Books like 'Old Yeller'
Readers who enjoyed Old Yeller by Fred Gipson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical action / adventure 20th century classics animals historical-fiction dogs realistic children anthropomorphism
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Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsA love story, an adventure, and an epic of the frontier, Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize— winning classic, Lonesome Dove, the third book in the Lonesome Dove tetralogy, is the grandest novel ever written about the last defiant wilderness of America...Categorized as:
animals classics drama family friendship high-school historical-fiction industrial-era -
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 63 ratingsLibrarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found hereIt is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama family friendship high-school historical-fiction -
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsAn emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America.“Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…”Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave... -
Pather Panchali: Song of the Road by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPather Panchali deals with the life of the Roy family, consisting of Harihar, Sarbajaya, Apu and Durga, both in their ancestral village Nishchindipur in rural Bengal and later when they move to Varanasi in search of a better life, as well as the anguish and loss they face during their travels...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama family historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century -
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Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsLondon is poised on the brink of World War II. Timid, scrawny Willie Beech -- the abused child of a single mother -- is evacuated to the English countryside. At first, he is terrified of everything, of the country sounds and sights, even of Mr. Tom, the gruff, kindly old man who has taken him in. But gradually Willie forgets the hate and despair of his past...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction -
La casa del bosque by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsWolves and panthers and bears roamed the deep Wisconsin woods in the 1860's. Still, Laura Ingalls' father preferred to live miles away from the nearest neighbors. So Pa built a snug cabin for Ma, Laura, Mary and Baby Carrie. He hunted and trapped and farmed. Ma made her own cheese and sugar... -
Centennial by James A. Michener
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 31 ratings"Michener is America's best writer, and he proves it once again in CENTENNIAL."THE PITTSBURGH PRESSA stunning panorama of the West, CENTENNIAL is an enthralling celebration of our country, brimming with the glory and the greatness of the American past that only bestselling author James Michener could bring to stunning life...Categorized as:
classics drama family historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction male-mc outdoors -
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsStegner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of personal, historical, and geographic discovery Confined to a wheelchair, retired historian Lyman Ward sets out to write his grandparents' remarkable story, chronicling their days spent carving civilization into the surface of America's western frontier. But his research reveals even more about his own life than he's willing to admit...Categorized as:
classics drama family historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction outdoors western -
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Nancy Bond
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 72 ratingsSara Crewe, an exceptionally intelligent and imaginative student at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies, is devastated when her adored, indulgent father dies. Now penniless and banished to a room in the attic, Sara is demeaned, abused, and forced to work as a servant...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama family friendship high-school historical-fiction -
On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsThe adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as they leave their little house on the prairie and travel in their covered wagon to Minnesota. They settle into a house made of sod on the banks of beautiful Plum Creek. Soon Pa builds them a sturdier house, with real glass windows and a hinged door. Laura and Mary go to school, help with the chores around the house, and fish in the creek...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age family historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction outdoors -
Walt Disney's 101 Dalmatians by Walt Disney Company, Justine Korman Fontes
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThere are more than 101 things to love about Disney’s 101 Dalmatians! The animated classic from 1961 is being released in a Platinum Edition DVD, so a whole new generation of children will come to love Perdita and Pongo, Cruella DeVil, and all those adorable puppies. This Little Golden Book retells all the tail-wagging excitement of the film... -
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 73 ratingsSet in the 1870's, these American classics present an authentic description of life in the uncharted West, and offer an intimate perspective on growing up during those trying times...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama family historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction -
Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Spanish Ambassador has moved next door, and Madeline knows right away that his son, Pepito, is bad news...Categorized as:
animals children classics family friendship historical-fiction realistic 20th-century -
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey, Frank Scardino
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsWith their mothers, a little girl and a bear cub pick blueberries in the country. Wandering astray, however, each one mistakes the other's mother for her own... -
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Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsAnne's children were almost grown up, except for pretty, high-spirited Rilla. No one could resist her bright hazel eyes and dazzling smile. Rilla, almost fifteen, can't think any further ahead than going to her very first dance at the Four Winds lighthouse and getting her first kiss from handsome Kenneth Ford...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction -
The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsAn unforgettable story of courage and romance. Will Valancy Stirling ever escape her strict family and find true love?Valancy Stirling is 29, unmarried, and has never been in love...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction -
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 30 ratings"Good night, Gorilla," says the zookeeper. But mischievous Gorilla isn't quite ready to go to sleep. He'd rather follow the zookeeper on his rounds and let all of the other animals out of their cages. Little night owls can sneak along with Gorilla and see who gets the last laugh in this riotous goodnight romp...Categorized as:
