Best children dog books according to redditors
We found 684 Reddit comments discussing the best children dog books. We ranked the 271 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 684 Reddit comments discussing the best children dog books. We ranked the 271 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Please tell me you are this dog...
read that book as a kid
Recommendation here for Stephanie Calmenson's excellent book May I Pet Your Dog?:The How-to Guide for Kids Meeting Dogs (and Dogs Meeting Kids). It's a great little picture-book style book by an established author that really lays out the protocol in a way kids and dog-naive parents can understand.
I wouldn't specifically tell them she is going to be euthanized - to a 2yo and 3yo, that's equivalent to saying you're going to kill the dog. I would just say, as you mentioned, that she is sick and will die very soon and give them the chance to say goodbye. Then after she is euthanized you can just let them know that she died, without going into the specifics of how...just that when animals get old and sick, their bodies stop working and they are not alive anymore.
There have been a number of posts on the topic of explaining the death of a pet to young children which might give you some other helpful thoughts, such as this one, this one, and this one. One bit of advice that I've read several places is to avoid using the phrase "put to sleep", because you don't want the kids to associate sleep with death. You might also think about getting an age-appropriate book about the death of a pet to read with them, such as Goodbye Mousie or The Goodbye Book; two good ones about dogs specifically are The Forever Dog and I'll Always Love You. There's also a book by Mr. Rogers called When A Pet Dies which might help you answer any questions they have.
Carl is a very good dog.
Lol no it's a series of kids books where the only words are "take care of the baby while we're out" at the beginning then "Good dog, Carl" at the end. I always thought they were hilarious... Like seriously how has no one ever called CPS on these people??
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0689817711
Nope, it's Doggies by Sandra Boynton
https://www.amazon.com/Y2K-9-Dog-Who-Saved-World/dp/0439142474
Mr. Rogers has you covered.
When a Pet Dies I bet your library has it.
There are full on books about that shit, man.
oh wow, I'm getting Good Boy Carl flashbacks!
Board books :
Picture books:
Early readers:
Chapter books to read together in early elementary:
Chapter books for later elementary or middle school:
Am posting on phone so will be submitting and editing. This will be a long post.
It's Called Good Dog Carl. You can get it on Amazon.
Watch Cosmos or other science video. Do science learning activities - Arduino is a thing now.
Or read a book.
Maybe Yes, Maybe No (LINK)
by Dan Barker
In today's media-flooded world, there is no way to control all of the information, claims, and enticements that reach young people. The best thing to do is arm them with the sword of critical thinking.
Maybe Yes, Maybe No is a charming introduction to self-confidence and self-reliance. The book's ten-year-old heroine, Andrea, is always asking questions because she knows "you should prove the truth of a strange story before you believe it."
"Check it out. Repeat the experiment. Try to prove it wrong. It has to make sense." writes Barker, as he assures young readers that they are fully capable of figuring out what to believe, and of knowing when there just isn't enough information to decide. "You can do it your own way. If you are a good skeptic you will know how to think for yourself."
Another book is "Me & Dog" by Gene Weingarten.
And Born With a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story : Books 1, 2, 3
Here Comes Science CD + DVD
The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins
Bang! How We Came to Be by Michael Rubino.
Grandmother Fish: A Child's First Book of Evolution
Also:
Greek Myths – by Marcia Williams
Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs – by Marcia Williams
God and His Creations – by Marcia Williams
"I Wonder" by Annaka Harris
"From Stardust to You: An Illustrated Guide to The Big Bang" by Luciano Reni
"Meet Bacteria!" by Rebecca Bielawski
See also Highlights for Children - this has materials for younger children.
Atheism books for children by Courtney Lynn
"It Is Ok To Be A Godless Me", "I'm An Atheist and That's Ok", "I'm a Freethinker", "Please Don't Bully Me" and "I'm a Little Thinker" etc.
Courtney Lynn has a couple more for grown ups as well.
