Outside of a Dog Booklist

Store Location

"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!

Did you find this review helpful?

Parent Categories

Fiction & Literature

Doorways to Great Reading

Outside of a Dog Booklist

Subcategories

1st Grade Outside of a Dog Booklist

2nd Grade Outside of a Dog Booklist

3rd Grade Outside of a Dog Booklist

4th Grade Outside of a Dog Booklist

5th Grade Outside of a Dog Booklist

6th Grade Outside of a Dog Booklist

7th Grade Outside of a Dog Booklist

8th Grade Outside of a Dog Booklist

9th-12th Outside of a Dog - Fiction

9th-12th Outside of a Dog - Nonfiction

Adult Fiction Outside of a Dog Booklist

Adult Nonfiction Outside of a Dog Booklist

52 Items found Print

Active Filters:

Hardcover,

Used Books & Materials

	Andrew Henry's Meadow by Doris Burn from Philomel Books for Kindergarten-3rd grade Exodus Books 5-Star Rating in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $18.99 $10.50 (1 in stock)
	Angelo by David Macaulay 1^st edition from Houghton Mifflin for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Babar and His Children OSI by Jean De Brunhoff from Random House Books for Young Readers for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Babar and Zephir / Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Jean de Brunhoff (Babar) and Beatrix Potter (Squirrel Nutkin) from Random House Books for Young Readers for Preschool-2nd grade in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Barber Who Wanted to Pray by R. C. Sproul from Crossway Books for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Beowulf (retold) by Michael Morpurgo from Candlewick Press for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Boy Who Drew Birds A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies from Houghton Mifflin for 1st-3rd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $17.99 $11.50 (1 in stock)
	Casey at the Bat A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888 by Ernest L. Thayer & Christopher Bing 1^st edition from Chronicle Books for 2nd-6th grade 2001 Caldecott Honor Book in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Charlotte's Web by E. B. White from HarperCollins for 2nd-6th grade 1953 Newbery Honor Book in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $6.00 (2 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)
	Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tasha Tudor from Simon and Schuster Poetry for 1st-5th grade in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL) $15.99 $11.60 (1 in stock)
	Children of Odin The Book of Northern Myths by Padraic Colum, illustrated by Willy Pogany from Macmillan Norse Mythology for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $40.00 (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)
	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)
	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)
	Ella Enchanted - Special Read-Aloud Edition by Gail Carson Levine from HarperCollins for 3rd-7th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Fables by Arnold Lobel from HarperCollins Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Preschool-3rd grade 1981 Caldecott Medal winner in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $8.00 (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)
	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)
	Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss from Random House Fantasy for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Holes with Bonus Material Holes Series #1 by Louis Sachar 10th Anniversary Edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for 4th-6th grade 1999 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss from Random House read-aloud poetry picture book for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $18.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
	John Knox Christian Biographies for Young Readers by Simonetta Carr from Reformation Heritage Books for 3rd-6th grade in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID) $18.00 $10.00 (1 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)
	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)
	Lost in a Good Book Thursday Next Book 2 by Jasper Fforde First American Edition from Viking Press for 10th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $9.00 (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)
	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)
	Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully from G.P. Putnam's Sons Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-2nd grade 1993 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	My Brother Sam Is Dead by James & Christopher Collier from Four Winds Press Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade 1975 Newbery Honor Book in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne from Dutton Children's Books Poetry for Kindergarten-4th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan from Dial Press for Adult in Culture of Food (Location: COOK-CUL) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	One Thousand Gifts A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp from Zondervan in Suffering & Hope (Location: XCL-SUF) $18.99 $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear, illustrated by Colin West from Frederick Warne & Company for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear, illustrated by Gwen Fulton from Atheneum for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.50 (1 in stock)
	Pippi Goes on Board Pippi Longstocking #2 by Astrid Lindgren from Viking Press Humor for 2nd-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Practical View of Christianity by William Wilberforce from Hendrickson Publishers Religion/Philosophy for 11th-Adult in Hendrickson Christian Classics (Location: XCL-DEV) $12.95 $6.00 (2 in stock)
	Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer, illustrated by Valenti Angelo from Viking Press Realistic fiction for 5th-8th grade 1937 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $17.00 (1 in stock)
	Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness from Holt, Rinehart and Winston Allegorical and Moral Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade 1967 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Sir Cumference and the First Round Table A Math Adventure by Cindy Neuschwander & Wayne Geehan from Charlesbridge for 2nd-6th grade in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC) $5.50 (1 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, 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 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)
	Tales from Silver Lands by Charles J. Finger 1971 printing from Doubleday & Company for 4th-8th grade 1925 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Travels of Babar OSI by Jean de Brunhoff from Random House Books for Young Readers for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Reprint from Dial Books for Young Readers for 4th-8th grade 2017 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by James Lynch from The Folio Society Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $25.00 (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)
	Wonderful Wizard of Oz Wizard of Oz Book 1 by L. Frank Baum from Disney Press for 3rd-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.00 (1 in stock)

Shop

Support

Hours & Directions

Connect