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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: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), Trade Paperback, New Books & Materials
101 Dalmatians
by Dodie Smith
Reissue from Puffin Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.99
Adventures of Bob White
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #23
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.00
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)
$4.00
Adventures of Happy Jack
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #25
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 1st-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.00
Adventures of Johnny Chuck
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #6
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 1st-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.00
Adventures of Mr. Mocker
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #9
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00
Adventures of Old Mr. Toad
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #16
by Thornton W. Burgess
Revised ed. from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$3.00
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)
$4.00
Adventures of Prickly Porky
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #17
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$3.00
Adventures of Sammy Jay
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #14
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00
Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #8
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 1st-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.00
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)
$14.99
Album of Horses
by Marguerite Henry
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$16.99
Almost All-White Rabbity Cat
by Meindert DeJong; illustrated by Herman B. Vestal
from Inheritance Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$11.95
Amos and Boris
by William Steig
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Anatole and the Cat
by Eve Titus, illustrated by Paul Galdone
Reprint from Dragonfly Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1958 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Angel Knew Papa and the Dog
by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
from Rabbit Room Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$12.99
Ant and the Elephant
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Archer's Cup
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$12.95
Arthur's Honey Bear
An I Can Read Book Level 2
by Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99
Babe the Gallant Pig
by Dick King-Smith
1st edition from Yearling
Animal Stories: Fantasy for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Balto and the Great Race
Totally True Adventures
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
1st Printing from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.99
Bear Called Paddington
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Bed for the Winter
DK Readers Level 1
by Karen Wallace
1st edition from DK Children
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$4.99
Bedtime for Frances
by Russell Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
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)
$7.99
Big Bad Bruce
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Billy and Blaze
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
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)
$4.00
Birthday for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Blaze and the Forest Fire
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Blaze and the Gray Spotted Pony
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Blaze and the Lost Quarry
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Blaze and the Mountain Lion
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Blaze and Thunderbolt
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Blaze Finds the Trail
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Blaze Shows the Way
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
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)
$6.95
Bread and Jam for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
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)
$7.99
Buford the Little Bighorn
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$12.95
Capyboppy
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Non-fiction for 1st-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Charlotte's Web - Full Color Edition
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride
by George Selden
1st edition from Square Fish Publishing
for 1st-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Chester the Worldly Pig
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Chester's Way
by Kevin Henkes
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
Chicken Little
by Steven Kellogg
from HarperCollins
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
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)
$90.93
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)
$7.99
Cowardly Clyde
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Cross-Country Cat
by Mary Calhoun & Erick Ingraham
from Mulberry Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Doctor De Soto
by William Steig
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1983 Newbery Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa
by William Steig
Reprint from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99 $4.89 (1 in stock)
Dodsworth in Rome
Green Light Level 3
by Tim Egan
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$4.99
Dragons of Blueland
My Father's Dragon Trilogy #3
by Ruth Stiles Gannett
from Random House
Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Eli
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Ella
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Elmer and the Dragon
My Father's Dragon Trilogy #2
by Ruth Stiles Gannett
from Random House
Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Ember Falls
Green Ember #2
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.95
Ember Rising
Green Ember #3
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$15.95
Ember's End
Green Ember #4
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$15.95
Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package
Tales from Deckawoo Drive Book 4
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.99
Fables of Aesop
Dover Evergreen Classics
by Joseph Jacobs
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
$5.99
Farewell to Shady Glade
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Flora & Ulysses
by Kate DiCamillo
Reprint from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-6th grade
2014 Newbery Medal winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Floss
by Kim Lewis
from Candlewick Press
Realistic Animal Stories for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
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)
$8.99
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
Gnats of Knotty Pine
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Green Ember
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.95
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 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)
$8.99
Harry's Mad
by Dick King-Smith
from Yearling
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.99
House on East 88th Street
by Bernard Waber
from Houghton Mifflin
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Huge Harold
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
I Love Guinea Pigs
by Dick King-Smith
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.99
Island of the Skog
by Steven Kellogg
from Puffin Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
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