Grandmother Fish, free in PDF form online
A child's first book of evolution.
15 Holiday Gift Ideas for Secular Families
Bedtime Bible Stories by Joey Lee Kirkman - for mature teens only
Coming up: TINY THINKERS is a series of books introducing popular scientists to children, by telling their stories as if the scientists themselves were kids!
I disagree. Religious indoctrination of kids is pretty messed up and it’s important to not only their lives but society as a whole to educate them about reality as early as possible.
OP, you are definitely taking the right approach in my mind. Not really sure what is age appropriate for an eight year old tbh, but Me & Dog seems to fit what you are looking for: https://www.amazon.com/Me-Dog-Gene-Weingarten/dp/1442494131
There's a children's book about that.
for example.........
https://www.amazon.com/Walter-Farting-Dog-William-Kotzwinkle/dp/1583940537
It checks out.
2 go-to resources that tend to get mentioned a lot when this type of topic comes-up:
The Sesame Street episode where Big Bird is told about Mr. Hooper's death.
Mr. Roger's book When a Pet Dies
I hope these at least give you a starting point.
You wanna have a good cry? Well...okay.
Grief and Loss
Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Patterson's masterpiece is rightly remembered as one of the saddest books ever written for an elementary-aged audience. A young boy strikes up a friendship with his new neighbor, a girl his own age, bonding over the fact that their individual interests make them outsiders among their classmates. Together, they form a "kingdom" they christen "Terabithia" in the woods behind their houses. Tragically, the girl dies accidentally and the boy must what he's learned and move on.
Mick Harte Was Here
Notable in that the tragedy happens in the first act, this novel follows teenaged Phoebe as she struggles with the reality that her brother died in a bicycle accident.
On My Honor
Probably the shortest, but also arguably the most brutal, of these books. After promising his father he would only ride his bike out to the rocky ridge, Joel follows his daredevil friend Tony to the Vermillion River. Joel challenges Tony to a swimming race. Joel surfaces, Tony does not. And Joel must face their parents.
Just for You to Know
A young girl, the oldest in her large family, finds herself in over her head when her mother dies in childbirth.
The Man Who Loved Clowns
If somewhat dated, this tragic novel follows thirteen-year-old Delrita as she struggles to come to terms with not only her parents' untimely deaths in a car accident, but also her maternal uncle Punky, who has Down's Syndrome.
Turtle On A Fencepost
The sequel to The Man Who Loved Clowns follows Delrita as she tries to find her place in the world, and her desperation to connect with her Aunt Queenie. She finds a kindred spirit in an unexpected place.
Pets
Old Yeller
Fred Gibson's novel is more than a story about a boy and his dog. It is a story about a boy becoming a man, and how becoming a man is not easy at all.
Where the Red Fern Grows
Billy's quest to gain dogs, not just any dogs, but hunting hound dogs, is a classic and rightly so. The story of Billy, Old Dan and Little Ann is one that is not to be forgotten.
Shiloh
Phyllis Naylor's beloved quartet about a boy and his beagle was one of my favorites growing up. Marty's struggle to rescue Shiloh from the abusive Judd Travers is just the beginning, with later books exploring themes of faith and forgiveness.
Stone Fox
Young Willy must gather all his strength to win the National Dogsled Race and win desperately needed money for his grandfather's farm, with his beloved Searchlight as lead dog.
A Childhood Lost
These books are often similar to those under Grief and Loss but I felt that it was important to separate these as they feature heavy themes of racism, discrimination, and war.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963
Told from the point-of-view of the bookish nine-year-old Kenny, the titular Watsons get into their fair share of misadventures in Flint, Michigan, but for the most part, things are relatively peaceful. The most strife comes from teenaged Byron. But a family trip to Birmingham flings the family head-on into the thick of the Civil Rights Movement, including the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Let the Circle Be Unbroken
The Road to Memphis
These three books are part of a series, telling the story of an African-American girl named Cassie who grows up during the Great Depression in the Deep South and sees first-hand just how ugly Jim Crow can be.
