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The Yearling
by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
A young boy's struggles to come to terms with the harsh realities of life in the rural south.
Young Jody Baxter lives with his parents, Ora and Ezra "Penny" Baxter, on a small farm in the animal-filled central Florida backwoods in the 1870s. His parents had six other children before him, but ... (Wikipedia)
Where the Red Fern Grows
by Wilson Rawls
A young boy embarks on an adventure with his beloved hunting dogs, learning valuable life lessons.
An old man named Billy Colman rescues a redbone hound under attack by neighborhood dogs. He takes it home with him so that its wounds can heal. In light of this event, he has a flashback to when he ... (Wikipedia)
Old Yeller
by Fred Gipson
A boy and his dog's adventure of loyalty and courage during the Wild West.
In the late 1860s in the fictional town of Salt Licks, Texas, young Travis Coates has been working to take care of his family ranch with his mother and younger brother, Arliss, while his father goes ... (Wikipedia)
Rascal
by Sterling North
A boy and his pet raccoon, Rascal, have adventures in the woods and learn about life and loss.
Subtitled "a memoir of a better era", North's book is about being young and having a pet raccoon. Rascal chronicles young Sterling's loving yet distant relationship with his father, dreamer David ... (Wikipedia)
Lassie Come-Home
by Eric Knight
A loyal collie travels hundreds of miles to return to her beloved family, facing many dangers along the way.
A beloved classic gets a beautiful new look. Lassie is Joe's prize collie and constant companion. But when Joe's father loses his job, Lassie must be sold. Three times she escapes from her new owner, ... (Goodreads)
The Black Stallion
by Walter Farley
A young boy's friendship with a wild horse, overcoming challenges and finding courage.
Published originally in 1941, this book is about a young boy, Alec Ramsay who finds a wild black stallion at a small Arabian port on the Red Sea. Between the black stallion and young boy, a strange ... (Goodreads)
National Velvet
by Enid Bagnold
A young girl named Velvet trains a horse to win the Grand National race, defying gender norms and societal expectations.
National Velvet is the story of a 14-year-old girl named Velvet Brown, who trains and rides her horse, named The Piebald, to victory in the Grand National steeplechase . The novel focuses on the ... (Wikipedia)
The Incredible Journey
by Sheila Burnford
Three pets embark on an epic journey to find their owners.
The animals' owners, the Hunters, leave to go to England for several months because Jim, the father, is scheduled to give a series of university lectures there. They leave their pets in the care of ... (Wikipedia)
The Amityville Horror
by Jay Anson
A family's terrifying ordeal in a haunted house, where the supernatural lurks in the shadows.
The book, purportedly based on a true story, describes the house at 112 Ocean Avenue as remaining empty for 13 months after the DeFeo murders . In December 1975, George and Kathleen Lutz bought the ... (Wikipedia)
Lucky
by Jackie Collins
A young woman rises to fame and fortune in Hollywood, but must navigate the dark side of the industry to protect herself and those she loves.
SHE’S A HOT-BLOODED BEAUTY IN LOVE WITH POWER, HUNGRY FOR PLEASURE… WILD, NOTORIOUS, TROUBLE… SHE’S… LUCKY. THE FABULOUS HEROINE OF CHANCES RETURNS. With the sensual grace of a panther, Lucky ... (Goodreads)
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
by Hugh Lofting
A doctor's magical adventures with animals and his quest to save a distant land.
John Dolittle , MD, is a respected physician and quiet bachelor living with his spinster sister Sarah in the small English village of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. His love of animals grows over the years ... (Wikipedia)
Bambi
by Felix Salten
A beloved tale of a young deer's journey from innocence to understanding the circle of life.
Bambi is a roe deer fawn born in a thicket in late spring one year. Over the course of the summer, his mother teaches him about the various inhabitants of the forest and the ways deer live. When she ... (Wikipedia)
These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901
by Nancy E. Turner
A young woman's struggle for independence, chronicles her journey through the American Southwest.
“Belongs on your must-read list. This novel is a gem.” — Omaha World-Herald Nancy E. Turner's unforgettable, These Is My Words, melds the sweeping adventures and dramatic landscapes of, Lonesome ... (Barnes & Noble)
Pay It Forward
by Catherine Ryan Hyde
A young boy's inspiring acts of kindness to others, sparking a movement of generosity and compassion.
When twelve-year-old Trevor McKinney begins seventh grade in Atascadero , California, his social studies teacher gives the class an assignment to devise and put into action a plan that will change ... (Wikipedia)
The Christmas Shoes
by Donna VanLiere
A journey of redemption and the power of love during the Christmas season.
Sometimes, the things that can change your life will cross your path in one instant-and then, in a fleeting moment, they're gone. But if you open your eyes, and watch carefully, you will believe.... ... (Goodreads)
Walk Two Moons
by Sharon Creech
A young girl embarks on a road trip with her grandparents to find her missing mother, while reflecting on her own life and relationships.
