More Best Books
If Squirrel’s story made your heart swell with puppy love, try these endearing tales about canine love, loyalty, and loss.
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
With the help of her adopted stray dog, Winn Dixie, Opal Buloni makes some quirky friends in her new hometown. More importantly, she becomes closer to her preacher father and begins to understand the truth about her runaway mother.
The BossQueen, Little Bigbark, and the Sentinel Pup by Sarah Clark Jordan
Chris, Layla, and Mina share the duties, devotion, and delights of living with their human family—and a pesky cat—as they adapt to the surroundings and responsibilities of a new home.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
When Buck is cruelly removed from his easy domestic lifestyle, he learns to rely on his survival instincts to adapt to and make his place in the cold, harsh Yukon wilderness.
The Good Dog by Avi
A rival dog challenges the authority of McKinley, the malamute leader of the dogs in Steamboat Springs. At the same time, McKinley is torn between remaining loyal to “his people” and joining a she-wolf’s pack to gain freedom from human enslavement.
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Bunford
Three animal companions, a cat and two dogs, brave the dangers of the Canadian wilderness as they try to return to their owner’s home. Through teamwork and friendship, the trio fights starvation, faces wild animals, and overcomes many other obstacles on the incredible journey back home.
Kavik the Wolf Dog by Walt Morey
On the way to his new home, Kavik, a champion sled dog, nearly dies from a tragic plane crash. A boy named Andy rescues the dog and nurses him back to health. When Kavik finally reaches his new home and finds his owner and living conditions unbearable, he escapes and makes a 2,000-mile journey to return to the boy he loves.
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
When an ugly, yellow stray wanders into Travis’ life, the boy and dog quickly become friends. Old Yeller repeatedly proves his love and loyalty by protecting Travis and his family. But can Travis protect Old Yeller from the rabid animals that live in the area?
Sable by Karen Hesse
Tate persuades her parents to let her keep a starving stray dog that wandered into the yard. But when the dog, named Sable for her dark silky fur, stirs up trouble, Tate must find a way to fix the problems so she can keep the pet she has longed for since she could first say “dog.”
Shelter Dogs: Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays by Peg Kehret
These inspiring short stories feature the heroic accomplishments of eight former stray dogs and the love and loyalty they show to their human friends.
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
When Marty Preston takes in a mistreated pup, he must decide whether to return it to its abusive owner or keep the dog secretly hidden in a safe place.
The Summer of Riley by Eve Bunting
After his grandfather’s death and his parents’ recent separation, William finds comfort and a friend in his adopted dog, Riley. But when Riley causes injury to a neighbor’s horse, the dog is captured by animal-control officers and sentenced to be put to sleep. Will William be able to reverse the order and save his beloved pet?
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Billy and his hard-earned pair of coonhounds share adventure and victory as they hunt raccoons through the Ozark wilderness. But the trio’s triumphs turn to tragedy during an encounter with a mountain lion, and Billy is left to grieve the loss of his two best friends.
White Fang by Jack London
Born in the wild, a wolf named White Fang is captured and brutally “tamed” to be a sled dog and then a fighting dog. After being passed from one cruel owner after another, White Fang finally finds kindness and love in the hands of a humane master.