animals anthropomorphism children classics family friendship 20th-century action-adventure -
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAlec Ramsay is the sole human survivor of a devastating shipwreck. Trapped on a deserted island, Alec finds his only companion is a horse, beautiful, unbroken, and savage . . . a horse whose beauty matches his wild spirit.This first classic story of the Black Stallion, full of action, excitement, and suspense, has set the pace for horse stories for sixty years . . -
These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Cherry Jones
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsLaura is teaching school, and it's terrifying! Most of the students are taller than she is, and she must sleep away from home for the first time. Laura is miserable, but the money is needed to keep Mary in a college for the blind. Every Friday—no matter what the weather—Almanzo Wilder arrives to take Laura home to her family for the weekend... -
The Four-Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright, Pamela Dillman
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSYNOPSIS: Meet the Melendys! Mona, the eldest, is thirteen. She has decided to become an actress and can recite poetry at the drop of a hat. Rush is twelve and a bit mischievous. Miranda is ten and a half. She loves dancing and painting pictures. Oliver is the youngest. At six, he is a calm and thoughful person... -
Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsLaura is almost fifteen. The long winter is over. With spring comes socials, dances, and "Literaries." There is also work to be done. Laura spends many hours each day sewing shirts to help send Mary to a college for the blind. But, in the evenings, Laura makes time for a new caller, Almazo Wilder...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age family historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction realistic -
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 89 ratingsIn this beloved story, readers travel with Mary Lennox, a spoiled and sullen orphan, from colonial India to Misselthwaite Manor, a forbidding estate on the Yorkshire moors. There, in the unlikeliest of places, Mary discovers and helps restore an abandoned garden and, in the process, blossoms herself into a creature of loving kindness...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction industrial-era -
Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAvailable in paperback for the first time, the modern classic that introduced the beloved baby-sitting rottweiler to the world... -
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsThere's never been another dog as delightful–or dirty–as Harry.This lovable white dog with black spots (or black dog with white spots) has charmed children for fifty years, and we are celebrating with an anniversary edition. This childhood favourite is perfect for reading aloud before going to bed or avoiding a bath... -
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Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsClad ln a doeskin, alone and unafraid, she stood straight and proud before the onrushlng Forces of America’s destiny: Sacajawea. child of a Shoshoni chief, lone woman on Lewis and Clark‘s historic trek-beautiful spear of a dying nation.She knew many men, walked many miles...Categorized as:
children classics historical-fiction industrial-era realistic western 20th-century action-adventure -
Chesapeake by James A. Michener
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsOnce again James A. Michener brings history to life with this 400-year saga of America's great bay and its Eastern Shore. Following Edmund Steed and his remarkable family, who parallel the settling and forming of the nation, CHESAPEAKE sweeps readers from the unspoiled world of the Native Americans to the voyages of Captain John Smith, the Revolutionary War, and right up to modern times...Categorized as:
classics drama family high-school historical-fiction literary-fiction outdoors 20th-century -
A River Runs Through it and Other Stories by Norman Maclean, Annie Proulx
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsJust as Norman Maclean writes at the end of "A River Runs through It" that he is "haunted by waters," so have readers been haunted by his novella. A retired English professor who began writing fiction at the age of 70, Maclean produced what is now recognized as one of the classic American stories of the twentieth century...Categorized as:
classics coming-of-age drama family high-school historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction -
King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian by Marguerite Henry
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsHe was named "Sham" for the sun, this golden red stallion born in the Sultan of Morocco's stone stables. Upon his heel was a small white spot, the symbol of speed. But on his chest was the symbol of misfortune. Although he was as swift as the desert winds, Sham's proud pedigree would be scorned all his life by cruel masters and owners...Categorized as:
animals anthropomorphism children classics drama family friendship historical-fiction -
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as they move from their little house on the banks of Plum Creek to the wilderness of the unsettled Dakota Territory. Here Pa works on the new railroad until he finds a homestead claim that is perfect for their new little house...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age family historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction realistic -
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA VERY classic from Eric Carle, creator of The Very Hungry CaterpillarEarly one morning a little spider spins her web on a fence post. One by one, the animals of the nearby farm try to distract her, yet the busy little spider keeps diligently at her work... -
Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe magic of finding a home Mandy, a ten-year-old orphan, dreams of a place to call her own. Escaping over the orphanage wall to explore the outside world, Mandy discovers a tiny deserted cottage in the woods. All through the spring, summer, and fall, Mandy works to make it truly hers. Sometimes she "borrows" things she needs from the orphanage. Sometimes, to guard her secret, she even lies...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction outdoors realistic -
Bambi by Bob Grant
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsDisney...Categorized as:
animals anthropomorphism children classics coming-of-age family 20th-century action-adventure -
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsOn the empty winter prairie, gray clouds to the northwest meant only one thing: a blizzard was seconds away. The first blizzard came in October. It snowed almost without stopping until April. The temperature dropped to forty below. Snow reached the roof-tops. And no trains could get through with food and coal. The townspeople began to starve. The Ingalls family barely lived through that winter...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama family historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction -
Laddie: A True Blue Story: By Gene Stratton-Porter - Illustrated by Gene Stratton-Porter
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratings1913. Stratton-Porter was an American feminist, environmentalist, photographer and one of Indiana's most famous female authors. Many of her writings were moralistic and romantic novels. Laddie is a wonderful child's book and is thought to be based on her brother Leander who drowned in the Wabash River. Due to the age and scarcity of the original we reproduced, some pages may be spotty or faded...Categorized as:
animals children classics family historical-fiction literary-fiction outdoors 20th-century -
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Sackett by Louis L'Amour
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA drifter by circumstance, William Tell Sackett hungered for a place he couldn’t name but knew he had to find. South of the Tetons, through a keyhole pass, he found it: a lonely yet beautiful valley—with a fortune in gold. Then he found an even greater treasure: Ange Kerry, a courageous and resourceful woman...Categorized as:
classics drama family historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction male-mc western -
Be Still the Water by Karen Emilson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFinalist 2019 Canadian Book Club AwardsShortlisted for the 2017 Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction2017 IPPY Silver Medal WinnerSet in 1906 along the unspoiled shores of Lake Manitoba, Be Still the Water brings us into the fold of the Gudmundsson Family—immigrants determined to begin life anew in the Icelandic farming and fishing community of Siglunes...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction outdoors family coming-of-age friendship fiction historical -
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 81 ratingsTen-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama family friendship high-school historical-fiction -
The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsPing was an adventurous duck who lived on a beautiful wise-eyed boat on the Yangtze River. He liked his life on the riverboat just and liked his large family and his kind master. He didn't like to be the last in line to board the boat at night, for that unlucky duck got a loud spank...Categorized as:
animals anthropomorphism children classics family historical-fiction outdoors 20th-century -
A Girl Of The Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDeeply wounded by her embittered mother's lack of sympathy for her aspirations, Elnora finds comfort in the nearby Limberlost Swamp, whose beauty and rich abundance provide her with the means to better her life... -
The Paul Street Boys by Ferenc Molnár
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe war between two groups of Hungarian boys living in Budapest. One with Hungarian national colours (red, white, green) is defending the square from redshirts (from Garibaldi's redshirts), who want to occupy the square...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction sad -
Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFrom the Children's Laureate of England, a stunning novel of the First World War, a boy who is on its front lines, and a childhood remembered."They've gone now, and I'm alone at last. I have the whole night ahead of me, and I won't waste a single moment of it . . . I want tonight to be long, as long as my life . . -
Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA beloved classic gets a beautiful new look.Lassie is Joe's prize collie and constant companion. But when Joe's father loses his job, Lassie must be sold. Three times she escapes from her new owner, and three times she returns home to Joe, until finally she is taken to the remotest part of Scotland—too far a journey for any dog to make alone.But Lassie is not just any dog... -
The Fields by Conrad Richter
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsConrad Richter's trilogy of novels The Trees (1940), The Fields (1946), and The Town (1950) trace the transformation of Ohio from wilderness to farmland to the site of modern industrial civilization, all in the lifetime of one character. The Fields continues the saga of the Luckett family that began in The Trees... -
The Call of the Wild / White Fang by Jack London
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAltnernate cover edition can be found here."The Call of the Wild tells the story of Buck, a domestic dog who is kidnapped from his home in California and forced to pull sleds in the Arctic wasteland...Categorized as:
animals anthropomorphism children classics dogs drama high-school historical-fiction -
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The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRobin was always wandering off (her mother's words) to get away from the confusion she felt inside her. It was not until Robin's father found a permanent job at the McCurdy ranch, after three years as a migrant worker, that Robin had a place to wander to...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age family historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic 20th-century -
The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsOne of the original 12 Little Golden Books, The Poky Little Puppy has sold nearly 15 million copies since 1942, making it one of the most popular children’s books of all time. Now this curious little puppy is ready to win the hearts and minds of a new generation of kids... -
The Tale of Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTo celebrate Peter's birthday, Frederick Warne is publishing new editions of all 23 of Potter's original tales, which take the very first printings of Potter's works as their guide. The aim of these editions is to be as close as possible to Beatrix Potter's intentions while benefiting from modern printing and design techniques...Categorized as:
animals anthropomorphism children classics family literary-fiction outdoors 20th-century -
A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Place: Nebraska.The time: the 1870's, when every day on the prairie brought its threat -of hostile Indians, of prairie fires, of blizzards, and the overwhelming threat of accident or illness to the little homesteading family, Will and Abbie Deal and their babies...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age drama family historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction -
The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsConsidered one of Sweden's greatest 20th-century writers, Vilhelm Moberg created Karl Oskar and Kristina Nilsson to portray the joys and tragedies of daily life for early Swedish pioneers in America. His consistently faithful depiction of these humble people's lives is a major strength of the Emigrant Novels...Categorized as:
classics drama family historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century action-adventure adult -
An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWith Lizzie’s father fighting in World War II, her mother takes on the job of a zoo keeper to provide for her family. Lizzie, her mother, and her eight-year-old brother Karli have become especially attached to an orphaned elephant named Marlene...
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