Animals Recommended Books and Bestsellers

1Call of the Wild

By Jack London

In this novel (often mistakenly classified a children’s book) the main protagonist Buck, a St. Bernard/Collie mix, is abducted and sold to a trainer of sled dogs in Alaska. He adapts to the brutal conditions and is finally acquired by a loving man. When this new owner is killed, Buck follows the ‘call of the wild’ and joins a pack of wolves. (Summary written by Gesine)

2White Fang

By Jack London

<i>White Fang</i> (1906) was written as a companion to Jack London's successful <a href="http://librivox.org/call-of-the-wild-by-jack-london/"><i>Call of the Wild</i></a> (1903). It is the tale of a wild dog born in the wild and eventually brought to civilization. The story is viewed primarily through the eyes of its canine protagonist and deals with themes of morality and redemption. (Summary by Gord Mackenzie.)<br /><br /> Part 1, Chapter 1 read by Richard Hart<br> Part 3, Chapters 3 & 4 read by Stephen Gilbert<br> Part 4, Chapters 5 & 6 read by Todd Fadoir

3Typhoon

By Joseph Conrad

<i>Typhoon</i> is a short novel by Joseph Conrad, begun in 1899 and published in <i>Pall Mall Magazine</i> in 1902. It is a classic sea yarn that describes how Captain Macwhirr sails the Siamese steamer Nan-Shan into a typhoon. Other characters include the young Jukes and Solomon, the head engineer. The novel classically evokes the sea-faring life at the turn of the century. While Macwhirr is emotionally estranged from his family and crew, and though he refuses to consider an alternate course to skirt the typhoon, his indomitable will in the face of a superior natural force elicits grudging admiration. (Summary from Wikipedia)

4Freckles

By Gene Stratton-Porter

Freckles is a young man who has been raised since infancy in a Chicago orphanage. His one dream is to find a job, a place to belong and people who accept him despite his youth and the disability of having only one hand. He finds this place in the Limberlost Swamp, as a Limberlost guard of precious timber.<br /><br />In the process, he discovers a love for the wilderness and animals he encounters every day on his rounds and a burning desire to learn about all the new birds and plants he sees on his rounds every day. He also finds and falls in love with a girl he calls the "Swamp Angel." This is the story of his plucky courage in sticking to his job in the swamp, and his adventures in learning about the natural world he finds himself in every day. He is befriended by the "Bird Woman" and with her help learns to love the Limberlost he has been hired to guard. (Summary by Mary Anderson)

5His Dog

By Albert Payson Terhune

Albert Payson Terhune, perhaps best known for his book <i>Lad, a Dog</i> (later turned into a popular movie), was also a breeder of collies and a journalist. Some of his collie lines survive to this day.<br /><br /><i>His Dog</i> is a story about Link Ferris who finds an injured dog on his way home one evening. Knowing nothing about dogs, Link nurses the dog back to health and the two form a bond such as only can be formed between human and canine. Unable to locate the collie's owner, Link christens his dog 'Chum' who becomes invaluable in tending to the daily needs of his meager farm.<br /><br />Unknown to Ferris however, Chum's original owners have been looking for their lost collie, and the story finds Link torn between that which he knows is morally right and his love for what he believes has become <i>his dog</i>. (Summary by Roger Melin)

6Saudades: Historia de Menina e Moça

By Bernardim Ribeiro

"Saudades" é o primeiro romance pastoril escrito em língua portuguesa. É também conhecido como "História de Menina e Moça' ou somente "Menina e Moça", em razão da primeira frase do livro: "Menina e moça me levaram de casa de minha mãe para muito longe". Publicado pela primeira vez em 1554, o romance é considerado o precursor do gênero bucólico em Portugal, e por isso tornou-se importante, mesmo que inacabado. A linguagem do romance, semelhante à dos árcades de um século depois e repleta de misticismo, é comparada à da Bíblia, nos cânticos e salmos. O texto agrega elementos das novelas de cavalaria, do romance pastoril e da novela sentimental. O enredo, contado sempre do ponto de vista feminino, desenvolve-se a partir de histórias intercaladas, ligadas todas pelo desencontro amoroso e pelo fatalismo do sofrimento. Quase nada se sabe da vida de seu autor, cujas obras se resumem a dois romances e um punhado de poemas, alguns dos quais constam do Cancioneiro Geral de Garcia e Resende. (Sumário por Leni)

