Dog Breath: The Horrible Trouble with Hally Tosis by Dav Pilkey, author of the Captain Underpants series, is a story about a dog whose breath is so smelly that his family decide to give him away. Luckily for Hally, his bad breath manages to save the day for the family and the story has a happy ending. This book is really funny and rings true for many of us who have struggled with our own little Hally Tosis pups. It’s a kinder, gentler version of Walter, the Farting Dog! Ages 3 – 6.

I Don’t Want a Posh Dog! by Emma Dodd is a tribute to Heinz All-American dogs, also known as mutts or mixed breeds. The little girl in this book describes the kind of dog she doesn’t want in rhyming couplets that young readers will enjoy. For example, she doesn’t want “a posh dog, a blow-dry-when-washed dog.” While posh puppies with exotic names and pedigrees may be the rage, this little girl knows when she has found the right dog for her—“a silly dog. A sweet willy nilly dog. A dog I can call MY DOG!” This is a delightful book for young and old, and especially appropriate for a family with young children who may be looking for their perfect puppy. Ages 4-8.

The Other Dog by Madeleine L’Engle is a wonderful book for dog owners who are expecting their first human baby. It is the true tale of Newbery Award winning (A Wrinkle in Time) L’Engle’s poodle’s experience coping with a new baby in the house. Parents to be with pets will love this book and they will love reading it to their little one. Christine Davenier’s pictures are wonderful. Listen to Touche and enjoy: “My mistress went away for several days and when she came back, she brought with her another dog. Only this dog doesn’t have a tail. She doesn’t have much hair. And she doesn’t go outside when it’s raining. I can’t imagine what my master and mistress could want with this inferior breed—called baby!” Perfect for small children, parents-to-be, and poodles! Ages 3-6.

Poor Puppy is a welcome companion to author Nick Bruel’s best selling Bad Kitty. Kitty isn’t interested in playing with poor puppy, who is left with 1 airplane, 2 balls, 3 cars, 4 dolls and 22 other toys to keep him busy. When he’s finished, he takes a nap and dreams about apple bobbing in Antarctica, baseball in Brazil, checkers in Canada, and so on through the alphabet. This book will keep your children interested while learning their numbers and the alphabet. A delightful, funny book that is fun for children and their parents.

You’re a Good Dog, Carl, a modern day classic by Alexandra Day, has sold more than 200,000 copies. The book is about a lovable rottweiler named Carl, who (like Nana in Peter Pan) is left to babysit while mom goes out. Some people have criticized the book as sending the wrong parenting message, but the book is clearly telling a tall tale, and I have confidence that parent and children alike will understand that. It is a wonderful, almost wordless story that allows children to tell stories to their parents based on the wonderful illustrations. And the best news is that if you like this book, there are many other Carl books that you can add to your collection. This book is even available as a board book for the very young “readers.” Ages 3-7.

The Puppy Place series by Ellen Miles is a series of 16 books (as of May 2009) and counting, including books about a doodle, pug, German shepherd and golden retriever. The first book in the series, Goldie, is about Charles and Lizzie Peterson, who love puppies. Then Goldie arrives, a darling golden retriever puppy who doesn’t know how to behave. Will Charles and Lizzie be able to train her? Ages 7-10.

The Vet Volunteers series by award winning author Laurie Halse Anderson is about the Wild at Heart Animal Clinic run by 11-year old Maggie’s grandmother and includes several books about dogs, including the first book, Fight for Life. In this book Maggie learns that the ten sick puppies brought to the clinic are coming from an illegal puppy mill. Maggie decides to find out who is running the puppy mill, and where it is, in order to save the rest of the dogs. Ages 7- 10.

Call of the Wild by Jack London. The adventures of an unusual dog, part St. Bernard, part Scotch shepherd, that is forcibly taken to the Klondike gold fields where he eventually becomes the leader of a wolf pack. This book has never been out of print during the over 100 years from its first publication. Carl Sandburg once said, “The Call of the Wild is the greatest dog story ever written and is at the same time a study of one of a study of one of the most curious and profound motives that play hide-and-seek in the human soul.” Ages 9-12.

Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight is a compelling story about a collie’s trek over many miles of Scotland to find the boy she loves. Ages 9-12.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo is a Newbery Honor book about a 10 year old girl, Opal, the daughter of an itinerant preacher father, and a mother that abandoned them. Opal claims a dog that is causing a commotion at the local supermarket and names him Winn-Dixie after the store. Winn Dixie becomes friends with everyone he encounters and helps Opal make new friends as well. When Winn- Dixie disappears, Opal rekindles her relationship with her father as she searches for him. Ages 9-12

A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Newbery Honor author Ann M. Martin is, as the cover says, “a dog story you’ll never forget.” This story is told in her own words by Squirrel, a dog who loses her mother and brother too early and faces alone a world that is often frightening, sometimes lonely, and sometimes—too briefly—sweet. I recommend this book highly for any dog lover, as well as for anyone who loves a well told animal survival story in the tradition of Black Beauty and The Incredible Journey. Ages 8-12.

Along Came a Dog by Meindert Dejong is a Newbery Honor book illustrated by Maurice Sendak about a little red hen and a homeless dog who becomes her protector. The story is written from the point of view of the hen and the dog, and is suspenseful without being scary. Ages 9-12.

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes is a Newbery award winning book about Jerry Pye, who bought a puppy from Mr. Speedy for a dollar that he made dusting pews. On the way home, however, he and his sister Rachel hear footsteps and Jerry worries that someone is after his dog. Later, Ginger disappears suddenly. The remainder of the book involves Jerry’s and Rachel’s search for Ginger Pye. Ages 9-11

A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz is a beautiful tribute to a very special dog, Trixie, a trained service dog who retired at three to become the center of Dean’s, and his wife Gerda’s, life for nine years. I learned from this book that there are mooshy dogs and there are not-mooshy dogs, and that golden retrievers are not mooshy dogs—playful and energetic when they want to be, but also happy just lying around. Trixie helped her workaholic owners to become a bit mooshier too—persuading them to cut back their workaholic tendencies and hours, and helping them recover the joy of living in the moment. This is a must-read for anyone who loves goldens!

Guardians of Being, written by Eckhart Tolle and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell is the perfect choice if you are looking for a book for a dog or cat lover. New age philosopher Tolle celebrates the beauty of life by viewing it through the eyes of our pets, and McConnell, the creator of the Mutts comic strip, fills the book with simple illustrations that both confirm and expand the vision painted by Tolle with his words. Tolle’s words are spiritual and deeply religious, but they represent an all encompassing view of religion, with influences from Zen, Buddhism, Sufism, Hinduism and the Bible, as well as from his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. As Tolle says, “We are ultimately not separate, not from one another nor from any living thing—the flower, the tree, the cat, the dog. You can sense yourself in them, the essence of who you are. You could say God.” I guarantee you that after you read this little book, you will want to pat your dog and take him out for a long walk! This little book was written for adults, but is appropriate for all ages