Welcome to Day 2 of Five Fall Favorites, hosted by Kate at Once Upon an Ordinary and Katja at Little Blossoms for Jesus! If you missed my first post yesterday, you can find it here! You may notice that most of the other bloggers are sharing books about “Traditions” today, but I couldn’t find 5 books I have read that fit with that prompt, so I have chosen one of the alternate prompts. I will be sharing 5 books about “Animals” today instead!
NOTE: All cover images link to the books’ Goodreads pages.
1. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
I enjoyed reading this one when I was around nine or ten years old, I believe. It was my first introduction to novels in verse, and I really enjoyed the style as well as the cast of characters–Ivan the gorilla, Stella and Ruby the elephants, Bob the dog, and some humans, some of which are kind and some of which are not. I also thought it was interesting how it was based on the true story of a gorilla who lived in a shopping mall. I have since reread the story and enjoyed it as an older teenager, too. This is a great read for middle graders (just a warning, though, that there are a couple mentions of evolution).
2. Stella by McCall Hoyle
This is the sweet story of a young girl with epilepsy and a dog with PTSD. The story is told from Stella, the dog’s, perspective. It was interesting to learn more about what life is like for people with epilepsy and the work of seizure-detecting service dogs. This one is also geared for middle-grade audiences.
3. Willow by Bethany M. Griggs
This one doesn’t have an animal main character, but horses are a huge part of the plot! The story follows Libby, a young lady living with chronic illness who volunteers at a horse therapy ranch and works in a daycare. As someone with chronic health issues myself, I could relate to Libby a lot, and I also really enjoyed the horse therapy ranch aspects of the story. I love horses and the idea of equine-assisted therapy has always interested me, so it was neat to read a story that featured that.
4. Rascal by Sterling North
Rascal is another book written for a middle grade/young adult audience, but this one is a classic! The book is largely based on the author’s real experiences of meeting and taking in a baby raccoon, Rascal. The story takes place in Wisconsin in the early 1900s and heavily features Rascal and some other fun animals that Sterling takes in. While this story is written for younger readers, it is interesting enough for adults, too! There is also an old Disney movie based on this book that I have really enjoyed (it was actually a favorite of mine as a child).
5. Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory
The only non-fiction title on this list, this is the amazing story of Michael Hingson, who has been blind since birth, and his guide dog’s experiences at the Twin Towers during 9/11. The story is inspiring and gives insight into the lives of those who are blind. There is also some interesting background about the author’s life and experiences prior to 9/11.
And that’s my list of five favorite animal books! For more reading recommendations, check out the posts from the rest of Team Squirrel!
Stephanie @ Books Less Travelled
To see the whole list of bloggers participating this year, find more fun book recommendations, and find today’s freebies (!!), check out the hosts, Kate’s and Katja’s, blogs by clicking the buttons below!
Lastly, don’t forget to enter the Five Fall Favorites giveaway! The giveaway is open through September 26th (11:59:00 P.M. EDT). You can check it out here!
I will see you all again tomorrow with five more book recommendations!
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