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry's novel tells a dramatized version of the efforts of the Danish Resistance, with special emphasis on the evacuations to Sweden.
Abuse
Call Me Hope
Twelve-year-old Hope struggles with the emotional abuse brought on by her mother and copes by "awarding points" for specific insults.
It reminds me of this book I read when I was little Henry and Mudge
I don't think you can go wrong with Mr. Rodgers. His book is really beautiful and really helped my son with thinking about death in a more positive way.
I bought this book in anticipation of having the "god" discussion with my daughter in the future.
I certainly wouldn't give your son arguments or reasoning against the existence of god; if he tries to use those with an adult they will confuse him with apologetics.
I would start by explaining that, although we know much about the world, there are still questions to which we don't have the answers. Sometimes things about the world are hard to understand, and people look for a reason behind things that happen for no reason at all.
Religions and gods are things that people use make sense of the world, and find reasons for things happening. It can be scary to live in an unfair world where bad things can happen to you even if you don't deserve it. Some people believe in a god; a powerful being that cares about people, protects them, helps them, and gives them rules to live by. To them, it makes the world less scary and gives them a purpose in life. Not everybody thinks that a god exists, and not everybody agrees what that god would be like. You will hear many different stories from people who believe in gods, and everybody is going to think they are right. When you listen to these stories, you should decide for yourself whether or not you want to believe it. However, don't listen to the bad people who try to scare and threaten you into believing their story.
I think he's taking Harry the Dirty Dog too literally!
Also, you could buy a couple of copies of "May I Pet your Dog?" and give them away in the neighborhood.
http://www.amazon.com/May-Pet-Your-Dog-How/dp/0618510346
I'll Always Love You killed me because my dog was my best friend when I was little.
I'll Always Love You written and illustrated by Hans Wilhelm
Link to book:
http://www.amazon.com/When-Pet-Dies-Fred-Rogers/dp/0698116666/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228426939&sr=8-1
My kid is 3 and we've been reading her this already:
http://www.amazon.com/Me-Dog-Gene-Weingarten/dp/1442494131
"Me & Dog"
It will make more sense to your 5 year old, though.
http://www.amazon.com/Walter-Farting-Dog-William-Kotzwinkle/dp/1583940537
No Flying in the House?
http://www.amazon.com/Flying-House-Harper-Trophy-Books/dp/0064401308
He's just cosplaying as Harry the Dirty Dog.
I LOVED THAT BOOK. Oh shit I had forgotten all about it. I had that and the dog one, Dogzilla.
this janitor?
http://www.amazon.com/Hey-Al-Arthur-Yorinks/dp/0374429855
Relevant
Edit: I actually owned this book as a kid. Top line of the back cover: "On the internet, no one knows you're a dog. ;-)"
The library is a great resource for books to educate young children about animals, especially dogs and cats. I work with dogs and cats and it is really scary to see how some kids who are afraid of animals react when they are afraid (screaming, crying, running) which only excites the animal further, encouraging the behaviors that the child is so afraid of. I like this book to explain how to act around strange dogs, but there are so many that are great!
Maybe consider getting her a stuffed kitty (bonus points if it looks like yours!) and having her 'take care' of it? My daughter is also 4 and she has a robotic kitty that purrs and moves, something like that could help ease her into the idea.
Do you clip your cats nails? That would maybe ease her mind a bit. I also sometimes advise my clients about Soft Paws, they are little nail caps that you can get in fun colors that slide over the nail and either eventually fall off when the adhesive wears down, or you simply clip them off. A lot of groomers will do them for a pretty minimal fee. She may feel more comfortable knowing that there is no possible way for the kitties to scratch her.
Of course a therapist would also be beneficial, to find out what is causing the fear and to help her work through it.
But the kids' books about Carl are the BEST!
