Through the eyes of Animals in Junior Fiction
These books all feature animal protagonists!
An army of frogs
Pryce, Trevor, author
2013
The frogs of Amphibilands have been protected by a group of poisonous frogs named the Kulipari and the turtle king's spell that cloaks their lands. Now the Spider Queen, and Lord Marmoo, leader of the scorpions threaten the spell.
Broken pride
Hunter, Erin, author
2017
For generations, the animals of the African plains have followed a single rule: only kill to survive. But when an unthinkable act of betrayal shatters the peace, the fragile balance between predators and prey will rest in the paws of three unlikely heroes.
The capture
Lasky, Kathryn, author
2003
When Soren, a barn owl, arrives at St. Aggie's, a school for orphaned owls, he suspects trouble and with his new friend, a clever elf owl named Gylfie, embarks on a perilous journey to save all owls from the danger at St. Aggie's.
Creatures of the flood
Hunter, Erin, author
2021
The pandas of the Bamboo Kingdom have never forgotten the great flood that ended the peaceful life they'd always known. But for three young creatures born that day, the flood marks not an end, but a beginning--the beginning of their struggles to find a place in very different worlds. Leaf, raised in the sparse Northern Forest, works tirelessly to help her family find bamboo to eat; Rain, hot-tempered, refuses to accept a suspicious new leader in her Southern Forest community; and Ghost, clumsy and uncoordinated, worries he'll never fit in with his hunter family in the mountains. None of them know that the others are out there, but thanks to a mysterious tiger that's been threatening the Kingdom, they will soon find each other--and fulfill a prophecy that had been made long before they were born.
Delphine and the silver needle
Moon, Alyssa, author
2021
When sixteen-year-old Delphine, a dressmaker mouse in Cinderella's chateau, learns of her connection to the Threaded, magical tailor mice of legend, she undertakes an epic quest to claim her identity.
The empty city
Hunter, Erin, author
2012
Lucky has always been a Lone Dog, roaming the busy city streets and relying on his instincts. Then the Big Growl strikes—a devastating earthquake that changes Lucky’s world forever. For the first time, he must team up with a Pack, a group of former Leashed Dogs who have been separated from their owners.
The familiars
Epstein, Adam Jay, author
2010
When a scrappy alley cat named Aldwyn passes himself off as a magical animal companion to Jack, a young wizard in training, Aldwyn and his fellow "familiars," a know-it-all blue jay and bumbling tree frog, must save the kingdom after the evil queen of Vastia kidnaps Jack and two other wizards.
Fire bringer
Clement-Davies, David, 1961-
1999
Chased by stags with antlers sharpened for the kill, Rannoch begins a treacherous journey into the unknown, to return one day to conquer the force that drove him away.
Into the wild
Hunter, Erin, author
2003
For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their ancestors. But the warrior code has been threatened, and the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger. The sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying—and some deaths are more mysterious than others. In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary housecat named Rusty... who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.
The last
Applegate, Katherine, author
2018
Byx is the youngest member of her dairne pack. Believed to possess remarkable abilities, her mythical doglike species has been hunted to near extinction in the war-torn kingdom of Nedarra. After her pack is hunted down and killed, Byx fears she may be the last of her species. The Endling. So Byx sets out to find safe haven, and to see if the legends of other hidden dairnes are true. Along the way, she meets new allies--animals and humans alike--who each have their own motivations for joining her quest. And although they begin as strangers, they become their own kind of family--one that will ultimately uncover a secret that may threaten every creature in their world." -- Amazon.com
The quest begins
Hunter, Erin, author
2008
Three young bears of different species--one black, one polar, and one grizzly--travel on a perilous quest to the Northern Lights, escorting a shape-shifting grizzly cub whose destiny will affect them all.
Silverwing : the graphic novel
Oppel, Kenneth, 1967- author
2023
Kenneth Oppel's compelling prose and Chris Steininger's dynamic illustrations work seamlessly together to reintroduce Shade to readers young and old. Shade is a young silverwing bat, the runt of his colony. But he's determined to prove himself on the long, dangerous winter migration to Hibernaculum, millions of wingbeats to the south. During a fierce storm, he loses the others and soon faces the most incredible journey of his young life. This new graphic-novel adaptation of Kenneth Oppel's seminal adventure, illustrated by renowned artist Christopher Steininger, promises to bring a new generation of readers to a story that has won readers' hearts the world over.
The snowcat prince
Norlund, Dina, author, artist
2023
Syv, a snowcat prince in line to take the throne following his father's death, embarks on a dangerous quest to find the long-lost magical crown that could break the curse on his land. But if he fails, Syv will be marked with three black stripes and banished from home forever. Along his journey, Syv will face dangerous beasts, dark powers, and the ever-lurking sand foxes--sworn enemies to the snowcats. But when Syv discovers the truth about the legends he was told as a child, he'll have to learn the new meaning of honor and find another way to break the curse.
The taken
Iserles, Inbali, author, illustrator
2015
Isla and her brother are two young foxes living just outside a human city, but one night Isla returns to her den to find it destroyed, and surrounded by strange, vicious foxes, so she takes refuge in the city while she masters foxcraft--the ancient magical arts of her kind.
Tiger, tiger
Banks, Lynne Reid, 1929-
2005
Two tiger cub brothers are taken from the jungle to ancient Rome, where one becomes the pampered pet of Caesar's daughter and the other becomes a man-eating "entertainment act" at the Colosseum.
A whale of the wild
Parry, Rosanne, author
2020
For Vega and her family, salmon is life. And Vega is learning to be a salmon finder, preparing for the day when she will be her family's matriarch. But then she and her brother Deneb are separated from their pod when a devastating earthquake and tsunami render the seascape unrecognizable. Vega must use every skill she has to lead her brother back to their family. The young orcas face a shark attack, hunger, the deep ocean, and polluted waters on their journey. Will Vega become the leader she's destined to be?
White fox in the forest
Chen, Jiatong, 1987- author.
2022
"With their hearts set on transforming into humans, white fox Dilah and his friends continue their quest, discovering hostile terrain, new friends, fearsome enemies, and an enchanted forest that may be the answer to all their prayers"-- Provided by publisher.
Wings of fire. Book one, The dragonet prophecy : the graphic novel
Deutsch, Barry, author
2018
Not every dragonet wants a destiny...Clay has grown up under the mountain, chosen along with four other dragonets to fulfill a mysterious prophecy and end the war between the dragon tribes of Pyrrhia. He's not so sure about the prophecy part, but Clay can't imagine not living with the other dragonets; they're his best friends. So when one of the dragonets is threatened, all five spring into action. Together, they will choose freedom over fate, leave the mountain, and fulfill their destiny - on their own terms.
Woodwalkers. Carag's transformation
Brandis, Katja, 1970-, author
2023
At first glance, Carag looks like a normal boy. But behind his shining eyes hides a secret: Carag is a puma shapeshifter and has only recently started living in the human world. Half human, half mountain lion, Carag grew up in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. He can't help but wonder what life as a human would be like even though his curiosity divides him with his family of mountain lions and puts him in great danger. When he finds out about a secret boarding school for Woodwalkers like him, that he felt a sense of home. He makes friends in Holly, a cheeky red squirrel, and Brandon, a shy bison. And Carag can really use it - because the world of Woodwalkers is full of puzzles and dangers...