25 Amazing Animal Books for Kids

In Wish, Charlie Reese is a young girl who is struggling to find her place in this imperfect world.

With the help of a dog named Wishbone, a loving aunt and uncle and a neighbor friend, she discovers the meaning of family and friendship. 

Maddie, twelve, confronts the ultimate challenge when she wakes to find her town empty. Including the other twelve year olds at a sleepover.

With no one to rely on, Maddie uses her own ingenuity to survive in this deserted place, turning to books and a dog named George for companionship and support.

She's lonely and scared. Can she survive this terrifying ordeal?

Lola Budge, a wombat from the Northern Forest, goes on an incredible mission to save her family after a predator has taken everyone away.

Along the way, she bravely navigates treacherous swamps, rushing rivers and soaring heights. Her trip is full of encounters with strange creatures.

With courage and determination, Lola sets out to reach the Queen of Tassie Island and proves that she’s braver than she seems.

This is the true story of a dog named George. Although he began life as the runt of the litter, this famous Great Dane grew up to weigh 245 pounds and stood almost five feet tall.

George holds the world record as the tallest dog ever and even has his own fan club. But deep down inside, he was just a playful pup, who was afraid of many things, including smaller dogs.

Life was quite unusual, and often funny, living with such a large dog.

Clementine is an extraordinary mouse – a genius who can calculate the speed of light and dream in Latin. She lives in the lab with other animals like her friend, a chimp named Rosie. 

With the physical assistance of a compassionate lab technician, she escapes her lonely life in a cage to discover a human world full of surprises.

While she enjoys learning about things like Brussels Sprouts, chess, and television, she can't stop thinking about the animals she left behind.

She decides to risk it all and return to the lab for a daring animal rescue. Along the way, she learns a valuable lesson: that goodness comes from within and courage is more important than size. 

McKenna and her eight sled dogs take on a daring mail run race in the Canadian wilderness, racing against challengers from across the globe.

But this isn't just any ordinary race: winning could bring much-needed media coverage to McKenna's own battle with disability.

With the shifting ice, fierce snow, and freezing nights on the horizon, McKenna must rely on her determination and learn to trust in others if she hopes to come out victorious.

Vega and her brother Deneb are two young orcas. An earthquake and tsunami split apart their family. Now, to make it back to their pod, they must face various situations, like dangerous shark attacks, hunger, deep ocean depths, and polluted waters.

This thrilling journey tests Vega's resilience as she strives to fulfill her destiny of becoming a salmon finder and matriarch of her family.

Along the way, Vega learns the importance of courage and leadership in order to reunite with her beloved pod.

The Sugar Man Swamp Scouts, Bingo and J'miah—two raccoon brothers—are expected to work hard to protect the swamp from famous alligator wrestler Jaeger Stitch's plans for an Alligator World Wrestling Arena and Theme Park.

Chap Brayburn, a twelve-year-old, is not part of this organization but is determined to help. But they must also fend off all kinds of threats, including an approaching pack of wild feral hogs.

The challenge lies in awakening the Sugar Man, who has been asleep for decades, in order to save their beloved swamp.

A new Mother Paula's Pancake House is coming to Coconut Cove, Florida, but it will come at a cost for an adorable colony of endangered owls that had long made their home on the building site.

Fortunately, a tween who has recently moved to the area and his unlikely friend come up with a clever plan to save their feathered friends from destruction.

Thanks to a few pranks played on the owners, will they be able to secure the owls' future?

Ahab and his friends embark on a daring quest to save the last bullfrog in North America from extinction. Despite the potential dangers, Ahab is determined to find a way to introduce this last bullfrog to another bullfrog found on the black market in Canada.

Along the way, they discover that hope is an actual choice and are reminded of how powerful it can be to have friends who share your dreams.

With a little courage and resourcefulness, Ahab and his friends prove that one person can make a difference and still dream of a brighter tomorrow for all of frogkind.

Marcel the hedgehog was once a beloved pet, but now lives alone in an abandoned balcony of The Emerald City Theater.

On his journey back, he meets Scamp, a small mouse with lots of energy and trusty slingshot; Ingot, an older gray squirrel who has a broken heart and some horrible memories; and Tuffy, a very young raccoon who is lost in the forest.

Together, they venture through fields and forests on their way home while being followed by Wickedwing the owl. Along the way, they find that sometimes you need to get a little lost before you can be found.

Tweens will love the adventures of these different species.

This is a funny and heartwarming story about two extraordinary characters who come together to embark on an epic journey.

Follow along with the adventures of Flora, a ten-year-old girl with a vivid imagination, and Ulysses, a squirrel with superpowers.

Along their way, readers will be delighted to experience their humorous escapades and touching moments of connection as they discover the magic in everyday life.

Justin's brother Kyle was a marine, fighting in Afghanistan until he was tragically killed. Max, his canine partner, is lost without Kyle and although he is highly trained, he can no longer serve.

They shipped Max off to Kyle's family for one last chance. Max immediately becomes attached to Justin, who wants nothing to do with him. Eventually, they learn to trust one another and even discover the truth about how Kyle died.

This story definitely has heartbreaking parts, but tweens will love reading about this heroic canine and its unique human-animal bond.

Bob, Ivan, and Ruby embark on a thrilling journey to uncover the truth behind Bob’s lost sister.