The novel is narrated by a 13-year-old girl named Salamanca (Sal). Sal's mother has recently left Sal's father, and Sal's grandparents are taking her on a cross-country car trip to Lewiston, Idaho to ... (Wikipedia)
Go Ask Alice
by Beatrice Sparks
A teenage girl's diary chronicling her journey into drug addiction and eventual redemption.
In 1968, a 15-year-old girl begins keeping a diary, in which she records her thoughts and concerns about issues such as crushes, weight loss, sexuality, social acceptance, and relating to her ... (Wikipedia)
Ida B. . . and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and
by Katherine Hannigan
Ida B. is a spunky, imaginative girl who loves her apple orchard, but when her mother falls ill, she must learn to cope with change.
Ida B. Applewood believes there is never enough time for fun. That's why she's so happy to be homeschooled and to spend every free second outside with the trees and the brook. Then some not-so-great ... (Goodreads)
King Arthur and His Knights: Selected Tales
by Thomas Malory
A collection of stories of the legendary King Arthur and his heroic knights.
Thomas Malory, knight, adventurer, and soldier, was born in the early years of the fifteenth century and died on March 14, 1471, having spent much of the last twenty years of his life in prison. It ... (Goodreads)
Ruby Holler
by Sharon Creech
Twins find adventure and love with an eccentric couple in a magical place called Ruby Holler.
The story starts in the Boxton Creek Home, an 'orphanage' run by the Trepids - a strict and dishonest husband and wife. An imaginative thirteen-year-old boy named Dallas and his sassy and bold twin ... (Wikipedia)
The Other Queen
by Philippa Gregory
A powerful Tudor Queen battles her rival for the throne, while the fate of England hangs in the balance.
Mary Stuart , cousin to Queen Elizabeth , has fled to England after she has lost the support of the Scots after marrying Bothwell , whom the people believe murdered her second husband, Henry Stuart, ... (Wikipedia)
A Christmas Memory
by Truman Capote
A nostalgic tale of childhood innocence, exploring the bittersweet joys of the holiday season.
Narrated by an unnamed, seven-year-old boy who is referred to as "Buddy" by his older cousin, "A Christmas Memory" is about the narrator's relationship with his older, unnamed, female cousin, to whom ... (Wikipedia)
The Family Under the Bridge
by Natalie Savage Carlson
A homeless man's life changes when he meets a family living under a bridge in Paris.
In the early 1900s a Parisian hobo named Armand dislikes children; but after meeting three children, Suzy, Evelyn, and Paul and their mother – he reluctantly allows them to share his space under a ... (Wikipedia)
Different Seasons
by Stephen King
Four novellas exploring the power of morality, justice, and redemption.
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption–the most satisfying tale of unjust imprisonment and offbeat escape since The Count of Monte Cristo. Apt Pupil--a golden California schoolboy and an old man ... (Goodreads)
The Bronze Bow
by Elizabeth George Speare
A young man's journey of redemption, as he struggles with anger, violence and oppression.
This book is set in first-century Galilee . The main character, a young Jew named Daniel bar Jamin, who lives at the same time as Jesus of Nazareth . Daniel's father was killed in front of him, as an ... (Wikipedia)
The Red Queen
by Philippa Gregory
The story of Margaret Beaufort, a woman who would stop at nothing to see her son crowned King of England.
Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found, here, The second book in Philippa's stunning new trilogy, The Cousins' War, brings to life the story of Margaret Beaufort, a shadowy and ... (Goodreads)
The Complete Stories and Poems
by Edgar Allan Poe
A collection of dark and mysterious stories and poems, exploring the depths of the human condition.
This single volume brings together all of Poe's stories and poems, and illuminates the diverse and multifaceted genius of one of the greatest and most influential figures in American literary ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Great Gilly Hopkins
by Katherine Paterson
A foster child, Gilly, struggles to find her place in the world and learns the true meaning of family.
Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins is a mean, brat 11-year-old girl who is headed for yet another foster home . She hates living with different people all the time and just wants to settle in with her birth ... (Wikipedia)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith
A coming of age story set in Brooklyn, depicting a young girl's struggles and growth.
The novel is split into five "books", each covering a different period in the characters' lives. Book One opens in 1912 and introduces 11-year-old Francie Nolan, who lives in the Williamsburg ... (Wikipedia)
A Single Shard
by Linda Sue Park
A young orphan boy in 12th century Korea dreams of becoming a potter and sets out on a journey to prove himself.
Tree-ear is an orphan who lives under a bridge with Crane-man, a physically disabled man who took him in when Tree-ear was only a small child. Tree-ear is fascinated with the nearby potters in his ... (Wikipedia)
