Selections for World Animal Month
Animal books educate children on different species, and reading from an animal’s point of view can nurture empathy for that creature. Here are a few books that middle-graders can check out during this special month.
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Review: Grumpy the Gator
Grumpy the Gator, written by Melissa Henderson and illustrated by Mark Brayer, is a friendly book that’s easy for preschoolers and kindergarteners to comprehend. Even older kids can appreciate the message in this short story. This tale takes place in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, and I like how the narration sets the background. It…
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Review: The Bobtails Meet the Preacher’s Kid
Have you heard of a family that runs a dairy farm and deals with a pastor’s troublesome son? The Bobtails Meet the Preacher’s Kid is about such a family. This historical fiction by Arthur Yeomans is fitting for a fifth and sixth-grade audience. In this story, an aunt takes in four orphaned siblings. Yeomans does…
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Saving Samantha: A True Story
Saving Samantha: A True Story, written by Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen and illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen, tells the story of how Robbyn and her family rehabilitate a fox kit. Robbyn’s journal entries are intermingled throughout the story, describing their care for the fox and the adventures she has. The book starts out with Robbyn…
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Changing the Ending, with Owen Davey’s Laika
Laika (pronounced Like-ah) wasn’t the first dog sent into outer space, but she was one of the most, if not the most, famous cosmonaut dog. Owen Davey’s Laika: Astronaut Dog introduces kids to this canine hero who helped test the possibility of space travel. The book begins with a stray Laika roaming the streets of…
