Outside of a Dog Booklist

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"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
—Groucho Marx

We are frequently asked to recommend literature to kids, and while there's nothing better than taking the time to know what the individual likes and recommend for their tastes, we've definitely settled on a number of books that are our personal favorites. This list is meant to promote books that will branch kids beyond the latest pop-fiction, and beyond many of the curricular lists you'll find floating around.

The PDF version of Outside of a Dog offers a page of links helping you navigate the overwhelming resources scattered throughout this website. It includes recommended read-alouds for preschoolers and kindergartners and contains 50+ titles for grades 1-8, offering you summer reading aplenty for years on end. It doesn't promote a liberal agenda, cater to the lowest common denominator, or present books designed to make anyone look smart. We haven't limited ourselves to classics or "must-read" titles. There are plenty of those, but just as many are personal favorites that have kindled our own love of reading. These are books that will open the wide doors of reading to kids turned off by more than standard fare. Throughout the list, author names are links, often taking you to short biographies, links to more information, and a list of what we have.

It's also intended to challenge older readers, with two lists for high school students and two for adults:

150+ great literature and fiction titles
150+ non-fiction titles, containing history, biographies, basic philosophy, and titles that focus on spiritual matters and practical Christian living. We want to encourage you to be culture-changers for Christ

The printed version is a little different. It doesn't include the links, of course, nor does it have the preschool/kindergarten reading lists or the adult lists. It does include an "advanced" high school list, which is what was adapted into the adult lists. Also, in the digital version, the grade level lists have been tweaked, with some new favorites added, and some reading level suggestions adjusted.

This category on our site offers all of our recommended books in one place. We are working on adding an Exodus rating to every single one. Browse the list, or filter by grade with the sidebar.

Whether you're six or sixteen (or sixty!), whether you're a dog person or not, some new best friends are waiting!

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8th Grade Outside of a Dog Booklist

