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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70 Items found Print
Active Filters: 8th grade (Ages 13-14), New Books & Materials
All Creatures Great and Small
James Herriot Series Book 1
by James Herriot
from St. Martin's Press
Realistic Fiction for 7th-Adult
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$18.00
All Things Bright and Beautiful
James Herriot Series Book 2
by James Herriot
from St. Martin's Press
Realistic Fiction for 7th-12th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$18.00
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
Big Red
by Jim Kjelgaard
from Holiday House
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$17.99
Black Beauty
Puffin Classics
by Anna Sewell
from Puffin Books
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$8.99
Black Beauty
by Anna Sewell, illustrated by Christian Birmingham
from Candlewick Press
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$24.99
Black Star, Bright Dawn
by Scott O'Dell
from Sandpiper Books
for 7th-9th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.99
Book of Lost Tales 2
by J. R. R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien
from Ballantine Books
Mythology, Faƫrie for 8th-12th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
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
Call of the Wild
Puffin Classics
by Jack London
2008th edition from Puffin Books
Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$7.99
Call of the Wild
Dover Thrift Editions
by Jack London
from Dover Publications
Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$3.00 $2.00 (1 in stock)
Children of Odin
by Padraic Colum
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Norse Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
$10.99
Come On, Seabiscuit!
by Ralph Moody
from University of Nebraska
Biography for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$14.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Day No Pigs Would Die
by Robert Newton Peck
from Random House
Realistic Stories for 6th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.99
DK Eyewitness: Horse
DK Eyewitness Series
by Juliet Clutton-Brock
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Horses & Ponies (Location: SCI-MAMHOR)
$9.99
DK Eyewitness: Viking
DK Eyewitness Series
by Susan M. Margeson
from DK Publishing
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$16.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Dragons of the Deep
by Carl Wieland
from Master Books
for 5th-8th grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$13.59
Dragonwatch
Dragonwatch #1
by Brandon Mull
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Draw 50 Cats
by Lee Ames
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for 3rd-8th grade
in Draw 50 (Location: ELE-ARTD50)
$9.99
Draw 50 Dinosaurs
by Lee J. Ames
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for 3rd-8th grade
in Draw 50 (Location: ELE-ARTD50)
$9.99
Draw 50 Dogs
by Lee Ames
from Broadway Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Draw 50 (Location: ELE-ARTD50)
$9.99
Draw 50 Horses
by Lee Ames
from Broadway Books
for 3rd-8th grade
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
Fossil Book
Wonders of Creation Series
by Gary & Mary Parker
from Master Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$15.19
Freddy Goes to Florida
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$11.99
Gentle Ben
by Walt Morey
from Puffin Books
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.99
Greyfriars Bobby
by Eleanor Atkinson
from Living Book Press
for 6th-Adult
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$9.99
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
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
Hobbit
by J. R. R. Tolkien
2nd edition from Ballantine Books
Fantasy for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Hobbit
by J. R. R. Tolkien
from Houghton Mifflin
Fantasy for 5th-9th grade
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$35.00
Hobbit
by J. R. R. Tolkien
from Houghton Mifflin
Fantasy for 5th-9th grade
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$19.99
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 and His Boy
Chronicles of Narnia Book 3
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Irish Red
by Jim Kjelgaard
from Yearling
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.99
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
Lord of the Rings Deluxe Hardcover Boxed Set
by J. R. R. Tolkien
from Houghton Mifflin
Fantasy for 5th-12th grade
in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX)
$125.00
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 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
Old Yeller
by Fred Gipson
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
1957 Newbery Honor Book
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$9.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
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
Shiloh
Shiloh #1
by Phyllis R. Naylor
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for 5th-8th grade
1992 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$8.99 $3.00 (2 in stock)
Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham
by J. R. R. Tolkien
from Ballantine Books
Fantasy for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Smithsonian Handbook of Horses
Dorling Kindersley Handbooks
by Elwyn H. Edwards
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-12th grade
in Horses & Ponies (Location: SCI-MAMHOR)
$24.00
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
Snow Dog
by Jim Kjelgaard
from Yearling
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.99
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
Sounder
by William H. Armstrong
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1970 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Stormy
by Jim Kjelgaard
from Yearling
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.99
The Underneath
by Kathi Appelt
Reprint from Atheneum
for 5th-8th grade
2009 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Tolkien Reader
by J. R. R. Tolkien
from Ballantine Books
Fantasy for 4th-12th grade
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$8.99
Unfinished Tales
by J. R. R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien
from Ballantine Books
Mythology, Faƫrie for 8th-12th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Watership Down
by Richard Adams
from Charles Scribner's Sons
Animal Fiction for 7th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$19.99
Watership Down
by Richard Adams
Reissue from Atheneum
for 10th-Adult
1972 Carnegie Medal
in Scribner Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SCRIB)
$29.99
We Could Be Heroes
by Margaret Finnegan
from Atheneum
for 3rd-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$17.99
Where the Red Fern Grows
by Wilson Rawls
from Bantam Books
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
White Fang
Puffin Classics
by Jack London
from Puffin Books
Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$7.99
White Fang
Scribner Illustrated Classics
by Jack London, illustrated by Ed Young
Unabridged from Atheneum
Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade
in Scribner Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SCRIB)
$29.99
Wind in the Door
Wrinkle in Time Series #2
by Madeleine L'Engle
from Square Fish Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Wonder Book of Horses
by James Baldwin
from Living Book Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$8.99
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)