How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery
How to Be a Good Creature is an exploration into the emotional connection between animals and people, seen mainly through the eyes of Montgomery, a naturalist and adventurer. Here she recounts touching moments of her interactions with exotic animals to household pets or, as she calls them, “friends,” while examining the larger theme of being a “good creature,” what that means for us, and for those around us.
Winterdance by Gary Paulsen
Paulsen tells the story of his experiences during the Iditarod sled dog race, detailing his training and his relationships with his dogs. This nonfiction account is engaging, hilarious and touching, all rolled into one wonderful book readers of any age will enjoy.
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
This book is the first in the Chet and Bernie mystery series, where Chet the dog narrates the crimes he solves with his human, Bernie. The tone is light and Chet is a hilarious narrator, but the story is still meaningful. The audiobook version is especially enjoyable!
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
This classic, told by Buck the dog, is wildly engaging but serious in tone with a somewhat gritty setting. Buck is an amazing main character, sold as a working dog and struggling to survive in the wilderness. It is a short volume that reads quickly.
The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
The elderly sleuth Miss Marple investigates in this mystery classic when a friend of hers finds the body of a young woman in their library. There are a lot of characters and clues to keep track of but the end comes together well when the killer is revealed.
Murder Past Due by Miranda James
This is the first book in the A Cat in the Stacks Mystery Series. Charlie is a good-natured, partially retired librarian with a rescued Maine coon cat named Diesel. As soon as Charlie has returned to his hometown, he and Diesel find themselves caught up in solving the murder of one of Charlie’s former classmates, an unpleasant person but a bestselling author.
The Old Woman and the Wave by Shelley Jackson
This picture book is about an old woman who lives under a wave with her dog, Bones. She fears the wave may one day fall, and has prepared a washtub boat just in case. She views the wave as a nuisance that drips into her house and disturbs her living until one day a wanderer helps her see the beautiful possibilities of the wave. The book is illustrated with gorgeous collages.
My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts by Laura T. Coffey
A heart-grabbing, nonfiction book of stories about adopting senior dogs. These true tales are accompanied by photographs and include the story of Remy, a 9-year-old dog adopted by elderly nuns; and Bretagne, a search dog that worked at ground zero.
The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant
This beautiful and moving picture book is about an old woman who has outlived all of her friends. She keeps from being lonely by naming only things she knows she can never outlive, such as her trusty old car, Betsy; her favorite chair, Fred; and her bed, Roxanne. When a shy puppy starts showing up at her gate each day, she falls into the habit of feeding it daily before sending it home. She is happy with not giving the puppy a name — she might outlive it, and she doesn’t want to outlive any more friends — until one day when the puppy does not show up. Illustrated with lovely watercolors.