9th-12th Outside of a Dog - Fiction

9th-12th Outside of a Dog - Nonfiction

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9th grade (Ages 14-15),

Used Books & Materials

	Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt from Berkley Books Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade 1965 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies Hornblower Series #11 by C. S. Forester from Little, Brown & Company Nautical fiction for 8th-Adult in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $18.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Adventures of Tom Sawyer Puffin Classics by Mark Twain from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 6th-10th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $10.99 $5.50 (1 in stock)
	Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Dover Thrift Editions by Benjamin Franklin from Dover Publications for 9th-Adult in Biographies (Location: BIO) $9.00 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Best Things in Life A Contemporary Socrates Looks at Power, Pleasure, Truth and the Good Life by Peter Kreeft from InterVarsity Press for 9th-Adult in Philosophy (Location: XWV-PHI) $22.99 $8.50 (1 in stock)
	Black Arrow Dover Evergreen Classics by Robert Louis Stevenson from Dover Publications Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin & Robert Bonazzi 35th anniversary from Signet Classics for 8th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Call of the Wild Puffin Classics by Jack London 2008^th edition from Puffin Books Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $10.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey from HarperCollins Family Stories for 4th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.00 (5 in stock)
	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)
	Complete Sonnets Dover Thrift Editions by William Shakespeare from Dover Publications Lyrical Poetry for 9th-Adult in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN) $4.50 $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Courage and Conviction Chronicles of the Reformation Church History Lives Volume 3 by Mindy & Brandon Withrow from Christian Focus Publications for 5th-9th grade in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand from Bantam Books Drama for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $6.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, translated by Brian Hooker 1963 Reprint from Heinemann Educational Books Drama for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury from Spectra Books for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Danger in the Desert True Adventures of a Dinosaur Hunter by Roger Cohen from Sterling Publishing Co. for 5th-9th grade in 20th Century Exploration (Location: HISW-20EXP) $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction for 5th-9th grade 1984 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $9.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary from William Morrow & Company Realistic Fiction for 5th-9th grade 1984 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Easy Chairs, Hard Words Conversations on the Liberty of God by Doug Wilson from Canon Press for 9th-Adult in Reformed Theology (Location: XTH-REF) $12.00 $7.00 (6 in stock)
	Egg and I by Betty MacDonald from J.B. Lippincott Co. Biography for 8th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $8.50 (1 in stock)
	Exploring the History of Medicine From the Ancient Physicians of Pharaoh to Genetic Engineering Exploring Series by John Hudson Tiner from Master Books for 5th-12th grade in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP) $15.19 $9.50 (2 in stock)
	Exploring the World of Biology From Mushrooms to Complex Life Forms Exploring Series by John Hudson Tiner from Master Books for 7th-10th grade in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP) $15.19 $9.50 (1 in stock)
	Exploring the World of Chemistry From Ancient Metals to High-Speed Computers Exploring Series by John Hudson Tiner from Master Books for 7th-10th grade in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP) $15.19 $9.50 (2 in stock)
	Exploring the World of Mathematics From Ancient Record Keeping to the Latest Advances in Computers Exploring Series by John Hudson Tiner from Master Books for 6th-10th grade in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP) $15.19 $9.50 (1 in stock)
	Exploring the World of Physics From Simple Machines to Nuclear Energy Exploring Series by John Hudson Tiner from Master Books Non-fiction for 7th-10th grade in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP) $15.19 $9.50 (2 in stock)
	Far Side of the World Aubrey/Maturin #10 by Patrick O'Brian from W. W. Norton and Co. Nautical Fiction for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $13.95 $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Farthest Shore Earthsea #3 by Ursula K. Le Guin from Simon Pulse Fantasy for 7th-Adult in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $10.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
	Flames of Rome by Paul L. Maier 2^nd edition from Kregel Publications for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $18.99 $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Fortune of War Aubrey/Maturin #6 by Patrick O'Brian from W. W. Norton and Co. Nautical Fiction for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $14.95 $6.50 (1 in stock)
	Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji from Dutton Juvenile for 4th-9th grade 1928 Newbery Medal winner in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $14.00 (2 in stock)
	Giver The Giver Quartet #1 by Lois Lowry from HMH Books for Young Readers for 7th-10th grade 1994 Newbery Medal winner in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI) $11.99 $6.00 (3 in stock)
	Going Solo by Roald Dahl from Puffin Books for 7th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Going Solo by Roald Dahl from Puffin Books for 7th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Golden Ocean by Patrick O'Brian from W. W. Norton and Co. Nautical Fiction for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $25.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman from HarperCollins for 6th-9th grade 2009 Newbery Medal winner in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Reissue from Charles Scribner's Sons Realistic Fiction for 9th-12th grade in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $17.00 $9.00 (2 in stock)
	Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift from Dover Publications for 7th-Adult in 18th Century Literature (Location: LIT5-18) $6.00 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Heart of Darkness Dover Thrift Editions by Joseph Conrad from Dover Publications Realistic Modern Fiction for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $5.00 $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Helen Keller: The Story of My Life Signet Classics by Helen Keller Reprint from Signet Classics Autobiography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $5.95 $3.50 (1 in stock)
	Helen Keller: The Story of My Life by Helen Keller from Dover Publications Autobiography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $5.00 $2.50 (2 in stock)
	Hiroshima by John Hersey from Vintage Classics Historical Non-Fiction for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, with an introduction by W. Warren Wagar and an afterword by Scott Westerfeld from Signet Classics Science Fiction for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $3.00 (2 in stock)
