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Animal Stories

There aren't too many kids who don't like animals, which makes stories about them a great way to communicate truths about human nature to young readers. All kinds of animal stories have been written, and a lot of them are just about animals doing animal-y things, but some of the best aren't really about animals at all.

The Wind in the Willows, for instance—sure, Ratty and Mole have whiskers, and Badger is as grumpy as any badger whose hole does not include a well-stocked library, but they're essentially human characters with human emotions and human ambitions who grow the way humans ought. Even Mr. Toad is no more animal than Oliver Twist or Laura Ingalls.

Okay, you might say, but that's not really an animal story, then. What about Black Beauty? or Bambi? They're written from the perspective of real animals who don't talk (at least, not to people) or wear clothes or eat buttered toast; how can they be about human nature?

In the case of Black Beauty, the horse narrator has a surprisingly firm grasp of human emotion, and understands the behavior of her owners to an extent many homo sapiens would not. As for Bambi, while he acts like a real deer, he's also sentient and able to have relationships with his fellow forest animals that closely resemble those enjoyed by members of the human race.

Another kind of animal story is really about people, and simply uses animals as the hook, or as a foil for the humans in the story. The Black Stallion or Billy and Blaze books, for instance, are more about the boy heroes than the horses, though the bond between animal and rider is also explored. Jim Kjelgaard's dog stories are similar, chronicling the adventures of boys with their beloved dogs.

As with any genre, animal stories should be read primarily to be enjoyed. It is only then that the deep wisdom found in the best of them can speak to us as readers, can open up our minds and hearts to see more than just furry or scaly creatures do things they may or may not do in the real world. Besides, who's to say there isn't a talking monkey or cat somewhere in the real world? As far as books are part of the real world, there are plenty such animals, and plenty of opportunities to meet and be changed by them.

