Animals have always been some of my very best friends. I believe in guardian angels, and I believe animals come to us when we need them most. As children, animals help us to believe in ourselves, they soothe the hurts that come from being misunderstood. When we forget, animals carry a knowing beyond words, with every purr, and chirp, and bark, and nuzzle, they remind us that we are loved. I hope you enjoy these books that celebrate the love of animals and the many ways they help us heal.
I adore this book about a rambunctious, but lovable, dog named Broccolli who lives at an animal shelter, awaiting his perfect home. Beautifully illustrated, and written with a good dose of humor, readers will love following Broccolli’s antics as he shows off his many clever (but loud) skills. How will he ever find a home? Broccolli shows us there is a perfect match for every one of us. And that we don’t need to be perfect to be perfectly loved.
Broccoli is a lovable but rambunctious dog who wants to find a home in this fetchingly fun picture book! Broccoli lives at Beezley’s Animal Shelter and loves to show off his bowl-tossing and tail-chasing skills—and especially his great big BARK! He dreams of playing in a yard with a boy. But when a boy named Oscar comes looking for his perfect pet, Broccoli is hidden away. Will Broccoli find his perfect home?
I love this beautifully written story of friendship and loss. No life is without struggle. But when it comes, animals have an uncanny ability to reach into our hearts and to soothe the ache. Readers will fall in love with ten-year-old Opal who finds hope and friendship where she least expects it – in a grocery store! The spirited stray dog, which she names Winn Dixie, turns out to be more than a furry face in need of a home. He reminds Opal that hurts can heal, and that forgiveness has a power all its own.
Funny and poignant, this 2001 Newbery Honor novel captures life in a quirky Southern town as Opal and her mangy dog, Winn-Dixie, strike up friendships among the locals.
One summer's day, ten-year-old India Opal Buloni goes down to the local supermarket for some groceries - and comes home with a dog. But Winn-Dixie is no ordinary dog. It's because of Winn-Dixie that Opal begins to make friends. And it's because of Winn-Dixie that she finally dares to ask her father about her mother, who left when Opal was three. In fact, as Opal admits, just about everything that happens that…
Selected by Deesha Philyaw as winner of the AWP Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction, Lake Song is set in the fictional town of Kinder Falls in New York’s Finger Lakes region. This novel in stories spans decades to plumb the complexities, violence, and compassion of small-town life as the…
Every so often there is a perfect pairing of word and image. This is one of them. And even though this book is not about real animals, the characters A. A. Milne has dreamt up, and E.H. Shepard has given a face to, have the very real attributes of our beloved animal companions. Readers young and old will appreciate the charming, and often wise words of Winnie the Pooh and his companion, Piglet, as they bestow the value of true friendship. And for Christopher Robin, their guardian, the very real bond of unconditional love.
Join Pooh and his freinds for more delightful adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood: from building a house for Eeyore and finding a Wolery for Owl, to playing Poohsticks and trying unbounce Tigger!
A perfect book to celebrate summer and the magic of nature. Nicky is not eager to vacation at his grandmother’s country home. But nature and the animals have a different plan. And when the two find each other among the banks of a peaceful river, a delightful friendship unfolds. I love this book for its beauty, sense of peace, and quiet adventure. Surrounded by the splendor of nature is a call to come home, to quiet our minds and to see the world as animals do. With the animals to inspire him, Nicky not only discovers a talent for art but a reverence for the world around him.
This gorgeous picture book celebrates the wonders of summer adventures, imagination, and the natural world.
Nicky is convinced that his summer with his grandmother in the Wisconsin woods is going to be the worst summer ever. She cooks food that he doesn’t like, there’s an art studio where her living room should be, and he’s expected to do chores—including fishing, the most boring chore ever.
But one afternoon, while Nicky is trying to catch their dinner, a raft drifts down the river towards him. The raft has a calming magic about it, affecting both Nicky and the wildlife of the…
A corrupt kingdom. A rising darkness. Can a broken warrior save a world?
Mithranar is a country divided by ignorance and magic. Oppressed by their winged folk rulers, humans struggle to eke out an existence. Their only help comes from the mysterious Shadowhawk, a criminal who has evaded all attempts…
Please here me when I say you haven’t read The Wind in the Willows until you’ve read the version illustrated by Inga Moore. Her depictions of animals are charming, witty, and imagined with great skill. In this beloved tale, a humble mole – eager for adventure - sets out across the English countryside. With newfound friends, the plucky River Rat, wise Badger, and the spirited Toad, Moley discovers beauty he had never seen, danger he could not imagine, and most of all, a profound understanding. Like our own animal companions, our dear Mole reminds us that the simple things – honest friendship, a meal to share, and a place to call home are the recipe for ‘happily ever after.’
Spend a season on the river bank and take a walk on the wild side . . .
Spring is in the air and Mole has found a wonderful new world. There's boating with Ratty, a feast with Badger and high jinx on the open road with that reckless ruffian, Mr Toad of Toad Hall. The four become the firmest of friends, but after Toad's latest escapade, can they join together and beat the wretched weasels?
PLUS A behind-the-scenes journey, including author profile, a guide to who's who, activities and more.
Madeline Finn is a struggling reader who just can’t find her voice. But everything changes when she meets Bonnie, the Library Dog. Reading to Bonnie is different. “Bonnie doesn’t laugh when I mess up on a word. Instead, she puts her big paws in my lap and lets me pet her until I figure it out.” But soon, Madeline Finn has to read in school – without Bonnie. Inspired by the therapy dogs at Lisa’s local library, this tale of struggle, persistence, and the power of unconditional love will resonate with readers young and old.
The first in the Madeline Finn series, Madeline Finn and the Library Dog was awarded the Children’s Choice ‘Book of the Year’ and has been translated into 23 languages.
Mother of Trees is the first book in an epic fantasy series about a dying goddess, a broken world, and a young elf born without magic in a society ruled by it.
When the ancient being that anchors the world’s power begins to fail, the consequences ripple outward—through prophecy, politics,…
The Strange Case of Guaritori Diolco
by
Bill Hiatt,
Guaritori awakens from a coma to find that he's lost twenty years--and his entire world.
Fiancée, family, and friends are all missing, perhaps dead. Technology has failed, and magic has risen, leaving society in ruins. Most survivors are at the mercy of anyone who has strong enough magic. Guaritori has…