I also had those books, yes. :p
Formatting messed up because I'm on a phone: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0689817711
Speaking of nanny-dogs... Not a pit bull but another dog that gets a bad rap being a complete love bug: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0689817711/ref=redir_mdp_mobile
There's a whole series!! Guess who's buying them all for her baby? This guy!
So sorry to hear about your kitten. There are a couple of books that you could probably find at your library that might help to explain it to him and help him deal with the grief:
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf is also available as a series of youtube videos, the first of which I linked. Hope these help.
I think my daughter was four when our cat died suddenly. I bought her a book written by Mr Rogers and it helped both of us.
https://www.amazon.com/When-Pet-Dies-Fred-Rogers/dp/0698116666
Me and Dog
I'm so excited for your son to have fallen in love with reading - books are some of the best comforts one can have.
Ages 6 - 8 (some of these may be challenging)
Flora & Ulysses (Newbery Award winner) by Kate DiCamillo
I actually haven't read this book, but DiCamillo is an amazing author, and Newbery award winners are usually a safe bet. Tale of Despereaux is another great book of hers.
Everything written by Roald Dahl
Just in case he hasn't read them yet - I suggest Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, BFG, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Mathilda, James and the Giant Peach, and The Witches.
The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis
Fantastic fantasy series to prepare him for Lord of the Rings trilogy I'm sure he'll watch/read in the future. Fun fact: the authors were dear friends.
Ages 9 -12 (more challenging)
The Giver, by Lois Lowry
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle
Holes, by Louis Sachar
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
Warning: he will cry at the end. Everyone cries at the end.
Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli
A runaway kid who starts a new life - like a children's version of Forrest Gump.
The A. I. Gang Trilogy, by Bruce Coville
Bruce Coville is a great children's author and this series would be right up your kid's alley if he likes spies. Five kids go to an island with their mad scientist parents and basically have amazing spy adventures. This series is geared toward 9+ years, but his other books and collections of stories are geared for younger kids (some of which are about aliens, which may appeal to his Star Wars attraction).
There are so many more books out there, but I didn't want to overwhelm you with choices. Please let me know if there are a specific genre you'd think your son would be interested in, and I'll try to think of more (although I was much more into fantasy when I was younger). Your son is so lucky to have a parent who encourages his reading!!
P.S. I LOVED The Phantom Tollbooth when I was younger :D
Perhaps "No Flying in the House"? I read it as a kid, if I remember right there's a small cat statue with emerald eyes that comes alive and tricks the girl into using magic, but bad things happen because of it. The cat statue is in a china cabinet. I loved that book!
No. Flying in the House?
http://www.amazon.com/Flying-House-Harper-Trophy-Books/dp/0064401308
Dogzilla
CROCHET THIS FOR ME
I just went looking for under $5 thing too, and since we are twins here is what I added this weekend.
Metallic Sharpies I know it's an add-on, but there are multiple vendors.
Also The Poky Little Puppy
This reminds me of a book I read growing up. It was 'hey, al' about a janitor and his dog going with birds to a floating island in the sky where he turns to a bird; he uses his wings to escape also.
https://www.amazon.com/Hey-Al-Arthur-Yorinks/dp/0374429855/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210879493&sr=1-1Al's
hey, al
Desert Solitaire
Leaves of Grass
One Man's Wilderness
Into the Wild
Wilderness Essays
Call of the Wild
Walden Shocking huh?
Congratulations. You've scored a job I would adore!
My suggestions:
Others have already mentioned my other choices (e.g. Of Mice and Men). And for a little non-fiction that might help them visualise some of life's big questions, try Stephen Law's "The Philosophy Files". I've gifted it to a number of teens in the past of all different abilities and have yet to hear criticism of it. "Philosophy Rocks" is another one of his that is also pretty good.
until you get stolen by the gardener to finance a gambling addiction and are forced to join a Klondike husky gang
Shouldn't it be Good Dog Carl?
