I’m an animal person. A lot of my writing, for readers ages 10 and up, features animals. I am intrigued by the intersection of research-based reality and fiction. When I speak at schools, I love sharing ways students can make their voices and actions count. They can make the world better. I believe some of our best human traits are brought out when we interact with animals. They connect us to the natural world while sharing so many human qualities. Between the lines in these books about animals, we can discover strength and the inspiration to be the best humans we can be.
As a child, I spent time riding with my cousin, now a lifelong horsewoman and racehorse breeder. I was an avid horse book reader, so it made sense that this book hooked me from the start.
I love a nonfiction book that reads like a novel and takes me to times and places I’ve never been. This combines both. It’s masterfully written, filled with nuances of the 1930s and what horse racing could mean to people challenged by the Great Depression.
I found myself rooting for Seabiscuit, a horse no one thought would amount to much, and the men who trained and believed in him. This “throw-away” horse became a symbol of hope. I also loved the behind-the-scenes look into the racing world of the 1930s.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of the runaway phenomenon Unbroken comes a universal underdog story about the horse who came out of nowhere to become a legend.
Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes:
Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile to…
How often do I get to learn about preparing skeletons for museum displays, Civil War history, one of the greatest racehorses ever, and the legacy of racism in the U.S.? I love this novel because Brooks intertwines modern and historic times, horse racing, art, and science in the story of a majestic horse and the people who dedicated their lives to him.
I loved learning more about the legendary Thoroughbred, Lexington. I admire the way this book echoes and reflects how racism is still embedded in our culture. It entertained me but also left me with a lot to think about. A great read.
"Brooks' chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling." -The New York Times Book Review
"Horse isn't just an animal story-it's a moving narrative about race and art." -TIME
A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history
Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an…
Blood of the White Bear
by
Marcia Calhoun Forecki,
Virologist Dr. Rachel Bisette sees visions of a Kachina and remembers the plane crash that killed her parents and the Dine medicine woman who saved her life. Rachel is investigating a new and lethal hantavirus spreading through the Four Corners, and believes the Kachina is calling her to join the…
When I rode ferries in the Pacific Northwest, I was always thrilled to see a black and white orca, killer whale, breach and disappear, only to jump and splash again. Rosanne Parry’s middle grade novel takes you into their home beneath those coastal waters.
I love the research she did on orca pods and how climate change negatively impacts them. The book, from the whale’s point of view, shares with readers the interactions of whale families and differences between pods. I liked reliving my times on Puget Sound and the Inland Passage as well as learning more about orcas.
I hope this book leaves readers of all ages inspired to help wildlife and confront climate change.
"A spellbinding, heart-stopping adventure." -Booklist (starred review)
"A dreamily written, slyly educational, rousing maritime adventure." -New York Times Book Review
In the stand-alone companion to the New York Times-bestselling A Wolf Called Wander, a young orca whale must lead her brother on a tumultuous journey to be reunited with their pod. This gorgeously illustrated animal adventure novel explores family bonds, survival, global warming, and a changing seascape. Includes information about orcas and their habitats.
For Vega and her family, salmon is life. And Vega is learning to be a salmon finder, preparing for the day when she will be her…
This is a nonfiction picture book that the whole family can love about the unlikely bond between a stray dog and a Marine deployed in the Iraqi desert. I love both the text and the photos that show us the real Nubs and his buddy Brian.
I’m a sucker for dog stories anyway, but one about a dog and his Marine really touches me. As a Vietnamese friend once said to me, “There are no winners when war comes to you.” But Nub’s story shows us there can be moments of happiness and acts of kindness in the harshest circumstances. The dog’s persistence in finding his person is inspiring. I love that.
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This book is for kids age
6,
7,
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9.
What is this book about?
Major Dennis first met Nubs, a German Shepherd-Border Collie Mix and the leader of a pack of desert dogs, while patrolling one of the Iraqi border forts. Eventually, Dennis and Nubs formed a bond, strengthened by the fact that Dennis nurtured the dog back to health after a near fatal injury. When Brian's team relocated a full seventy miles away, he received an unlikely visitor: Nubs. Miraculously, the dog had trekked solo through below-freezing desert temperatures to find his favorite marine. With an outpouring of help from family and friends, Dennis raised enough money to transport Nubs back to San…
Blood of the White Bear
by
Marcia Calhoun Forecki,
Virologist Dr. Rachel Bisette sees visions of a Kachina and remembers the plane crash that killed her parents and the Dine medicine woman who saved her life. Rachel is investigating a new and lethal hantavirus spreading through the Four Corners, and believes the Kachina is calling her to join the…
Ivan was a real gorilla. I saw him years ago, so I felt immediately connected to this middle-grade novel. The real Ivan was a roadside attraction at Tacoma, Washington's B & I Circus Store. He lived alone in a glass-sided room watching television.
My family and I watched him rocking and pacing in about 1983. Even my preschoolers wanted to leave. So I loved reading Appelgate’s book, which was inspired by his story and written from the animals’ point of view. The animals take charge and create a happy ending.
In real life, when the public took up the lonely gorilla’s cause, Ivan was moved first to the Seattle Zoo and then the Atlanta Zoo. Hooray for Ivan. Our actions can have good consequences.
Inspired by a true story, this is the beautifully written tale of how a mighty gorilla wins his freedom. A winning blend of humour and poignancy that will appeal to fans of Michael Morpurgo.
This #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Award-winning novel is coming to the big screen this summer, with a star-studded cast including Sam Rockwell, Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Bryan Cranston, and more!
Ivan is an easy-going gorilla who has spent his life performing for the crowds at the Exit 8 shopping mall. He rarely misses…
The summer before ninth grade, Magic leaves home to work at her great-aunt’s horse ranch to escape being harassed. Her secret is out—she sees animals’ auras. When she witnesses a horse trailer crash, she tries to use her gifts to heal an injured filly without revealing how she’s doing it to her new community. What will it take to save Sierra Blue, and what will Magic learn about friends, truth, and all kinds of “different” along the way?
Follow Magic’s journey to California’s high Sierra, the racetracks of Los Angeles, and back again as she steps into becoming the young woman she is meant to be—with the help of true friends and a very special horse. For readers 10 to adult.
