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July 2006 features
Animal Tales
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The Plague
Dogs
by Richard Adams
F Ada
The author creates a lyrical and engrossing tale, a remarkable journey into the hearts and minds of two canine heroes, Snitter and Rowf, fugitives from the horrors of an animal research center who escape into the
isolation, and terror, of the wilderness Sight Hound
by Pam Houston
F Hou
This is the story of a woman, Rae, and her dog, Dante, a wolfhound who
teaches his human that love is stronger than fear. A catalyst for change in other characters as well, Dante effects the lives of Rae's house-tender, her therapist, two veterinarians, and an anxiety-ridden actor. In addition to Dante, there is also Rose, another dog, and Stanley the Cat, all of whom have something to add. The
Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling
F Kip
Set in magical, mysterious India, these tales of people and animals living together--though not always harmoniously--in the world of nature have appealed equally to children and adults since their first appearance more than a century ago. Most focus on Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves. As Baloo the sleepy brown bear, Bagheera the cunning black panther, Kaa the python, and his other animal friends teach their beloved “man-cub” the ways of the jungle, Mowgli gains the strength and wisdom he needs for his frightful fight with Shere Khan, the tiger who robbed him of his human family. But there are also the tales of Rikki-tikki-tavi the mongoose and his “great war” against the vicious cobras Nag and Nagaina; of Toomai, who watches the elephants dance; and of Kotick the white seal, who swims in the Bering Sea.
Cujo
by Stephen King
F Kin
Cujo is a two-hundred pound Saint Bernard, the beloved pet of the
Cambers family. One day Cujo pursues a rabbit into a bolt-hole,
a cave inhabited by very sick bats. What happens to Cujo and
those unlucky enough to be near him, makes for a book in which readers
will turn the pages with a combination of anticipation and dire
apprehension.
Call of the Wild
by Jack London
F Lon
Centers on Buck, a dog bred for a life of ease on a California estate, who is kidnapped and sold to Klondike gold hunters. To survive the biting cold and his ruthless masters, Buck must listen to the Call and learn the ways of his wolf-ancestors who guide him from within.
White Fang
by Jack London
F Lon
Tells the story of a half-wolf, half-dog nearly destroyed by the vicious cruelty of mankind. Brought to the very brink of his existence, White Fang is lucky enough to experience the one thing that can save him—human love. Slowly, the ferocious White Fang grows into a creature capable of bravery, loyalty, and affection.
Creatures of the Kingdom: Stories of Animals and
Nature
by James Michener
F Mic
A treasury of sixteen tales about the natural world compiled from
other Michner novels. Snowball's Chance
by John Reed
F Ree
A capitalism spoof on Orwell's classic in which Snowball returns
to Animal Farm.
Animal Crackers
by Hannah Tinti
F Tin
In these strange, funny, and unnerving stories, animals become the
litmus test of our deepest fears and longings.
When Elephants Weep: the Emotional Lives of Animals
by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and Susan McCarthy
591.51 Mas
With chapters on love, joy, anger, fear, shame, compassion, and loneliness, all framed by a
provocative reevaluation of how we treat animals, When Elephants Weep is the first book since Darwin's time to explore the full range of emotions throughout the animal kingdom, and it features a cast of hundreds.
The Raptor and the Lamb
by Christopher McGowan
591.53 McG
The author takes the reader on a guided tour of predator-prey relationships through the very different but often overlapping worlds of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, plants, insects, and microorganisms, as well as the fossilized record of the dinosaurs. We learn, in every instance, not only the intricacies of interdependence in the vast chain of being but also the astonishing adaptability that is inherent in nature, whether the drama be played out on the African plains, in the depths of the ocean, or in the familiar confines of our own backyard.
Nature's
Outcasts: a New Look at Living Things We Love to Hate
by Des Kennedy
591.65 Ken
With fascinating facts and anecdotes, the author helps us to see allies in creatures that most of us would rather kill than cultivate as friends, including bats, slugs, and dandelions.
Crossing Paths: Uncommon Encounters with Animals
by Craig Childs
591.978
The natural world in these stories of his encounters with wild animals
- such as mountain lions, sharks, horned owls, pronghorns, and rainbow
trout - in the most remote places of the West.
The Shark Chronicles
by John A. Musick and Beverly McMillan
597.3 Mus
Many animals elicit the same mythical terror and awe as sharks, and yet we know little about these elusive, highly engineered creatures.
The authors bring us along on a thrilling adventure as they chase sharks from Bear Gulch, Montana, to a whale shark-feeding station in Okinawa, by way of Alaska, the Bimini islands, and the most sophisticated shark-research labs in the world. En route we discover that sharks navigate using electromagnetic signals, have a bloodhound's sense of smell, are both cold- and warm-blooded, and possess biochemical weapons, which, used properly, might indeed help fend off malignant tumors and microbes.