IT'S GOOD DOG CARL!!
I devoured the Magic Treehouse series when I was younger. I thought it was so great that they went to all these cool places (and they were very easy to read chapter books, so I flew through them!) :)
Edit: I ran a Reading Buddies program at the local library and a couple of our younger readers really liked them because the writing style is simple, but interesting. There are new words, but nothing terribly difficult and since the main characters are the same throughout, it's easy to follow :)
In terms of other books, I thought all of these were great:
Those were all pretty popular with my kids (and with me)! :)
I've always wanted to name a mastiff Mudge after the Henry and Mudge series...learned to read with those books, haha.
Check out the libraries near you. The librarians can probably help you pick out some books about the loss of pets that would be good to read together as a family. [Mr Roger's even wrote a book for children] (http://www.amazon.com/When-Pet-Dies-Fred-Rogers/dp/0698116666/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1S0AD3S4M0049GA7YYPS) about the death of pets so there are options out there to help your daughter grieve and understand she is not alone in her grief or responsible for her pets death.
Children often struggle with the concept of death so discussing it as a family, allowing her to share any feelings or questions she has, and having a memorial service with friends and family can help her to understand her feelings are normal and cope with the loss. Sounds like all of you are struggling with this loss so I would encourage you as a family to help plan the memorial service and choose flowers, toys, or treats that are special to each of you to leave for Purple. Your husband witnessed the death so don't forget him in the planning because he's probably grieving too and the memorial service might help him cope with what happened.
There's a book called "When A Pet Dies" by Mr. Rogers that might be helpful http://www.amazon.com/When-Pet-Dies-Fred-Rogers/dp/0698116666
I'm sorry your kitty is dying. (((hugs)))
I like "Me & Dog" a lot. Hits the right skeptic notes without being overtly anti-religious.
https://www.amazon.com/Me-Dog-Gene-Weingarten/dp/1442494131
I think everyone can relate to your 10 year old.
I find wonder and beauty in that, everything is cycles. We are part of something (many things) bigger than us. From the water cycle to the microbiome. We just don't understand the web of these relationships. I find some meaning in trying.
Can you design a mostly closed loop fish tank or terrarium? Ferment or bake things to eat?
We don't understand the life in a square inch of soil.
This book is great,but maybe too young for her:
https://www.amazon.com/Me-Dog-Gene-Weingarten/dp/1442494131?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1442494131
Physicist funeral:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=you+want+a+physicist+to+speak+at+your+funeral&atb=v107-1ma&tappv=android_5_1_0&t=ddg_android&iax=images&ia=images
There is only ever the meaning we create. Something is only sacred if you make it so.
I've been trying to come up with my own "sacred" traditions.
I see real value in different states of mind. I think they are even easier to achieve with honesty instead of dogma; large groups, drums, etc.
All hail Discordia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discordianism
All life as we know it so far is based on one operating system and consciousness is a poorly rendered hallucination of reality.
We've started talking about entropy whenever my son says "forever". In a few years I hope he'll grok.
Now that I don't drink Cosmos/Carl Sagan Mr. Rodgers and the ISS live feed make me feel better.
Try Me & Dog by Gene Weingarten
Regading the first part of the quote about dogs thinking that their owner is a god, Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten (two time Pulitzer winner) wrote a children's book with that concept as its theme. It's called "Me & Dog". It's been described as the first atheist children's book, just released a few months ago. (Weingarten is an outspoken atheist.) It's pretty good. I got it for my 2 year old son and I would recommend it to other atheist parents.
Me & Dog
Our oldest is 6. We are starting to get into that territory, too. She actually came home from school back in December and said she wanted to be Jewish like her friend... so Christmas could last 10 days face palm.
Two books we have liked thus far:
Me & Dog
Annabelle & Aiden: The Story of Life
That's the premise behind the children's picture book Me & Dog by Gene Weingarten. I recommend it.