7Dog of Flanders

By Ouida

"Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world." So begins the poignant story of the two orphans who were to become inseparable companions. They were Nello, an orphaned youth, and Patrasche, the dog which he and his grandfather saved from near death one day. The tale takes place outside of Antwerp, and so popular has this story become that there is a commemorative statue of Nello and Patrasche standing in the village yet today. The story is powerful, and masterfully written by Marie Louise de la Ramée under the pseudonym Ouida. (Summary by Roger Melin)

8Call of the Wild (Version 2)

By Jack London

This is the story of Buck, dog napped from sunny California to snowy Arctic during the Alaska gold rush. This deservedly famous book has been already recorded by LibriVox and downloaded more than 100,000 times. Why, then, would anyone suggest another recording? Because this will be a Solo recording. One of the joys of LibriVox is also a source of frustration for some listeners. That is, getting used to a narrator just in time for it to change! So, with apologies to Gordon, Kristin, Jean, and Miette, I am doing a solo. (Introduction by Tom Crawford)<br /><br /> Please be aware this book contains graphic descriptions of unspeakable animal cruelty and violence.

9White Fang (Version 2)

By Jack London

When White Fang is birthed in a cave to a wolf sire and a wolf/dog halfbreed dam, he is heir to two traditions. At first he is content to explore and learn laws of the Wild. But then his mother is caught and held by old memories of a past relationship with Man, and White Fang follows her into service with the Indians. Life among sled dogs is hardly less cruel and dangerous than living in the Wild, but brutality notches upward when his drunken master sells him to a nasty, twisted hanger-on at a riverside town of white men. He is stripped of everything soft and gentle when forced to fight to the death for a crowd of bettors.<br><br>Taming this savage spirit and reclaiming the nobility within looks impossible. Fortunately, and heart-warmingly, a man arrives in White Fang's life to try.<br><br>"White Fang" is often called the mirror image of Jack London's acclaimed "The Call of the Wild" in which a dog follows the reverse arc from tame to free. (summary by Mark)

10Call of the Wild (Version 3)

By Jack London

Buck is living a happy life in California until he is sold to pay a gambling debt. Taken to the Klondike to become a sled dog, Buck must toughen up and learn the harsher rules of survival in the North. One of the first of these is how to deal with being harnessed in the same team as a dog that wants to kill him.<br><br>Large, strong and smart, Buck toughens to his new life. But even the toughest dog can be worn down by constant work, and after 3,000 miles of pulling sleds, Buck nears the end of his rope.<br><br>Cast away as no longer useful, Buck is acquired by greenhorns whose inexperience nearly kills him, but after being saved by John Thornton, he at last finds a man he can love.<br><br>Then on a remote gold-hunting expedition, Buck hears a call emanating from the woods and speaking to the wild heart of his distant ancestors. The lure of it almost balances the great love he bears for Thornton, but events take him away from his old life... and into legend. (summary by Mark F. Smith)

1Concerning Cats: My Own and Some Others

By Helen M. Winslow

"I have known, and loved, and studied many cats, but my knowledge of her (Pretty Lady, a cat) alone would convince me that cats love people--in their dignified, reserved way, and when they feel that their love is not wasted; that they reason, and that they seldom act from impulse."<br/><br/> The thoughts of Helen Winslow, a thoughtful and articulate cat friend, about the cats in her life. (Summary by Karen Merline)

2Bird Study Book

By Thomas Gilbert Pearson

Do you enjoy bird watching? Would you like to learn a little more about the early conservation efforts to protect wild birds? In the Preface to The Bird Study Book, Pearson tells us “This book was written for the consideration of that ever-increasing class of Americans who are interested in acquiring a greater familiarity with the habits and activities of wild birds. Attention is also given to the relation of birds to mankind and the effect of civilisation on the bird-life of the country. ” An avid ornithologist, T. Gilbert Pearson (1873-1943) was a co-founder in 1905 of the National Association of Audubon Societies of which he was first secretary and then president for many years. He was also a pioneer of the conservation movement in the United States, international bird protection and broad nature education for school-aged children. (Audubon Magazine. 42: 370–371. Nov-Dec 1943)

