Books like The Grizzly Maze — picked by fans

I love this book for its fabulous sense of place, nonstop action, and realistic depiction of the rough-and-tumble Yukon during the 1890s Gold Rush.

The protagonist may be a dog but Buck, the good-heard Saint Bernard we meet as affable and innocent puppy, is I truly believe one of the most unforgettable characters in the history of adventure novels. His transition to a feral state is utterly believable as the book unfolds the darkness that lies at the heart of all too many men and the often violent chain of events that causes Buck to seek a new life.

I have read this book three times, and each time, it continues to amaze me. 

Okay, I confess this is the same story as the recommendation above, The Elephants Come Home, but this is written by the actual guy, Lawrence Anthony, who undertook this effort.

Also, instead of a picture book, it is a 380-page tale told by the person who lived it. If you love The Elephants Come Home, you’ll want to read Elephant Whisperer as well.

I found myself exclaiming again and again over the stories that Anthony tells of life on the sanctuary.

The central theme of The Winter Horses involves an almost extinct horse breed (Przewalski) with ties to prehistoric cave horses located in the middle of one of the worst wars in our human history, World War Two. As starvation and Nazi occupation reduce the humanity within, heroes surface to protect not only the horses but the desperate survivors who have adapted to living on the fringe. The book has much to recommend besides the local saviors, a young female Jewish teen surfaces who is on the run and befriends the horses. She along with the past horse caretaker precariously exist within the occupation, until she is forced to lead the horses away from death, through a snowy and treacherous terrain all while being pursued. This book explores the importance of protecting our fragile almost extinct animals, counterbalanced with highlighting the horses’ strong adaptive abilities that allowed them to survive so… show more.

Shadow Horse, part of the Shadow Horse series starts immediately with action and tragedy, a young female teen is arrested for the assault of her grandfather’s employer. This in part seems to be in retaliation for the strange and mysterious death of her beloved horse, Whirlwind. Her life spirals downward with her grandfather’s sudden stroke and her court-ordered sentence of house arrest. She is relocated to a foster family on an animal and horse rescue farm for supervision. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it not only explores the extraordinarily complex relationships with horses and owners, but the problems involved with trusting again after a traumatic betrayal. And, if that was not enough, the writer intertwines all the above with a complicated who done it mystery involving horses which slowly puts the protagonist in dangerous, uncomfortable situations requiring her to find her inner strength and new allies.

What I found most enjoyable about If I Were a Bear is that it uses a rhyming text to share simple facts about various Alaskan bears. It’s a lovely combination of lyrical writing and nonfiction, with soft watercolor illustrations by Erik Brooks. Young children love hearing rhyming texts (their brains actually need rhythm and patterns for healthy development!), so whenever I find a book with well-written rhyme that conveys factual information, it’s a winner in my book!

Doughnuts and friends. Need I say more? This adorable rhyming picture book is a gem.

LouAnn has cooked up a delicious snack in anticipation of a long, winter nap when, Ding-Dong! A forest friend arrives. “Do you have enough for a neighbor to share?” asks Woodrow the woodchuck. “Sure,” says LouAnn, and she pulls up a chair. Can you imagine what comes next? Ding-Dong another visitor at the door!

Reminiscent of the old favorite, The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins, Dozens of Doughnuts is a counting book, but so much more. It’s about generosity, and the kind of open-hearted sharing that happens between good friends. 

This sweet, tiny Japanese book is part of a three-book series revolving around a little bear named Kuma Kuma Chan. The story perfectly captures what it feels like to go visit a friend who lives far away. Even though the visit is not particularly eventful, the moments shared drinking bear tea and eating gifted chocolates feel so relatable. The illustrations are simple and serene, paired with an equally quiet and sweet story of friendship.

The intrepid Bear from the bestselling Bear Snores On is back in a sweet Thanksgiving adventure. Fall is here and Bear decides to throw a feast for his friends. One problem: his cupboards are bare. But his friends arrive, one by one, each bringing something yummy to eat. Bear feels bad about letting his friends down, however the one thing they really want from Bear is to listen to his stories. Charming illustrations by Jane Chapman add to the fun.

In 2006, my daughter-in-law lost her battle with cancer. At the time, I couldn't find any books to explain to young children how to deal with a very sick friend. In 2019, Vanessa Bayer filled the gap with her great picture book on this important and delicate topic.

Tears came to my eyes as I read this beautiful story by an author who has survived this terrible illness. She tells us what she liked most about her friends while she was sick. Everybody facing cancer in his life should read this book. 

This is a great tale of a Bear named Bernard who thought there must be a better place to hibernate for the winter than a bear den. He has the perfect sleeping arrangement in mind. He wants a quiet, dry, not windy, extra room and some company, kind of place. Well, Bernard thought it would be easy, not so. He tried the frog’s lily pad and it was too wet. He sat in a bird’s nest with a bird but it was very windy, and so on. He finally meets a mouse who asks Bernard to describe the perfect sleeping arrangements. The mouse leads Bernard to the only place that would be perfect for a bear to sleep in. I love the message of this bear tale. It is about being yourself and not trying to be like everyone else. When you try to fit in, you realize that you… show more.