All I can think about with a dog's name "Walter"
https://www.amazon.com/Walter-Farting-Dog-William-Kotzwinkle/dp/1583940537
Walter the Farting Dog
Walter the Farting Dog
The Book is Called Where the Red Fern Grows, probably one of the best and most beloved kids/YA books of all time: http://www.amazon.com/Where-Fern-Grows-Wilson-Rawls-ebook/dp/B004G606EO
Here's a link.
No Flying in the House?
https://www.amazon.com/Flying-House-Harper-Trophy-Paperback/dp/0064401308
I have no memory of a commercial being in that. I actually forgot the book until I read this post. As soon you said the girl could fly, I thought "Annabel!" and was able to find the title. This book also had a sad ending that I forgot about until this moment. So now I'm sad remembering the ending of a book I'd forgotten about.
Anyway, it might be it.
No flying in the house is my favorite book. It's a children's book and a really easy read but it's cute and imaginative! I can't tell you how many times I read this book when I was young. I still have my copy and it's so torn up because I used to take it everywhere.
This is a just because book! It probably wont change your life it you read it! But it means a lot to me and it'll make you happy if you read it :P
This is basically the plot of Harry The Dirty Dog.
Kat Kong and Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey?
https://www.amazon.com/Dogzilla-digest-Dav-Pilkey/dp/0152049495
https://www.amazon.com/Kat-Kong-Dav-Pilkey/dp/0152049509
This book was amazing
And so was this one
Get them for your kids. You won't regret it.
I really liked The Monster at the End of this Book, The Poky Little Puppy, Persnickety, Corduroy, Where the Wild Things Are, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, The Rainbow Fish, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Stinky Cheese Man, Miss Nelson is Missing, Go Away Big Green Monster, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Stone Soup, Frog and Toad, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, and, of course, every Dr. Seuss book.
I'm old school. So it's either The Pokey Little Puppy or The Monster at the End of this Book. Neither of which are probably the right reading level for a toddler but they're still my two favorite books for little ones.
[Under $4] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0312510780/ref=aw_ls__6?colid=2AM7TAQQA7P2I&coliid=I35U7SHGRVNUKV)
[Under $3] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0307021343/ref=aw_ls__5?colid=2AM7TAQQA7P2I&coliid=I1XA4R3BFFGRLS)
I don't have anything under $2 except for digital, which I CANNOT SEE THE PRICE OF ON MOBILE because Amazon hates me.
These are both books for my niece. I want her to be a reader like me. So far, she LOVES books.
Thanks for the contest!!
Little Golden Books were always my favorites. I had a TON of them when I was growing up. The Poky Little Puppy is one I had. For these though, you can probably find a thousand of them at any used book/thrift store for cheaper than Amazon.
If he was a janitor with a dog it could be "Hey, Al": http://www.amazon.com/Hey-Al-Arthur-Yorinks/dp/0374429855
https://thepossumsbookshelf.wordpress.com/2013/08/31/hey-al/
not an exact match but maybe
Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks?
reminds me of my favorite book when I was a kid... "The Digging-est Dog"
>I don't read them much anymore we just go through the books naming off what things are.
Friendly advice: Read the stories more often. She'll eventually get bored with the noun game. If she primarily sees books as just a series of pictures, rather than a coherent story, she might lose her love of books when she outgrows the noun game. Your best bet is to mix the nouns in with a regular storytelling. Read a few pages, point out a random noun, read a few more, etc. You can do it with any book, but some are particularly good for this type of reading.
>She loves everything to do with dogs and it's her favorite word to say, so we go through a lot of her books finding all of the dogs.
Great book. Just trust me:
http://www.amazon.com/Digging-Est-Dog-Beginner-Books/dp/0394800478
reminds me of this childhood book. ah, memories.
Where's Spot?, maybe? It's a classic.
http://www.amazon.com/Y2K-9-Dog-Who-Saved-World/dp/0439142474
This is absolutely adorable. It reminds me of this book I read when I was younger.
