Animal books

With Christmas on the way, I must again face the fact that I am congenitally unable to give anything other than books as presents. I would be interested in members' recommendations for animal books for a 9-10 year-old.

She still enjoys the likes of Holly Webb's Lost in the snow series and Betty Birney's According to Humphrey series. Other recent reads include Marilyn Edwards's Magnificat, Andrew Cope's Spy pups treasure quest and Michael Morpurgo's The butterfly lion.

She has also enjoyed meatier stuff, Jack London's Call of the wild and White Fang, Anna Sewell's Black Beauty and Bryce Thomas's Rhamin.

She is as happy with a s/h h/bk book as a new paperback, so, in print or out, what would members recommend to prime her bookshelf for the year ahead?

Oh, my. Where do I begin?

Instead of listing a slew of books and authors, let me link you to a thread about animal books called "Dog and Pony Show":

http://www.librarything.com/topic/160576

Have fun!

Might she be ready for the Redwall series by Brian Jacques?

Tailchaser's song by Tad Williams and the famous Watership Down are possibles. Tale of Despereaux is great. Charlotte's web is an obvious must read. King of the Wind for horse lovers or the Black Stallion series or Misty of Chicoteague (or whatever the spelling).
-Kim

Some of my 10yo's favorites with animals have been the Molly Moon series, Sue Bentley's books, the Freddy series, and the Babymouse graphic novels.

Wildwood is an ambitious choice, but age-appropriate and full of talking animals.

Tarka the Otter is great for UK-based kids of that age - especially editions that have Charles Tunnicliffe's wonderful line drawings. I remember being traumatised by Watership Down. It's the perfect age to receive (non-fiction, I know) a field guide or two - the Guide to Garden Wildlife, superbly illustrated by Richard Lewington, or maybe a bird book, like the RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds?

How about Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck -- a story about mice on a transatlantic voyage.

The One and Only Ivan is another good one, about a gorilla in a shopping mall zoo. It has its sad moments, but the ending is ultimately hopeful.

Animal book authors off the top of my head:

Glenn Balch (almost anything, the Tack ranch books and White Ruff are my favs)
Jack O'Brien (first 3 Silver Chief books)
Jim Kjelgaard (almost anything, but Big Red is great)
Fred Gipson (Old Yeller, Savage Sam)
Rudyard Kipling (especially The Jungle Book)
James Oliver Curwood (Kazan, Baree, The Bear)
Albert Payson Terhune (author of Lad A Dog, etc.)

Many thanks for the suggestions.

#2. The "Dog and Pony Show" thread has lots of good recommendations; I wouldn't have thought of Gerald Durrell or The one hundred and one dalmatians.

#5. I'm afraid she knows all about Sue Bentley's books. Her collection of Magic kitten/puppy/ponies books is second only to her Rainbow fairies collection. I'd not heard of the other series you mention. Thanks.

#6. Tarka the otter looks like a shoo-in. I always associate Watership Down with that maudlin song 'Bright eyes', but I guess that, as usual, the film doesn't really reflect the book. Field guides are a good idea; I remember making good use of a couple of Observer's Books at that age. She already has RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds and I think Llyfr natur Iolo still lives under her pillow (I swear there are over a dozen books under there, plus the tooth fairy's payments for the last two teeth), but perhaps a butterfly and moth guide.

The book of Watership Down is not to be mentioned in the same breath as the movie!

Disregard the movie, forget it was ever made, and get lost in the book. :)

Addition: I currently am reading Jane Yolen's Pit Dragon series. Dragon's Blood is the first book, and I recommend it.

I realize this is too late for Christmas - but I thought I'd just mention that Holly Webb has some books aimed at a slightly older aged child than the Lost in the Snow series. Dogmagic, Catmagic and others (if I remember rightly there's a rabbit, hamster and possibly a mouse as well - all similarly titled) as this may be of use at some point to you.

There's also Lauren St John's The Dolphin Song and The White Giraffe - I haven't read these, but know that some of her other Laura Marlin 'mystery' books were very well received by children of about 10/11 at the local school.

Another popular series was Wild Rescue by Jan Burchett and Sara Vogler - this series deals with twins who help rescue various animals in peril - tigers in the Sumatran rainforest in danger of poachers, orangutans in a Borneo jungle endangered by forest fire, orphaned polar bear cubs in Alaska and so on - depending where you are they seem to have slightly different titles.