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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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145 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 5th grade (Ages 10-11), Trade Paperback, New Books & Materials
101 Dalmatians
by Dodie Smith
Reissue from Puffin Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79
Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #13
by Thornton W. Burgess
Revised ed. from Dover Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$3.40
Adventures of Peter Cottontail
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #7
by Thornton W. Burgess
Reprint from Dover Publications
for 3rd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.24
Aesop's Fables for Children
by Aesop, illustrated by Milo Winter
Pap/Com from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$12.74
Album of Horses
by Marguerite Henry
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$14.44
Archer's Cup
Green Ember Archer #3
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$11.86
Babe the Gallant Pig
by Dick King-Smith
1st edition from Yearling
Animal Stories: Fantasy for 2nd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79
Bellmaker
Redwall #7
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin
by Marguerite Henry & Wesley Dennis
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79
Billy Mink
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #33
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.10
Black Star of Kingston
Green Ember Old Natalia #1
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.31
Blue Cat of Castle Town
by Catherine Coblentz, illustrated by Janice Holland
Dover 2017 from Dover Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
1950 Newbery Honor Book
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.91
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
Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Bonnie Shields
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Animal Stories: Realistic for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$11.04 $5.20 (1 in stock)
Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$11.01 $5.20 (1 in stock)
Capyboppy
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Non-fiction for 1st-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
Charlotte's Web - Full Color Edition
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.49 $4.80 (1 in stock)
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
Cinnabar, the One O'Clock Fox
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79
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
Elephant in the Garden
by Michael Morpurgo
from Feiwel & Friends
for 5th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.64
Ember Falls
Green Ember #2
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$12.71
Ember Rising
Green Ember #3
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.41
Ember's End
Green Ember #4
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.41
Enormous Egg
by Oliver Butterworth
from Little, Brown & Company
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
Ereth's Birthday
Poppy Stories #4
by Avi
from HarperCollins
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.49
Escape from Baxters' Barn
by Rebecca Bond
from Clarion Books
for 3rd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$8.49
Eulalia!
Redwall #19
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Eyes and the Impossible
by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Shawn Harris
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
2024 Newbery Medalist
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$12.74
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
Flora & Ulysses
by Kate DiCamillo
Reprint from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-6th grade
2014 Newbery Medal winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
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 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
Funny Frank
by Dick King-Smith
from Yearling
for 2nd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79
Gaudenzia, Pride of the Palio
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Lynd Ward
Reissue from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.64
Ginger Pye
by Eleanor Estes
from Harcourt
Realistic Animal Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
1952 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.79
Golden Goose
by Dick King-Smith
from Yearling
for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$5.09 $2.80 (1 in stock)
Green Ember
Green Ember #1
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$13.56
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)
$5.94 $3.60 (1 in stock)
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)
$5.94
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)
$5.94
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)
$5.94
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)
$5.94
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)
$5.94
Hank the Cowdog #07
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$5.94
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)
$5.94
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)
$5.94
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)
$5.94
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)
$5.94
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)
$5.94
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)
$5.09
Hank the Cowdog #14
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$5.94
Hank the Cowdog #15
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$5.94
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)
$5.94
Hank the Cowdog #17
by John R. Erickson
Reprint from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$5.94
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)
$5.94
Hank the Cowdog #19
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$5.94
Hank the Cowdog #20
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$5.94
Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse / Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride
by George Selden
from Square Fish Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.44
Heartwood Hotel #1
Heartwood Hotel #1
by Kallie George, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
from Little, Brown & Company
for 1st-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.99
Heartwood Hotel #2
Heartwood Hotel #2
by Kallie George, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
from Little, Brown & Company
for 1st-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.99
Heartwood Hotel #3
Heartwood Hotel #3
by Kallie George, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
from Little, Brown & Company
for 1st-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.99
Heartwood Hotel #4
Heartwood Hotel #4
by Kallie George, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
from Little, Brown & Company
for 1st-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.99
Heartwood Hotel #5
Heartwood Hotel #4
by Kallie George, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
from Little, Brown & Company
for 1st-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.99
High Rhulain
Redwall #18
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Incredible Journey
by Sheila Burnford
from Yearling
for 4th-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79
Kavik the Wolf Dog
by Walt Morey
from Penguin Putnam
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.64
Lassie Come-Home
by Eric Knight, illustrated by Marguerite Kirmse
from Square Fish Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.64
Last Archer
Green Ember Archer #1
by S.D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.31
Last Little Cat
by Meindert DeJong
from Inheritance Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.12
Legend of Luke
Redwall #12
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
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
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
Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
by Kate DiCamillo
from Candlewick Press
Personification for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$12.74
Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
by Kate DiCamillo
from Candlewick Press
Personification for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Miranda the Great
by Eleanor Estes
1-Simul from Sandpiper Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.76
Misty's Twilight
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Karen Hause Grandpre
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.64
Mossflower
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.19
Mother West Wind's Neighbors
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #4
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 1st-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.80
Mouse Called Wolf
by Dick King-Smith
Reprint from Yearling
for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$5.94
Mr. and Mrs. Bunny - Detectives Extraordinaire!
by Mrs. Bunny, translated from the Rabbit by Polly Horvath, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
from Yearling
for 2nd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$9.34
Mr. Revere and I
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Mrs. Peter Rabbit
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #26
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.95
My Friend Flicka
by Mary O'Hara
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$14.44
Nuts to You
by Lynn Rae Perkins
from Greenwillow Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$8.49
Old Granny Fox
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #28
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.95
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
Paddington At Large OSI
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
Paddington Races Ahead
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$5.94
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
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