I mostly read speculative fiction, which is typically divided between the subgenres of fantasy, sci-fi, and alternate history. Alternate history is technically considered a subgenre of Sci-Fi, but I read enough of it to make it worth counting as a separate group. Within each of those subgenres, there is a wide variety of styles and some people might find themselves not a fan of one style but a fan of another. If you are not well read in these genres, then you will want to try a few different styles of story before dismissing it. I also sometimes read novelizations of historical events which have their own sort of enjoyment to them that fictional stories lack. Then there are books that are set from an animals point of view, which range from attempts to be as accurate as possible to being practically fantasy stories.
As far as individual books, I will try to give you a few of the best to pick from without being overwhelming. Some are stand alone stories while others are parts of series.
Fantasy single books:
After the Downfall
Fantasy series:
The Dresden Files
A Song of Ice and Fire aka Game of Thrones
Sci-Fi single books:
Slow Train to Arcturus
Mother of Demons
Sci-Fi series:
The Thrawn Trilogy There are a great many Star Wars books worth the read, but this is definitely the place to start.
Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow
Alternate History single books:
The Guns of the South
1824: The Arkansas War Technically this is a sequel to an earlier book, but this one is leagues better and you don't need to read the first book to understand what is going on.
Alternate History series:
How Few Remain
1632
Worldwar
Non-Fiction:
Band of Brothers
War Made New This one isn't even really a novelization, just an analysis of the changes to military technology, tactics, and training over the last 500 years. Regardless, it is very well written and a great read.
Animal POV books:
Watership Down
Wilderness Champion
The Call of the Wild and White Fang These two books are by the same author and go in pretty much opposite directions. Among literature fanatics, there is no consensus over which one is better and I don't think I can decide for myself so I am recommending both.
Edit: I forgot to mention, the first book in the 1632 series is available online for free. This is not a pirated version, but something the author put up himself as a part of an effort to move publishing into the modern day with technology and make books more accessible to readers.
I'll Always Love You
My mother read it to me and I'll read it to my kids.
I'll always love you I recently reread it and was crying alone in my parent's basement.
Reminds me of this here children's book that I used to have: I'll Always Love You
here you go
Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.
It may not seem like that good of a book, but I think it really shows how you need to put in the effort for things you care about, and how things you put effort and love into will take care of you.
Read "Where The Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls if you want to find a book that will make you cry.
Where the red fern grows is one of the saddest books to read if you are a dog lover.
Wait, you let an unknown dog this size with no known history of illness and behavioral issues just climb up into your car and sit with your daughter? Dude, you need to read this book: link. ಠ_ಠ
This is the Doggies book by Sandra Boynton. It's awesome, as in it's not horribly mind-numbing for parents to read with the babies. All her stuff is great.
Hey...we have that book. Our toddler loves it. https://www.amazon.com/Doggies-Boynton-Board-Sandra/dp/0671493183
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Dog-Carl-Classic-Board/dp/0689807481
First thing I thought of when I saw this! It's the real life Carl from my favorite book as a child. :)
Edit: link. Not sure I linked that right...
When you look into those soulful, confident, big brown eyes and wonder if the dog is smarter than most people, the answer is yes, trust it's judgment.
Don't let that dog baby sit ever.
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Dog-Carl-Classic-Board/dp/0689807481#reader_0689807481
Or those Carl children's books :)
When my son was born, almost 16 years ago, someone gave this book to us. I think we read it once and sold it at a yard sale.
It is a freaking creepy as hell book.
We also got this weird ass book which was promptly binned.
That being said my kid's favorite books were "The Wheels On the Bus", anything by Eric Carl, Dr Seuss, Winnie The Pooh, Goodnight Moon, Miss Spider's Tea Party and a few more that I can't think of right now.
Your dad's rottie was Good Dog Carl!
