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                          Suggestions from Mt. Lebanon Public Library  ~  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
                  
 www.mtlebanonlibrary.org

           
   
    Classic Animal Stories
              ~ books that feature realistic animals ~

Fiction for older readers. Unless otherwise noted, all books may be found in
the juvenile fiction section, arranged by the author’s last name.

     Sounder by William H. Armstrong
Poignant story of an African-American sharecropper, his determined son, and their devoted dog. 
Ages 12+

     National Velvet by Enid Bagnold
A fourteen year old girl is determined to ride her horse in the Grand National Steeplechase.
Ages 10+

     The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
Three animals travel over 250 miles to return to their family. 
Ages 9+

      Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
Henry and his dog Ribsy are best friends, but Ribsy has a habit of getting into trouble, especially when their neighbor Ramona comes around!
Grades 3-5

     Hurry Home, Candy by Meindert DeJong
A lost dog searches for a loving home. 
Grades 4+

     Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Ten year old India Opal Buloni finds that good things happen to her and those around her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie. 
Ages 10+

     Incident at Hawk’s Hill by Allan W. Eckert
A six-year-old boy becomes lost in the Canadian prairie and falls down a badger hole where he is protected by the female badger that lives there. 
Grades 5-7

     Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes
A brother and sister search for their lost puppy, Ginger Pye. 
Grades 3-5

     The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
A shipwrecked boy and a horse whose lives become intertwined.  One of a series.
Ages 10+

     Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
After she becomes lost in Alaska, a courageous thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl survives with the help of the wolf pack that befriends her. 
Ages 12+

     Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
A fourteen year old boy loves a stray dog. 
Ages 10+

     The Mousewife by Rumer Godden
A little mousewife learns about the wonders of the world outside from a caged dove. 
Grades 3-5

     King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry
An Arabian stallion and his devoted caretaker, a loving and loyal stable boy, have good and bad adventures as they travel to England where the horse eventually becomes a founding sire of the Thoroughbred breed. 
Grades 5+

     Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Two siblings are determined to own a pony from the herd on Chincoteague Island. 
Grades 4-6

     Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard
The friendship between a championship Irish Setter and a trapper’s son. 
Ages 9+

    Lassie Come Home
by Eric Knight
A collie takes a 1000 mile journey so she can be reunited with her former owner. 
Ages 9+

     Call of the Wild by Jack London
A tame dog becomes the leader of a wolf pack in the Klondike.
Grades 5+

     Gentle Ben by Walt Morey
In Alaska, a boy and a bear become friends. 
Ages 10+

     Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
The funny adventures of a Canadian boy who finds two owls that he keeps as pets and that create havoc throughout his neighborhood as well as his animal filled home. 
Ages 10+

     Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor
A West Virginia boy cares for a lost beagle whose real owner is a mean-spirited man  
One of a series.
Grades 4+

     Rascal by Sterling North (j 599.7632 Nor)
The author’s memoirs of his eleven year old youth, spent in the company of a curious raccoon named Rascal. 
Ages 10+

     My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara
A young boy’s devotion to the colt Flicka teaches both him and his father lessons about responsibility and respect. 
Grades 5+

     The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
A young Florida boy raises a fawn as a pet. 
Grades 6+

     Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
A boy in the Ozarks teaches two dogs to be champion hunters.
Ages 12+

     Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
A horse remembers his life. 
Ages 10+

     The Trouble with Tuck by Theodore Taylor
A blind dog is taught to trust a seeing-eye companion dog. G
rades 5+

     Lad, a Dog by Albert Payson Terhune
The classic story of a courageous and loyal collie. G
rades 6+

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Look for these and other great books in
The Children's Library
Mt. Lebanon Public Library
16 Castle Shannon Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412/531-1913      4.06
www.mtlebanonlibrary.org