Great Animal Protagonists
Discover the greatest animal protagonists in literature, from Watership Down to Never Cry Wolf. Explore unforgettable animal books and stories featuring wolves, foxes, and heroic creatures in this curated reading list.
Book
The Dark Portal
by Robin Jarvis
For 12-15 year olds -- School Library Service, Wellington, N.Z.
Book
The Wild Road
by Gabriel King
In the grand storytelling style of Watership Down and Tailchaser’s Song comes an epic tale of adventure and danger, of heroism against insurmountable odds, and of love and comradeship among extraordinary animals who must brave The Wild Road . . . Secure in a world of privilege and comfort, the kitten Tag is happy as a pampered house pet—until the dreams come. Dreams that pour into his safe, snug world from the wise old cat Majicou: hazy images of travel along the magical highways of the animals, of a mission, and of a terrible responsibility that will fall on young Tag. Armed with the cryptic message that he must bring the King and Queen of cats to Tintagel before the spring equinox, Tag ventures outside. Meanwhile, an evil human known only as the Alchemist doggedly hunts the Queen for his own ghastly ends. And if the Alchemist captures her, the world will never be safe again . . .
Book
The Foxes of First Dark
by Garry Kilworth
A beautiful new novel in the tradition of Watership Down that illuminates the world of humans as deftly as it does the animal kingdom. The brilliant mythology Garry Kilworth weaves through The Foxes of Firstdark will live on in readers' memories.
Book
Watership Down
by Richard Adams
One of the most beloved novels of our time, Richard Adams's Watership Down takes us to a world we have never truly seen: to the remarkable life that teems in the fields, forests and riverbanks far beyond our cities and towns. It is a powerful saga of courage, leadership and survival; an epic tale of a hardy band of adventurers forced to flee the destruction of their fragile community...and their trials and triumphs in the face of extraordinary adversity as they pursue a glorious dream called "home." Watership Down is a remarkable tale of exile and survival, of heroism and leadership...the epic novel of a group of adventurers who desert their doomed city, and venture forth against all odds on a quest for a new home, a sturdier future,
Book
Snow Dog
by Jim Kjelgaard
The steel-gray Husky Chiri was just a puppy when he watched the black wolf kill his mother and two brothers. Left alone inthe snow-covered land oof the coyote, caribou, and gizzly, Chiri learned to fend for himself, to hunt and survive by his keen instinct and natural intelligence. Now full-grown and full of courage and cunning, Chiri forms a tentative bond with trapper Link Stevens, the only human he's ever learned to trust. But the Husky knows that one day soon he will have to face the black wolf again--and this time only one of them will survive.
Book
Wild Trek
by Jim Kjelgaard
This is the story of the trapper, Link Stevens, and his fearless snow dog, Chiri. It began when the trapper and his dog set out to rescue a naturalist stranded in the perilous Caribou mountains--the impenetrable storm-blasted heights from which no man has ever retumed. Forced to live by Stone Age methods, they relied on every resource of the dog's wild cunning and the trapper's woodlore. How they battled a killer cougar and bloodthirsty wolves, yet brought their man to safety, is a gripping, action-packed saga. It is also the stirring tale of the deep love between a loyal snow dog and his courageous trapper master.
Book
Never Cry Wolf
by Farley Mowat
By enquiring into the puzzle of sibling relations, Frank J. Sulloway pioneers a new view of how family affects individual development. He shows that birth-order is so fundamental to the family that it transcends gender, class and nationality.