"Mrs. Beeton's" is a guide to all aspects of running a household in Victorian Britain. Published in 1861, it was an immediate bestseller, running to millions of copies within just a few years. In the cookery sections, Mrs. Beeton follows the animal "from his birth to his appearance on the table.” Learn how to care for poultry during moulting season, how to wean calves, how to cure hams, salt cod, carve mutton, and much more. (Summary by Wikipedia and Sarah Jennings)

4Life of the Spider

By Jean-Henri Fabre

Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre was a French entomologist and author. He was born in St. Léons in Aveyron, France. Fabre was largely an autodidact, owing to the poverty of his family. Nevertheless, he acquired a primary teaching certificate at the young age of 19 and began teaching at the college of Ajaccio, Corsica, called Carpentras. In 1852, he taught at the lycée in Avignon. (Summary from Wikipedia)

Squirrels and other Fur-Bearers, a collection of essays by American naturalist and essayist, John Burroughs, provides fascinating insight into the daily life of small woodland creatures. Included in these essays are Burroughs' personal observations of squirrels, rabbits, mink, and chipmunks, as well as numerous other small mammals. Highly recommended for anyone, both young and old, with an interest in nature and wildlife. (summary by Laura Caldwell)

6Beautiful Joe

By Marshall Saunders

Beautiful Joe is a real dog, and "Beautiful Joe" is his real name. He belonged during the first part of his life to a cruel master, who mutilated him in the manner described in the story. He was rescued from him, and is now living in a happy home with pleasant surroundings, and enjoys a wide local celebrity.<br></br>The character of Laura is drawn from life, and to the smallest detail is truthfully depicted. The Morris family has its counterparts in real life, and nearly all of the incidents of the story are founded on fact. (Summary by Marshall Saunders)

7Stickeen

By John Muir

A great dog story, a well told tale--the naturalist and adventurer John Muir recounts how he and his companion, a dog named Stickeen, each, alone, confronted and conquered their fears of an icy Alaskan glacier in 1880. (Summary by Sue Anderson)

8Arabian Art of Taming and Training Wild and Vicious Horses

By P. R. Kincaid and John J. Stutzman

Back in the day before automobiles, a good horse trainer and veterinarian was the equivalent of “Mr Goodwrench”. A badly behaving or unhealthy equine was equivalent to breaking down on the highway or running out of gas on a lonely stretch of highway somewhere in Utah. My sources tell me that most of the training methods are ok, but stay away from the medical tips unless you are prepared to become the poster boy or girl for the local SPCA. Listen with tongue in cheek, and check with a professional before attempting any of these techniques on a real animal.<br /> (Mike Vendetti, narrator)

9Birds in the Calendar

By Frederick G. Aflalo

Delightful sketches of British wild birds - a bird for every month of the year from the pheasant in January to the robin in December. This collection of articles, reprinted in book form from the periodical The Outlook, is full of fascinating information about bird behaviour and habitat, as well as many interesting anecdotes. (Summary by Ruth Golding)

<i>Naturalis Historia</i> (Latin for "Natural History") is an encyclopedia published circa AD 77-79 by Pliny the Elder. It is one of the largest single works to have survived from the Roman empire to the modern day and purports to cover the entire field of ancient knowledge, based on the best authorities available to Pliny. The work became a model for all later encyclopedias in terms of the breadth of subject matter examined, the need to reference original authors, and a comprehensive index list of the contents. The scheme of his great work is vast and comprehensive, being nothing short of an encyclopedia of learning and of art so far as they are connected with nature or draw their materials from nature. The work divides neatly into the organic world of plants and animals, and the realm of inorganic matter, although there are frequent digressions in each section. He is especially interested in not just describing the occurrence of plants, animals and insects, but also their exploitation (or abuse) by man, especially Romans. The description of metals and minerals is particularly detailed, and valuable for the history of science as being the most extensive compilation still available from the ancient world. (Summary from Wikipedia)<br></br>This volume one includes the first five books, covering the following subjects:<br/><br/> Book 1- Dedication<br>Book 2 - An account of the world and the elements<br>Books 3 to 5 - An account of countries, nations, seas, towns, havens, mountains, rivers, distances, and peoples who now exist or formerly existed