Humane Education: Literature Wish List

Literature Wish List

The more that you read, the more things you’ll know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. (Dr. Seuss)

Books are an important component of our humane education programs. A good story can awaken the mind and stimulate discussion. Luckily, the public library is available to us, and we borrow their resources on a regular basis, but eventually, our goal is to maintain our own humane education library. If you would like to assist us in this endeavor, the following list of titles comprises our current “wish list”.

Animals Helping People:

Animals Helping With Special Needs (Oliver) – excellent resource. Covers different topics & different animals.
Emma and the Night Dogs (Aller) – search & rescue dogs find a boy lost in the woods.
Hero Dogs: Courageous Canines in Action (Jackson) – real photos; includes stories of September 11, 2001, FBI explosives dogs, and avalanche rescue dogs
My Buddy (Osofsky) great read aloud for the lesson on animals helping people; Details the way a paralyzed boy obtains his dog.
Panda, A Guide Horse for Ann (Hansen) – adorable photographs
The Right Dog for the Job (Ira’s Path From Service Dog to Guide Dog) (Patent) – beautiful photographs; details Ira’s training process from puppy to service dog
***Rosie: A Visiting Dog’s Story (Calmenson) dog visits hospitals; real photographs
Rugby & Rosie (Rossiter) a family trains a puppy to be a guide dog while their pet, Rugby makes a new friend
Shelter Dogs – Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays (Kehret) IL 3-8 about ten different stories of shelter dogs that have gone on to become therapy dogs, entertainment dogs etc.

Death:

A Dog Like Jack (DiSalvo-Ryan) – Jack is adopted from the shelter at 8 years old. He is a very well behaved pet. Years later when he dies, his ashes are buried at his favorite spot at the family’s summer home
Goodbye Mousie (Harris) IL P-3 – little boy goes through the stages of grief (paints shoebox, buries mouse)
A Special Place for Charlee (Morehead) - a tender, touching story of a family who's dog has died. Lovingly, the dog is remembered and the grief is addressed.
I’ll Always Love You (Wilhelm) – simple text about a boy’s old dog that dies.
Jasper’s Day (Parker & Wilson) –Jasper has one last special day before being euthanized for cancer. Boy takes photographs of his last day to use in a scrapbook.
Murphy & Kate (Howard) – beautifully written story of a girl who grows up with her dog; at 14 he dies and she realizes that her life has to go on, but that remembering Murphy would make her feel better.
***Saying Goodbye to Lulu (Demas) - girl takes care of aging pet; plants tree in memory

Non Fiction:

***Animals in the House (A History of Pets & People) (Keenan) – Tells the story of pets through the ages and the people who kept them, including famous pets and pet owners. Excellent resource.
***ASPCA pet care guides for kids. Various titles for different animals.
Adopting Pets – How to Choose Your New Best Friend (Gutman)
Cats (Amanda O'Neill) evolution, history, breeds, behavior, cat care
***Dogs for Kids! (Mehus-Roe) – very complete manual on dogs including the history of the dog, choosing a dog, health care, grooming, food, fun games & more. Lots of great photos.
ER Vets – Life in an Animal Emergency Room (Jackson) - includes lots of information regarding pet health care.
Everything Dog – What Kids Really Want to Know About Dogs (Crisp) – Uses a question-and-answer format to present a variety of information about dogs.
Freckles, the mystery of the little white dog in the desert (Howey) True story of an abandoned dog that's rescued from the desert and becomes a therapy dog working with the homeless, abused and otherwise at-risk children.
Is My Dog a Wolf? (Bidner) – Explains how dogs and wolves descended from the ancient wolf, but have evolved into very different animals, then discusses both the similarities and differences between how the two animals behave.
Kizzy (Williams) – Kizzy is a R.E.A.D. assistance dog. This non-fiction title in story format follows Kizzy as he works with various children and adults.
***Not Left Behind (Rescuing the Pets of New Orleans) (Best Friends Animal Society) - A collection of photographs & stories from the days following Hurricane Katrina. Very useful for a disaster preparedness lesson.
***Taking My Cat to the Vet (Kuklin) - follows a veterinarian visit step by step. Great photos.
***Taking My Dog to the Vet (Kuklin) - see above
To Love a Dog (Bare) – wonderful photographs; basic text, Explains all kinds of dogs, then addresses their needs (pictures of beds, toys, food, water, grroming etc.) Great for all ages.
Why Do Cats Meow? (Holub) Questions and answers present information about the history, behavior, and characteristics of cats and their interaction with humans. Easy to read format.
Why Do Dogs Bark? (Holub) - Questions and answers present information about the origins, behavior, and characteristics of dogs and their interaction with humans.