	Ionian Mission Aubrey/Maturin #8 by Patrick O'Brian from W. W. Norton and Co. Nautical Fiction for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $14.95 $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke from Bloomsbury Publishing for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl from Pocket Books Non-fiction/Adventure for 8th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Lady Susan, The Watsons and Sanditon Penguin Classics by Jane Austen from Penguin Classics Realistic fiction for 8th-12th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $11.00 $6.00 (2 in stock)
	Life on the Mississippi Signet Classics by Mark Twain from Harper & Brothers Autobiography for 9th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman from Houghton Mifflin Biography for 5th-9th grade 1988 Newbery Medal winner in Biographies (Location: BIO) $13.99 $7.00 (4 in stock)
	Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery from Harvest House Fantasy for 3rd-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $6.00 (2 in stock)
	Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery from Harcourt Fantasy for 3rd-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $7.50 (2 in stock)
	M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton from Aladdin Paperbacks for 6th-10th grade 1975 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Macbeth Folger Shakespeare Library by William Shakespeare from Simon and Schuster for 9th-12th grade in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN) $9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Man of the Family Little Britches Series #2 by Ralph Moody 1^st edition from W. W. Norton and Co. Biography for 5th-9th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $15.00 (1 in stock)
	Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli from Little, Brown & Company Realistic Fiction for 5th-9th grade 1991 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Martin Luther The Great Reformer by J. A. Morrison 2^nd edition from Christian Liberty Press Biography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Martin Luther The Great Reformer by J. A. Morrison 3^rd edition from Christian Liberty Press Biography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $11.75 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Men Against the Sea by Charles Nordhoff & James Norman Hall from Little, Brown & Company Nautical Fiction for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $21.99 $11.00 (1 in stock)
	Men of Iron by Howard Pyle 2^nd edition from Bob Jones University Press Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Men of Iron by Howard Pyle from Mint Editions Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.00 (1 in stock)
	Morbid Taste for Bones Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters from Mysterious Press for 8th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $3.50 (2 in stock)
	My Heart Lies South The Story of My Mexican Marriage by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño Young People's Edition from Bethlehem Books Biography for 8th-12th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $14.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Oedipus at Colonus Dover Thrift Editions by Sophocles, translated by Sir George Young from Dover Publications Ancient Tragedy for 9th-Adult in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC) $3.00 $2.00 (3 in stock)
	Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley from ACE Publishing for 8th-12th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $15.00 $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Poor Richard by James Daugherty from Beautiful Feet Books Biography for 6th-9th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $17.95 $12.00 (2 in stock)
	Pygmalion Dover Thrift Editions by George Bernard Shaw from Dover Publications Drama/Comedy for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $5.00 $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne Book Club Edition from E.P. Dutton & Co. Mystery/Suspense for 7th-10th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Red Scarf Girl A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang from HarperCollins Autobiography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $10.99 $5.50 (1 in stock)
	Sergeant York and the Great War His Own Life Story and War Diary by Alvin C. York from My Father's World Autobiography for 7th-Adult in World War I (1914-1919) (Location: HISA-20WW1) $22.00 $10.00 (2 in stock)
	Slave Dancer by Paula Fox from Simon and Schuster Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade 1974 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.00 (2 in stock)
	Slave Dancer by Paula Fox from Simon and Schuster Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade 1974 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Slave Dancer by Paula Fox from Bradbury Press Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade 1974 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Slave Dancer by Paula Fox, illustrated by Eros Keith from Bradbury Press Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade 1974 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish Hitchhiker's Trilogy #4 by Douglas Adams from Crown Publishers Humorous Science Fiction for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Story of Philosophy The Lives and Opinions of the Greater Philosophers by Will Durant 2^nd edition from Pocket Books for 9th-Adult in Philosophy (Location: XWV-PHI) $9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Story of Science Book 2 Newton at the Center by Joy Hakim from Smithsonian Books for 7th-9th grade in History of Science & Mathematics (Location: SCI-HIS) $27.95 $17.50 (1 in stock)
	Story of Science Book 3 Einstein Adds a New Dimension by Joy Hakim from Smithsonian Books for 7th-9th grade in History of Science & Mathematics (Location: SCI-HIS) $27.95 $17.50 (1 in stock)
	Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp from HarperCollins Biography for 7th-10th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $18.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Study in Scarlet & The Sign of Four Dover Thrift Editions by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from Dover Publications Mystery for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $7.00 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Tale of Two Cities Dover Thrift Editions by Charles Dickens from Dover Publications Victorian Novel for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $7.00 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin 1^st edition from Simon Pulse for 7th-Adult in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $10.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Treasure Island Usborne Illustrated Originals by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Fran Parreno from Usborne Action/Adventure for 5th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.50 (1 in stock)
	View From Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg from Aladdin Paperbacks for 5th-9th grade 1997 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Wizard of Earthsea Earthsea #1 by Ursula K. Le Guin, drawings by Ruth Robbins First Edition from Parnassus Press Fantasy for 7th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $99.00 (1 in stock)
	Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck from Puffin Books Humorous Family Stories for 5th-9th grade 2001 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)

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