Battling against the looming threat of a hurricane and time running out, the three friends find an unbreakable bond of friendship and courage. Together, they discover the true worth of family, setting an example to readers everywhere with their inspiring story.

This is the incredible sequel to The One and Only Ivan. The whole book series is an excellent look at the welfare of animals.

Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni goes to the local supermarket one summer day and comes home with an unexpected surprise - a dog.

This dog, named Winn-Dixie, helps India make friends in her town as well as encourages her to find out more about her mom, who left when she was only three years old.

Through these heartwarming experiences, India's summer is changed forever due to Winn-Dixie's presence.

Rose Howard is an eccentric young girl who loves homonyms and has a special bond with her beloved dog, Rain.

When a storm strikes her rural town, Rose's father mistakenly lets Rain out, and the pup goes missing.

Determined to find her canine companion, Rose takes it upon herself to venture beyond her comfort zone in order to reunite with the pet she values so highly.

Pax and Peter formed an inseparable bond when Peter rescued the kit fox. But when Peter's father joins the military, he must say goodbye to his beloved animal companion and send Pax back to the wild.

While at his grandfather's house, miles from home, Peter can't stand being apart from Pax. So he sets out on his own journey, determined to reunite with him, despite the looming war.

At the same time, Pax heads off on his own unique adventures while bravely waiting for a reunion with his beloved human friend.

Tweens will love how these two show such devotion to each other.

Twelve-year-old tech genius Iris is determined to make a difference in the world, even though she's the only deaf person at her school.

With a creative idea, she sets off on an adventure to design a way to "sing" for Blue 55, a real whale three thousand miles away who can't communicate with other whales.

Despite the obstacles in her path, her determination and resourcefulness help to create something amazing.

This inspiring story shows how small acts of kindness have powerful ripple effects that can be felt around the world.

Clarice is a brave young ship mouse who is forced to embark on an exciting journey to find her lost brother, Charles Sebastian.

After a fierce mutiny, they set adrift Clarice in a small and leaky boat with a dangerous cat as her only company. She must use all the courage and skills her mother taught her in order to remain safe and eventually reunite with her beloved brother.

Clarice will learn about the power of friendship and family in a new world full of new challenges.

Swift is a young wolf cub who lives with his pack up in the mountains. He spends his days with his brothers and sisters, learning how to hunt and figuring out his place in the family.

One day, a rival pack attacks, and his family flees, leaving Swift alone and scared. Faced with the choice of staying on the outskirts of his old home, starving, or heading out into the unknown, he embarks on a long and treacherous journey across the Pacific Northwest in search of a new home.

Alone and frightened, he must be braver than ever to survive in the wild by himself.

A true story of a wolf named OR-7 inspires this book.

Twelve-year-old Rob Horton is walking along one morning when he unexpectedly encounters a real-life tiger in the misty Florida woods.

On the wild day, Rob meets Sistine Bailey, and the two soon form an unlikely bond as they figure out how to trust and support each other.

It's a heartwarming story that celebrates the lasting power of courage, resilience, and hope.

Through tragic events, 11-year-old Martine finds herself living on one of the African wildlife preserves with her grandmother, a woman she didn't know existed. Once in Africa, Martine is told a tale about a mythical white giraffe living in the wilderness.

When she realizes the animal is real and poachers will do anything to capture it, Martine needs to do what she can to protect this rare and beautiful creature.

Kids who are interested in conservation will find this story especially interesting.

Mrs. Frisby is a widowed mouse living on a farm with her four small children. The change of seasons is coming early and her home is about to be plowed under. They must move immediately to their summer location. Unfortunately, her youngest, Timothy, is quite ill and cannot go anywhere.

In order to remain safe, Mrs Frisby must befriend the rats of NIMN, a group of rats who escaped from their cages in a research lab and now live within a sophisticated society under the rosebush on the farm.

Both the rats and mice need help, and it's up to them to save each other. They must learn how to trust one another and will need to be quite brave to survive.

Charlotte's Web is an inspiring and heartwarming story about the unlikely friendship between Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider.

This classic book follows Wilbur's adventures on a farm as he faces a tough future until Charlotte decides to help him out in a unique way. By weaving words like "Some Pig" into her webs, Charlotte is able to spare Wilbur's life.

Together, they form an unbreakable bond, proving that even the unlikeliest of friends can team up to conquer any challenge.

White Fang is an inspiring coming-of-age story about a wolf-dog hybrid’s journey through the wild and his learning of life’s lessons. It's a mirror to Call of the Wild, the first book.

After the death of his mother, he is adopted by Grey Beaver, who introduces him to the harsh realities of life. White Fang is then sold to a cruel and abusive owner, but he eventually makes an escape with the help of Bill, a kindhearted Gold Rush prospector.

Through his many encounters in both nature and with humans, White Fang discovers important values such as friendship, loyalty, love and survival. Filled with thrilling adventure and difficult challenges, White Fang’s story hopefully leave readers feeling inspired.

This is a great book for older middle schoolers.

In England's rural landscape, a group of rabbits is forced to quickly flee their home because of a land developer. They know they must move for their own safety, but they have no idea where they're going. They end up searching for new holes on the plains of Watership Down.

During their journey, they encounter multiple obstacles, finding both success and failure along the way. They also face all kinds of predators - humans, animals, and other wild rabbits.

Older kids will enjoy this tale told from the rabbits' point of view.