogs
by Lee Ames
from Broadway Books
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$9.99
Draw 50 Horses
by Lee Ames
from Broadway Books
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in Draw 50 (Location: ELE-ARTD50)
$9.99
Elephant in the Garden
by Michael Morpurgo
from Feiwel & Friends
for 5th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.99
Eye of Zoltar
Chronicles of Kazam Book 3
by Jasper Fforde
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Flight of the Dragon Kyn
Dragon Chronicles #2
by Susan Fletcher
Reprint from Atheneum
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$12.99
Freddy and Mr. Camphor
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and Mr. Camphor
by Walter R. Brooks
from Puffin Books
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in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and Simon the Dictator
by Walter R. Brooks
Reissue from Overlook Press
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in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Baseball Team from Mars
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
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Freddy and the Dragon
by Walter R. Brooks
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in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Flying Saucer Plans
by Walter R. Brooks
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in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Men from Mars
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
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in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Perilous Adventure
by Walter R. Brooks
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in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Popinjay
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
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Freddy and the Space Ship
by Walter R. Brooks
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in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy Goes Camping
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
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Freddy Goes to Florida
by Walter R. Brooks
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$11.99
Freddy Goes to the North Pole
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
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Freddy Plays Football
by Walter R. Brooks
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Freddy Rides Again
by Walter R. Brooks
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Freddy the Cowboy
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
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Freddy the Detective
by Walter R. Brooks, illustrated by Kurt Wiese
from Overlook Press
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Freddy the Magician
by Walter R. Brooks
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Freddy the Pilot
by Walter R. Brooks
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Gloomy Gus
by Walt Morey
from Blue Heron Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Gold Rush Dogs
by Claire Rudolf Murphy, Jane G. Haigh
from Alaska Northwest Books
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in California State (Location: HISA-19CGR)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
Hero
by Walt Morey
from Scholastic Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Hero
by Walt Morey
from Puffin Books
for 4th-7th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Hero and the Crown
by Robin McKinley
Reissue from Puffin Books
for 5th-9th grade
1985 Newbery Medal Winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.99
Hero and the Crown
by Robin McKinley
from ACE Publishing
for 5th-9th grade
1985 Newbery Medal Winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
History of the Horse Through Literature - Guide
by Hilary Berg
3rd edition from Beautiful Feet Books
for 2nd-8th grade
in Beautiful Feet Books (Location: HISCUR-BFB)
$16.95
History's Mysteries! Animals
by George Toufexis
from Dover Publications
for 4th-7th grade
in Animal Life Coloring Books (Location: COL-ANI)
$3.00
Hobbit
by J. R. R. Tolkien
from Houghton Mifflin
Fantasy for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$13.99
Hobbit
by J. R. R. Tolkien
from Houghton Mifflin
Fantasy for 5th-9th grade
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$17.99
Horse Crazy!
by Jessie Haas
1st edition from Storey Publishing
for 3rd-8th grade
in Horses & Ponies (Location: SCI-MAMHOR)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade
by Diane Wilson
from Sourcebooks
for 4th-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.99
Land of Narnia
by Brian Sibley
from HarperTrophy
for 3rd-8th grade
in Exploring Narnia (Location: LIR-NAR)
Last Dragonslayer
Chronicles of Kazam Book 1
by Jasper Fforde
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Last Dragonslayer Set
by Jasper Fforde
from Houghton Mifflin
for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Letters to Seabiscuit
by Compiled by Barbara Howard
from Seven Locks Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Master of the Phantom Isle
Dragonwatch #3
by Brandon Mull
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
My Friend Flicka
by Mary O'Hara
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$16.99
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
by T. S. Eliot
from Harcourt
for 7th-Adult
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Old Sam, Dakota Trotter
by Don Alonzo Taylor, Illustrated by Lorence Bjorklund
from Bethlehem Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$14.95
Return of the Dragon Slayers
Dragonwatch #5
by Brandon Mull
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Roverandom
by J. R. R. Tolkien
from Houghton Mifflin
Fantasy for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$15.99
Scout's Distant Journey
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Scout: The Flying Phantom
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95
Scout: The Haunted Castle
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.90
Scout: The Mystery of the Abandoned Mill
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95
Scout: The Sailing Sleuths
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95
Scout: The Secret of the Swamp
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95
Scout: The Treasure of Rodensteyn Castle
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95
Seaman
by Gail Karwoski & James Watling
from Peachtree Publishers, Ltd.
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$9.99
Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
Fablehaven Book #4
by Brandon Mull
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Sign of the Dove
Dragon Chronicles #3
by Susan Fletcher
Reprint from Atheneum
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$12.99
Silver Brumby
by Elyne Mitchell
from HarperCollins
for 4th-7th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
Smoky the Cowhorse
by Will James
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 5th-8th grade
1927 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$8.99
Song of the Quarkbeast
Chronicles of Kazam Book 2
by Jasper Fforde
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
The Underneath
by Kathi Appelt
Reprint from Atheneum
for 5th-8th grade
2009 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Trails to Poosey
by Olive R. Cook
from Misty Hill Press
Pioneer Fiction for 4th-7th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Wild Cats and Other Dangerous Predators
by Clare Oliver
from Parragon Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Cat Books (Location: SCI-MAMCAT)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Wind in the Door
by Madeleine L'Engle
from Yearling
for 7th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
Wonder Clock
by Howard & Katherine Pyle
from Dover Publications
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 4th-8th grade
$12.95 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Wonder Clock
by Howard & Katherine Pyle
1st edition from Starscape
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Wrath of the Dragon King
Dragonwatch #2
by Brandon Mull
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Year of the Black Pony
by Walt Morey
from Blue Heron Publishing
Realistic Fiction for 6th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$5.00 (2 in stock)