Picture Books:

A Dog’s Tale - (Reit) – A puppy is adopted by a little girl who is not experienced with pets, so the dog must teach her everything she needs to know to take care of him properly.
Bears Barge In (Sensel) – New houses and new neighbors mean new friends for Zack, a little boy who makes his home deep in the forest. But when animals begin turning up in odd places, including the bathtub, Zack discovers the wisdom of leaving space for his old friends - furred, feathered, and fanged - as well as his new ones.
Buddy Unchained (Bix) - Buddy, a mixed breed dog, is happy in his new home; he tells the story of his former life and how he was rescued.
Caesar – On Deaf Ears (Spiotta-Dimare, Loretta) – the rescue and training of Caesar, a deaf puppy.
Chewy Louie (Schneider) –A family may have to get rid of their new pet, a cute puppy that eats everything in sight, including toys, bowls, and porches.
Dog Blue (Polly Dunbar) Bertie, who loves the color blue and really wants a dog, finally gets his wish even though the dog he meets is white with black spots.
Emma's Elephant & Other Favorite Animal Friends (Ellwand) Gorgeous photographs and alliterative text showcases each child’s pet.
First Dog (Brett) – Kip the Cave Boy and Paleowolf each face hunger and danger on a journey in Paleolithic times; when they decide to join forces and help one another, Paleowolf becomes the first dog.
Go Home! The true story of James the Cat (Meggs) –A homeless cat spends several seasons trying to survive the elements until at last a suburban family adopts him.
I Can't Get My Turtle to Move (O'Donnell) A lively group of animals demonstrates numbers one through ten--except for one lazy turtle that just won't move.
I Really Want a Dog (Breslow & Blakemore) child explains how good he would be to a pet dog.
Jasmine : a true story from the Northeast Animal Shelter (Houk) – cat is left behind in an apartment when people move.
Libby and the Cat (Frenkel) –The story of a mischievous 3-year-old who teases the family cat until she learns how much better it is to be kind to it.
Lucky Boy (Boase) – A neglected dog finds a real home with an older man who needs a friend.
Marshmallow (Newberry) - Displeased with the intrusion of a new baby bunny into the household, Oliver the cat considers annihilating it.
***May I Pet Your Dog? (Calmenson) – Harry the dog explains how to safely meet him and his friends.
Morgan the Dog – The Day the Magic Began (Irbinskas) – An abandoned dog named Morgan hides under a blanket in his cage at the local animal shelter, certain no one would want a dog like him.
My Cat Maisie (Allen) – Andrew was a little boy who didn't have anyone to play with. When a scruffy ginger cat arrives at his house Andrew learns how to be gentle with her, and they become firm friends.
My Jack (Trapani) – A rhyming story about a fun-loving, loyal, and very big dog and the child who loves it.
Nobody’s Dog (Graeber) – After he is abandoned on River Road, Nobody's Dog uses his persistence to find a home
The Perfect Puppy for Me (O’Conner) – While waiting to get his very own puppy, a young boy spends time with various dogs and describes what the different breeds are like.
Pole Dog (Seymour) - An old dog is left by a telephone pole and waits and waits for someone to care for him.
***Tails Are Not for Pulling (Verdick) – board book.

Short Chapter Books/Early Readers:

***Animal Hospital (Walker-Hodge) (Eyewitness Readers level 2) - When two children find an injured duck and take it to a veterinarian at an animal hospital, they learn about the work of the hospital and of the doctor as she cares for the duck and other animals.
Brave Norman (Clements) – Norman, a blind Labrador retriever, saves a girl from drowning in the ocean.
The Bravest Dog Ever: the true story of Balto (Standiford) - Recounts the life of Balto, the sled dog who saved Nome, Alaska in 1925 from a diphtheria epidemic by delivering medicine through a raging snowstorm.
Scruffy (Parish) - Todd chooses a cat from the animal shelter for his birthday present.
Tara and Tiree, Fearless Friends (Clements) – When Jim falls through the ice on a lake in Canada, his two dogs try to rescue him.
Three Stories You Can Read to Your Cat (Miller) A cat hears three stories about a dull rainy day, a yummy bug, and a good day of destruction in the house.
Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog (Miller) Stories addressed to dogs and written from a dog's point of view, featuring such topics as a burglar, bones, and running free.

*** (indicates titles that we would especially like to own)