Biblio File, Children's Literature @ NYPL

Anything Is Paw-sible with These Literary Pups

Don't let the Library's lion mascot fool you; we have a lot of love for literary dogs. Our four-legged friends often find themselves at the heart of a great book, or tagging along for the adventure as a faithful human companion. Do you have other favorite bookish pups? Let us know in the comments below!

White Fang by Jack London

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


White Fang fromWhite Fang by Jack London
The adventures in the northern wilderness of a dog named White Fang, who is part wolf, and how he comes to make his peace with man. When White Fang lives among man-animals, he must learn to fend for himself. And when he finds himself with a man who is kind to him, he must learn to love.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Tock from The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams.

Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell

 

 

 

 


Clifford from Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
Emily Elizabeth loves her huge dog Clifford even though he is far from perfect. Clifford is a much beloved children's book character, and his adventures with Emily Elizabeth and friends can be followed through a charming series of books—there are even books about Clifford's first experiences as a small red puppy!

Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Lassie from Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight
Lassie is Joe's prize collie and constant companion. But when Joe's father loses his job, Lassie must be sold. Three times she escapes from her new owner, and three times she returns home to Joe, until finally she is taken to the remotest part of Scotland—too far a journey for any dog to make alone. But Lassie is not just any dog. First published in 1940, Lassie Come-Home has become one of the best-loved dog stories In the world. 

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Winn-Dixie from Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Little Ann and Old Dan from Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
A loving trio that ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of Oaklahoma. Old Dan had the brawn, Little Ann had the brains, and Billy had the will to make them into the finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. Where the Red Fern Grows is an exciting tale of love and adventure you'll never forget.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Buck from The Call of the Wild by Jack London
A story of survival depicted through a half-St. Bernard and half-Scottish shepherd named Buck. Stolen from his domestic home and thrown forcibly into the harsh and wild northern California woods, Buck must learn how to withstand the elements.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Toto from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Swept away from her home in Kansas by a tornado, Dorothy and her dog Toto find themselves stranded in the fantastical Land of Oz. As instructed by the Good Witch of the North and the Munchkins, Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road to try and find her way to the Emerald City and the Wizard of Oz, who can help her get home.With her companions the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy experiences an adventure full of friendship, magic and danger.

Book descriptions taken from NYPL catalog.

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Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

Comments

Patron-generated content represents the views and interpretations of the patron, not necessarily those of The New York Public Library. For more information see NYPL's Website Terms and Conditions.

Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres!

An Aussie classic.

Anything is Paw-sible

I was hoping to see Enzo from "The Art of Racing in the Rain."

Winn-Dixie

I'm reading Winn-Dixie to my 4th graders now and it's a huge hit! The only problem is they can't wait for me to finish and some students want my only copy. I love it when that happens because I know they're vested in the story.

Dirty Dog

One of my favourites is Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion!

Let’s not forget The

Let’s not forget The Incredible Journey.

Libraries matter.

Everyone needs the library!

Doggone!

Woof! Thank you for this list! I am Pepper the spokespuppy for the IFLA Section for Library Services to Multicultural Populations. We shared your list on our Twitter and FB.

Hound Penderwick!

Batty's loyal, goofy, constant companion in The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall.

When I was in 3rd grade my

When I was in 3rd grade my teacher read to us Because Of Winn-Dixie and her influence & that book is one of the reasons I am a librarian.

Don't forget Roger!

One of my favorite literary dogs is the scrappy mutt Roger in "My family and Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell. The relationship between Roger and the young narrator of the book is wonderful (and hilarious).

Marmaduke!

Even though the lovable Marmaduke was found in the form of comic strips, and not in a book, I enjoyed reading the comic strips very much. In fact, I still do today!

More dog books

Lad, a dog by Terhune ( Bruce, Chips, Wolf, etc Old Yeller Beautiful Joe by Saunders The Dog that wouldn’t be by Farley Mowat Greyfriars Bobby

Max

Don’t forget Dr. Seuss’s Max from How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Harold the dog from the

Harold the dog from the Bunnicula books has always been my favorite. He was a writer and his best friends were an academic cat and a vampire rabbit. You can't really beat that.

Literary pups

Travels with charley by john steinbeck

Anything Is Paw-sible with These Literary Pups

Love the selection of books, but how about A Dog’s Purpose especially Ellie’s story? The story about the service the loyal companions give to their masters.