A FAMILY OF READERS BOOKLIST



  • A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond* (JFIC BOND and JUVBOCD FIC BOND)
    Life is never the same for the Brown family after they bring adventurous Paddington Bear into their home.
  • Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo* (JFIC DICA, NEWBERY JFIC DICA)
    Ten-year-old Opal moves with her preacher father to a small Florida town. Lonely at first, she meets and adopts an unusual dog, Winn-Dixie, who helps her make unusual friends and let go of her sadness. (Newbery Honor Book 2001).
  • Ben and Me by Robert Lawson (JFIC LAWS)
    Amos, a poor church mouse, goes out into the world to make his living, and establishes himself in Ben Franklin's old fur hat. Amos makes himself very important to Ben through his advice.
  • Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (JFIC SEWE and JBOT J SEWE)
    Both a statement against animal maltreatment and an story of one horse's long life, Black Beauty has been a favorite for horse lovers since it was first published in 1877.
  • The Black Stallion by Walter Farley (JFIC FARL and JBOT J FARL)
    This is the story of the understanding and love between a boy and a magnificent wild horse and the adventures and dangers they shared.
  • Call of the Wild by Jack London (JFIC LOND)
    Buck, who is half St. Bernard and half Scotch shepherd, is abducted and taken to the Klondike where he reverts to the wild and becomes a leader of a pack of wolves.
  • Charlotte's Web by E. B. White* (JFIC WHIT, NEWBERY JFIC WHIT and JUVBOCD J WHIT)
    Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner, until his spider friend, Charlotte, comes up with a plan to save him. (Newbery Honor 1953)
  • The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden* (JFIC SELD and NEWBERY JFIC SELD)
    A country cricket unintentionally arrives in New York and is befriended by Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat. (Newbery Honor 1961).
  • A Dog Called Kitty by Bill Wallace (JFIC WALL)
    Afraid of dogs since he was attacked by one that was rabid, Ricky resists taking in a homeless pup that shows up at the farm.
  • Gentle Ben by Walt Morey (JFIC MORE)
    The friendship between a boy and a bear in the rugged Alaskan Territory is explored.
  • Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford* (JFIC BURN)A young Labrador Retriever, an old Bull Terrier, and a Siamese cat undertake a 250-mile trek through the Canadian wilderness in order to return to their home.
  • Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (JFIC ODEL, NEWBERY JFIC ODEL and JBOCD J ODEL)
    Left alone on a beautiful, isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years surviving through her courage and self-reliance and finding a measure of happiness in her solitude. (Newbery Medal 1961)
  • Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George (JFIC GEOR, KIT J and NEWBERY JFIC GEOR)
    At age thirteen, orphaned and unhappily married, Julie runs away from home and gets lost in the Alaskan tundra. When a pack of wolves accepts her into their community, Julie must learn to think like a wolf. (Newbery Medal 1973).
  • The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling* (JFIC JUNG)
    Presents the adventures of a young boy raised by the animals in an Indian jungle.
  • Lady Lollipop by Dick King-Smith* (JFIC KING)
    Lady Lollipop is a special pig whom her trainer claims is the smartest pig in the kingdom. When people stare into Lollipop's bright, intelligent eyes, they are somehow changed for the better.
  • Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo* (JFIC DICA)
    After Mercy the pig snuggles to sleep with the Watsons, all three awaken with the bed teetering on the edge of a big hole in the floor.
  • The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo* (JFIC DICA)
    Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.
  • Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry (JFIC HENR and JBOCD J HENR)
    Paul and his sister Maureen's determination to own a pony from the herd on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, is greatly increased when the Phantom and her colt are among the ponies rounded up for the yearly auction.
  • The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary* (JFIC CLEA)
    A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling.
  • Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater* (JFIC ATWA, NEWBERY JFIC ATWA and JBOCD J ATWA)
    The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar Regions. (Newbery Honor 1939).
  • My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara (JFIC OHAR)
    How can you tame the dreamy mind of a boy who stares out of the window instead of taking an exam? Enter Flicka, the chestnut filly with a wild spirit. Over the course of one magical summer, both will learn the meaning of responsibility, courage, and, ultimately, friendship.
  • National Velvet by Enid Bagnold (JFIC BAGN)
    A fourteen-year-old English girl wins a horse in a raffle, trains it, and rides it in the Grand National steeplechase.
  • Old Yeller by Fred Gipson (JFIC GIPS and JUVBOCD J GIPS)
    In the late 1860s in the Texas hill country, a big yellow dog and a fourteen-year-old boy form a close, loving relationship. (Newbery Honor 1957)
  • Poppy by Avi (JFIC AVI and JUVBOCD J AVI)
    Poppy the deer mouse urges her family to move to a field of corn big enough to feed them all forever, but Mr. Ocax, a terrifying owl, has other ideas.
  • Ribsy by Beverly Cleary* (JFIC CLEA and JBOT J CLEA)
    Separated from his owner, Henry Huggins, in a shopping center parking lot, an ordinary city dog begins a series of bewildering adventures.
  • Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary* (JFIC CLEA)
    Ralph (from The Mouse and the Motorcycle) runs away looking for freedom but winds up a prisoner at a summer camp.
  • Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (JFIC NAYL, NEWBERY JFIC NAYL and JUVBOCD J NAYL)
    When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs. (Newbery Medal 1992).
  • Socks by Beverly Cleary* (JFIC CLEA)
    The happy home life of Socks, the cat, is disrupted by the addition of a new baby to the household.
  • Sounder by William Armstrong (JFIC ARMS and NEWBERY JFIC ARMS)
    Angry and humiliated when his sharecropper father is jailed for stealing food for his family, a young black boy grows in courage and understanding with the help of the devoted dog Sounder. (Newbery Winner 1970).
  • Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner (JFIC GARD and JUVBOCD J GARD)
    Little Willy hopes to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's farm with the purse from a dog sled race he enters.
  • Stuart Little by E. B. White* (JFIC WHIT)
    The debonair mouse Stuart Little sets out in the world to seek his dearest friend, a little bird who stayed for a few days in his family's garden.
  • The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (NEWBERY JFIC DICA and JUVBOCD J DICA)
    A fairy tale full of unforgettable characters, including Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. (Newbery Medal 2004).
  • Urchin of the Riding Stars by Margaret McAllister (JUV SF/FAN MCAL)
    A group of animals, led by an orphaned squirrel, learns about friendship and loyalty when they band together to defend their island kingdom against evil forces.
  • Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (JFIC RAWL)
    A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart's desire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters.
  • The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (JFIC GRAH)
    Four animal friends who live along a river in the English countryside, Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger, have adventures together.
  • Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne* (JFIC MILN)
    The adventures of Christopher Robin and his friends, in which Pooh Bear uses a balloon to get honey, Piglet meets a Heffalump, and Eeyore has a birthday.

    • * - Indicates books suitable for the youngest listeners.