Red-Tails
in Love: a Wildlife Drama in Central Park
by Marie Winn
598.07234 Win
At its heart is the saga of the Fifth Avenue hawks, which begins as a love story and develops into a full-fledged mystery. At the outset of our journey we meet the Regulars, a small band of nature lovers who devote themselves to the park and its wildlife. As they watch Pale Male, a remarkable young red-tailed hawk, woo and win his first mate, they are soon transformed into addicted hawk-watchers. From a bench at the park's model-boat pond they observe the hawks building a nest in an astonishing spot - a high ledge of a Fifth Avenue building.
Build
Me an Ark: a Life with Animals
by Brenda Peterson
599 Pet
This is the story of a life and spirit guided by animals. Brenda Peterson was raised in the High Sierras on a national forest lookout station, and wildlife had a daily, defining influence on her life. Peterson explores her deep connection with animals, from watching grizzlies in Montana's Rockies to keeping Siberian huskies as pets in New York City and her work for the restoration of wild wolves. Her lively storytelling bridges the worlds of human and animal, as she fascinates us with intimate stories of her studies of wild dolphins, whales, and orcas. Peterson reveals how animal bonds have enriched her life and led her toward a wider epiphany: As a species we cannot live without other animals. The
Cowboy and his Elephant: the Story of a Remarkable Friendship
by Malcolm MacPherson
599.674 Mac
Bob Norris, one of the original Marlboro Men, adopted Amy, an orphaned
baby elephand, and through close observation, gentle training, humor, and endless perseverance, this accomplished horseman gradually coaxed Amy into overcoming her mistrust of humans, and her fear of the world. Amy became a beloved member of the Norris family, and partner to the ranch hands, but Bob knew from the start that the ultimate goal was for Amy to regain her confidence and her independence - even, if it were possible, to go back to the savannahs of Africa. Kindred
Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans and Animals Can Change
the Way We Live
by Allen M. Schoen
636.089 Sch
Treating animals just as any healer would treat human beings, the
author has become one of America’s most celebrated veterinarians.
This book shares the transformative power of his remarkable methods, explores how alternative healing is revolutionizing his profession, and, in the tradition of James Herriot, shares heartwarming stories of animals and their caretakers who have deeply enriched each other’s lives.
Buffalo for
the Broken Heart
by Dan O'Brien
636.292 Obr
For twenty years, Dan O’Brien battled drought, overgrazed pastures, and falling cattle prices as he struggled to maintain his cattle
ranch. Having to take stints as an endangered species biologist, English teacher, and handyman to help pay off his accumulating debts, he questioned the logic of this losing enterprise, but never lost his fierce love of the Great Plains. So when a neighboring buffalo rancher invites him to lend a hand at the annual buffalo roundup,
the seeds are planted for converting his own ranch from cattle to buffalo. Starting with thirteen calves, O’Brien embarks on a journey that returns buffalo to his land for the first time in more than a century and a half.
James Herriot's Dog Stories
by James Herriot
636.7 Her
Many of James Herriot's best-loved tales are of man's best friends. Here is the complete collection of his stories about dogs and puppies, hounds and mutts--50 in all--including stories not available anywhere else.
The Dog Who Wouldn't Be
by Farley Mowat
636.7 Mow
Farely Mowat's best-loved book tells the splendidly entertaining story of his boyhood on the Canadian prairies. Mutt's pedigree was uncertain, but his madness was indisputable. He climbed tress and ladders, rode passenger in an open car wearing goggles and displaying hunting skills that bordered on sheer genius. He was a marvelous dog, worthy of an unusual boy growing up in a raw, untamed wilderness.
Pack
of Two: the Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs
by Caroline Knapp
636.7088 Kna
Eighteen months to the day after she quit drinking, Knapp stumbled upon an eight-week-old puppy at a local animal shelter, took her home, and named her Lucille. Now two years old, Lucille has become a central force in Knapp's life.
She brings the same perception and talent to bear on the rich, complicated terrain of human-animal relationships. In addition to mining her own experience with Lucille, Knapp speaks to a wide variety of dog people - from animal behaviorists and psychologists to other owners whose dogs have deeply affected their lives - about this emotionally complex, sometimes daunting, often profoundly healing
alliance.
James Herriot's Cat Stories
by James Herriot
636.8 Her
Between these covers, teller and tales finally meet in a warm and joyful new collection that will bring delight to the hearts of readers the world
over. Here are Buster, the kitten who arrived on Christmas; Alfred, the cat at the sweet shop; little Emily, who lived with the gentleman tramp; and Olly and Ginny, the kittens who charmed readers when they first appeared at the Herriots' house in the worldwide bestseller Every Living Thing. And along with these come others, each story as memorable and heartwarming as the last, each told with that magical blend of gentle wit and human compassion that marks every word from James Herriot's pen.
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