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.
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Active Filters: 8th grade (Ages 13-14), Trade Paperback
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)
Along Came a Dog RUC
by Meindert DeJong & Maurice Sendak
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Fiction for 4th-8th grade
1959 Newbery Honor Book
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Bellmaker
Redwall #7
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Born to Trot
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79
Boxen
by C. S. Lewis, Major Warren Hamilton Lewis
from HarperCollins
for 4th-Adult
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$24.99
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)
Chronicles of Narnia - Quality Softcover Boxed Set
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX)
$77.29
Clockwork Twin
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Deep Trouble
by Walt Morey
from Blue Heron Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
Dogsong
by Gary Paulsen
from Simon and Schuster
for 5th-8th grade
1986 Newbery Honor Book
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.64 $2.00 (1 in stock)
Doomwyte
Redwall #20
by Brian Jacques
Reprint from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Double Trouble in Bugland
by William Kozwinkle
from David R. Godine
for 3rd-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Elephant in the Garden
by Michael Morpurgo
from Feiwel & Friends
for 5th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.64
Eulalia!
Redwall #19
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Ferdinandus Taurus
by Elizabeth Hadas, Munro Leaf
from David R. Godine
for 7th-12th grade
in Latin Resources & Reference (Location: FL-LATREF)
First Fowler
Green Ember Archer #2
by S.D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 2nd-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.31
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
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and Simon the Dictator
by Walter R. Brooks
Reissue from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Baseball Team from Mars
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Dragon
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Flying Saucer Plans
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Men from Mars
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Perilous Adventure
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Popinjay
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Space Ship
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy Goes Camping
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy Goes to Florida
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$11.05
Freddy Goes to the North Pole
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy Plays Football
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy Rides Again
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy the Cowboy
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy the Detective
by Walter R. Brooks, illustrated by Kurt Wiese
from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$11.89
Freddy the Magician
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy the Pilot
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy the Politician
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Gloomy Gus
by Walt Morey
from Blue Heron Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Harvey
by Mary Chase
from CreateSpace
for 8th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
Harvey
by Mary Chase
from Dramatists Play Service
for 8th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Harvey
by Mary Chase
from Must Have Books
for 8th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$6.95
Hate That Cat
by Sharon Creech
from HarperCollins
for 6th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
High Rhulain
Redwall #18
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Home is the North
by Walt Morey
from Blue Heron Publishing
for 3rd-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Gregory Alexander
from Pavilion Books
Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Last Little Cat
by Meindert DeJong
from Inheritance Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.12
Last Little Cat
by Meindert DeJong
Reprint from Avyx, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Legend of Luke
Redwall #12
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Letters to Seabiscuit
by Compiled by Barbara Howard
from Seven Locks Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Loamhedge
Redwall #16
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Long Patrol
Redwall #10
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Lord Brocktree
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Lord God Made Them All
by James Herriot
from St. Martin's Press
for 7th-Adult
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$17.00
Magician's Nephew
Chronicles of Narnia Book 1
by C. S. Lewis
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Mariel of Redwall
Redwall #4
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Marlfox
Redwall #11
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Martin the Warrior
Redwall #6
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Mattimeo
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Minn of the Mississippi
by Holling C. Holling
from Houghton Mifflin
Realistic fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1952 Newbery Honor Book
in BFB Holling Geography (Location: HISCUR-BFG)
$11.04
Mossflower
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.19
My Friend Flicka
by Mary O'Hara
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$14.44
Old Sam, Dakota Trotter
by Don Alonzo Taylor, Illustrated by Lorence Bjorklund
from Bethlehem Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$12.71
Outcast of Redwall
Redwall #8
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Paddle-to-the-Sea
by Holling C. Holling
from Houghton Mifflin
Realistic fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1942 Caldecott Honor Book
in BFB Holling Geography (Location: HISCUR-BFG)
$13.99
Pagoo
by Holling C. Holling
from Houghton Mifflin
Realistic fiction for 3rd-8th grade
in BFB Holling Geography (Location: HISCUR-BFG)
$12.99
Pearls of Lutra
Redwall #9
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Penrod and Sam
by Booth Tarkington
from Indiana University Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
Rakkety Tam
Redwall #17
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Redwall
by Brian Jacques
1st edition from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Redwall Cookbook
by Brian Jacques
from Philomel Books
for 2nd-8th grade
in Literary Cookbooks (Location: COOK-LIT)
$21.24
Redwall Set (Trade Paperbacks)
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Return to Hawk's Hill
Incident at Hawk's Hill, Book 2
by Allan W. Eckert
from Little, Brown & Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
Sable Quean
Redwall #21
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Scout's Distant Journey
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$9.31 $5.60 (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)
$9.31
Scout: The Haunted Castle
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$9.27
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)
$9.31
Scout: The Sailing Sleuths
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$9.31
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)
$9.31
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)
$9.31
Seabird
by Holling C. Holling
from Houghton Mifflin
Realistic fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1949 Newbery Honor Book
in BFB Holling Geography (Location: HISCUR-BFG)
$12.99
Smoky the Cowhorse
by Will James
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 5th-8th grade
1927 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.64
Snow Dog
by Jim Kjelgaard
1981 Edition from AB Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Taggerung
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Tale of Beatrix Potter
by Margaret Lane
Revised from Penguin Classics
for 8th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
The Underneath
by Kathi Appelt
Reprint from Atheneum
for 5th-8th grade
2009 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
Triss
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Trouble in Bugland
by William Kozwinkle
from David R. Godine
for 3rd-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Trumpet of the Swan - Special Edition
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Chronicles of Narnia Book 5
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Watership Down
by Richard Adams
from Charles Scribner's Sons
Animal Fiction for 7th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$16.99
Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard
from IDW Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Wind in the Willows
The Scribner Library Books for Young Readers
by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard
1961 renewed copyright from Charles Scribner's Sons
Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Wolf Called Wander
by Rosanne Parry
from Greenwillow Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$8.49
Yearling
by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
from Charles Scribner's Sons
Realistic Animal Stories for 6th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$19.99
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