Hmm...books I liked as a kid...well, apparently they tended to involve animals, and mostly realistically drawn ones. Here's a few:
Good Dog, Carl.
Stellaluna.
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses.
Fritz and the Beautiful Horses. I liked horses, what can I say.
How to Hide an Octopus. This one is fun because it shows you each animal and then you have to find it camouflaged in the environment. Very colorful, light on words, if I remember correctly.
The Story of Jumping Mouse. This one had just the slightest amount of creepy. But it was just the right amount I could handle, and it made the book kind of intriguing? I believe it's based on a Native American folk story.
It isn't this, is it?
I loved these giant bricks so much at that age! Superfun for basic stacking as well as advance building.
Should probably wait a bit on this one, but Cootie is the best game ever for the preK & K crowd. Another classic game is Memory.
Have some construction paper, brown paper bags (I cut the bottoms off, then down one seam and use the backside as kraft paper), markers, and crayons. Even the 2 year old can rip paper up and stick it to contact paper to make fun collages! Bonus, no need for scissors!
And please don't forget books! Board might be best for the little girl, but if she's not an eater/tearer, then go ahead and get paper or hard backs. Rikki Tikki Tembo, a Seuss collection, Where's Spot, some Eric Carle, Carl, Richard Scarry, Jamberry, and some Little Golden Books ought to be a good start! Protip: Thrift shops have tons of books for kids in great condition.
I've heard this book by Mr. Rogers is helpful.
When a Pet Dies
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0698116666/
http://www.amazon.com/When-Pet-Dies-Fred-Rogers/dp/0698116666
Mr. Rogers is always the go-to expert on these sorts of things.
I used this book with my child when our dog died (at about the same age) and it helped immensely!
I just stumbled upon this a minute ago online and have never read it myself, but you might like to check it out. It sounds cute at any rate: https://www.amazon.com/Me-Dog-Gene-Weingarten/dp/1442494131
We also like Me and Dog- https://www.amazon.com/Me-Dog-Gene-Weingarten/dp/1442494131/ and Older than the Stars- https://www.amazon.com/Older-than-Stars-Karen-Fox/dp/1570917884/
Is his name Walter?
https://www.amazon.ca/Walter-Farting-Dog-William-Kotzwinkle/dp/1583940537
This Walter?
Yes. One time two robbers broke into my house and stole stuff. My dog was there to finish them off. Proof
So cute!
Have you seen any of the Carl books?
http://www.reddit.com/r/Rottweiler/comments/1fbhyc/x_post_from_rpics_fucking_carl/
http://imgur.com/a/taKhK
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Dog-Carl-Alexandra-Day/dp/0689817711
http://www.amazon.com/Carls-Afternoon-Park-Alexandra-Day/dp/0374311048/ref=la_B000AP7VNE_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370106286&sr=1-2
I love this one because it is apparently set at San Diego's Balboa Park/San Diego Zoo.
Anyway, I think Carl books should be issued with every Rott Pup. Just sayin.
Do you understand how reading comprehension works? Apparently not. I've stated multiple times that just because they may not have enough evidence to convict her (which they did already once though), it doesn't mean she's innocent. A "not-guilty" verdict isn't even innocent, it's exactly that, not enough evidence to find you guilty.
Let me get you started though, cause I care about you: http://www.amazon.com/Wheres-Spot-Eric-Hill/dp/0399240462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427571877&sr=8-1&keywords=spot+the+dog
Little fellow, if you honestly took the time to better yourself your inability to understand a few sentences not targeted towards your kindergarten level of reading comprehension wouldn't be such a source of exasperation for you. English is a beautiful language, it's a shame a few multisyllabic words vex you so. Here's a book to help get you started on your journey into words. It might be a little bit over your head but go ahead, give it a shot:
http://www.amazon.com/Wheres-Spot-Little-Board-Books/dp/0399240462/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1396627348&sr=8-6&keywords=see+spot+run