RECOMMENDEDREADS JFICTION:ANIMALS
J MCKE, E
Elisabeth Sharp McKetta ARK
Arden is struggling with several losses in her life--her house, her best friend, and her dog--when the pandemic hits and upends everything else. As neighbors leave town, shut themselves away, and get sick, their pets are left behind, and Arden becomes the safe-keeper of all the abandoned animals.
J APPE, K
ONCE UPON A CAMEL
Kathi Appelt
Zada is a camel with a treasure trove of stories to tell. She’s won camel races for the royal Pasha of Smyrna, crossed treacherous oceans to new land, led army missions with her best camel friend by her side, and outsmarted a far too pompous mountain lion. But those stories were from before. Now, Zada wanders the desert as the last camel in Texas.
Nizrana Farook THE GIRL WHO LOST A LEOPARD J FARO, N
Twelve-year-old Selvi loves the animals that live on the mountains behind her home, particularly the beautiful golden leopard, Lokka, and she is determined to protect him from the hunter Jansz who both threatens not only Lokka, but Selvi's family as well.
CODE NAME BANANAS J WALL, D
David Walliams
Eleven-year-old Eric practically lives at the London Zoo. And there's one animal in particular he loves to spend time with: Gertrude the gorilla. But with German bombs raining over London, Eric realizes Gertrude is in terrible danger, and together with his Uncle Sid, a keeper at the zoo, the three go on the run But while hiding out at the seaside, they uncover a top-secret Nazi plot
ZEUS: WATER RESCUE J CAME, W
W. Bruce Cameron
Some dogs were born to lend a helping hand (or paw!). Zeus, a chocolate lab puppy, is one of them. With his courage, smarts, and strength his purpose seems clear: he'll become a water rescue dog!
J HARG, K
JULIA AND THE SHARK
Kiran Milwood Hargrave
Ten-year-old Julia loves the mysteries of the ocean and marine biology, just like her scientist mother. Her family is spending the summer on a remote island where her mom is searching for the elusive Greenland shark, a creature that might be older than the trees, and so rare that it's only been seen a few times. But the ocean is reluctant to give up its secrets. Determined to prove that the shark is real, Julia sets off on a quest to find it herself, armed with a set of coordinates, a compass, and her trusty rain jacket.
Dave Eggers THE EYES & THE IMPOSSIBLE J EGGE, D
Free dog Johannes' job is to observe everything that happens in his urban park and report back to the park's three bison elders, but changes are afoot, including more humans, a new building, a boatload of goats, and a shocking revelation that changes his view of the world.
Chris Grabenstein DOG SQUAD J GRAB, C
Fred is a pretty average dog. He's scrappy. He's loveable. But he's not brave like his heroes on Dog Squad. Fred looks an awful lot like Duke from Dog Squad though In fact, when Duke needs a stand-in, Fred's the perfect choice. But the Dog Squad action doesn't always stop on screen!
Cynthia Kadohata SAUCY J KADO, C
Being a quadruplet can make it hard to stand out from the crowd. Becca’s three brothers all have something that makes them them. Becca is the only one with nothing to make her special. But when she finds a tiny, sick piglet on the side of the road, Becca knows this is it. This is her thing.
CRESS WATERCRESS
Gregory
Maguire
When Papa doesn't return from a nocturnal honeygathering expedition, Cress holds out hope, but her mother assumes the worst. It's a dangerous world for rabbits, after all. Mama moves what's left of the Watercress family to the basement unit of the Broken Arms Can a dead tree full of annoying neighbors, and no Papa, ever be home?
Saadia Faruqi MUST LOVE PETS: FRIENDS FUR-EVER J FARU, S
Imaan Bashir loves dogs, but she doesn't have one Yet. When one of Imaan's neighbors needs a last minute pet-sitter for her dog, Sir Teddy, a great idea is hatched to show her mom she should have her own dog. Imaan and her friends will step in as pet-sitters! But the reality of pet-sitting is a little more complicated
GABBY GETS IT TOGETHER J GN FAIR, N
Nathan Fairbairn
Meet best friends Gabby Jordan, Priya Gupta, and Mindy Kim. They're different in just about every way- personalities, hobbies, family, and more -- but they have a few important things in common: they're all in the same class, they absolutely love animals, and for reasons that are as varied as the trio themselves none of them can actually have any pets.
Sara Pennypacker PAX, JOURNEY HOME J PENN, S
It's been a year since Peter and his pet fox, Pax, have seen each other. Once inseparable, they now lead very different lives. When one of Pax's kits falls desperately ill, he turns to the one human he knows he can trust. Now both boy and fox find themselves on journeys toward home, healing--and each other, once again
NIMBUS J ELDR, J
Jan Eldredge
Nimbus had a rough start as a kitten But her fortunes changed the day she met Fletcher, who nursed her to health and adopted her. When Fletcher's aunt brings home a mysterious jar, an ancient nightmare demon is unleashed. Despite battling the monster to save her friend, Fletcher's superstitious aunt blames Nim for the attack and secretly abandons her at a dump.
Victoria Piontek BETTER WITH BUTTER J PION, V
Afraid of absolutely everything, 12-year-old Marvel momentarily forgets her anxiety when she rescues a fainting goat named Butter and must fight for her new friend when she is told she might have to give Butter up forever.