Booklist: A Boy And His Pet

I love booklists.  I read through every one I come across, though usually only add one or two to our To Read lists.   My oldest daughter has not needed a literature curriculum for a few years.  Instead I give her a list of book suggestions and she reads 20+ books per year "for school" and has her own books that she reads in her spare time. Lately my son has been interested in any books regarding nature, a boy, and adventures with his pet.  Here is my list for him.  He is 8 years old, and dyslexic, so one of us reads these to him or I find the audio book.


Rascal by Sterling North
A boy and his raccoon.  A classic and one of my childhood favorites. According to Mr. North raccoons are clean, intelligent, and need no house training.  Why haven't they replaced cats?

Gentle Ben by
A boy and his bear.  I kept having to remind my son that this was not a true story.  He really wanted it to be.  There were some sad parts involving the death of a beloved character, and references to past tragedies.

Justin Morgan Had A Horse by Marguerite Henry
A boy and the horse he loves.

Summer of The Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
A boy and his dog, and the monkeys who torment them.

Owls In The Family by Farley Mowat
A boy, his friends, and their menagerie of animals including two owls.  A true story. Lovely!

My Side of The Mountain and series by Jean Craighead George
A boy and his perregrine falcon.  Last year my son said these were the books that influenced him the most.  His goal is to live in the wild.

Little Britches and series by Ralph Moody
I love these books, maybe more than my son.  Though he says he likes these more than My Side Of The Mountain.  Ralph doesn't have one specific pet, but he loves horses and in several books he has a favorite horse that he works with.  These books offer so much more about life, values, and family. They are a treasure.

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A boy and his dream of owning a colt.

Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
A boy, his naturalist instincts, and the swans he admires.  Mostly it's about the swans.  Another childhood favorite.

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
I don't need to explain this one.  My son listened to the unabridged audio book, which is so much different than any of the movies.  Next will be "Kim".

Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
This one doesn't feature pets (though they do play a role),  but it's a must read for any budding naturalist.

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Gray Vining
A boy and his dog.  He loses his father and dog and goes on a search to find them both.  Placed in the 12th century.

Old Yeller by
Another classic.  An iconic boy and his dog book.