Books for Reluctant Early Readers Featuring Animals

If you’re someone who has a child—or who works with children … or occasionally kidnaps someone else’s child—no doubt you’ve felt the bitter frustration of attempting to get a non-reader to read.

Listen, I’ve done a lot of harrowing things in my life. Well … some. I’ve done some harrowing things in my life. Nothing so much so as trying to convince Minion (my 10-year-old daughter) that reading is good and worthwhile and absolutely not a total bore and stop rolling your eyes at me child or so help me I can’t be held responsible for what I do.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is animals from books, but with summer reading coming up, I decided to spin this post to be about books featuring animals that are perfect for reluctant readers.

I’m sure this is partly due to the fact that I now feel like the majority of my waking brainpower is spent on helping to plan summer reading and the other big programs we have coming up and also partly due to my own parenting struggles consuming my days. Yes, Minion will do summer reading. Yes, it will be reluctantly, unless she gets it into her brain that she can crush everyone, and then my overly competitive, hubby-knock-off will go full bore and read all the books and remember none of them. So yes, this list is created with aaaall that in mind.

I mean, mileage may vary, of course, because what works for some reluctant readers, or even my reluctant reader, may not work for them all, obviously. If you’re looking for a little something to inspire your reluctant reader to get into summer reading, though, check out one of these books! They’ve worked for me.

Blue, Barry & Pancakes

           

Reading Age:

4 – 8 years

Why I Recommend:

• Lots of bright, colorful illustrations sure to grab a young reader’s attention.
• Simple plot that’s easy to follow with small words and short sentences for beginner level readers.
• A grand adventure with lots of action and things happening.
• Variety of animal protagonists, from a yellow bunny to a blue earthworm.

My Thoughts:

I received an eARC of the first book of this from the publisher, and it’s younger than the books I normally read, since I tend to focus on upper middle grade. Gotta know your audience, though! So I picked this up. The cover is super colorful and suggests it’s an easy, fun book, and it is. The illustrations inside are dynamic and colorful, easily grabbing one’s attention and pulling you along. There’s very little, very simple text, so it’s perfect for readers with a lower reading ability.

Best of all, there are two more books coming out this year in this series! I’m forever keeping my eye for series, because I know if I can convince Minion to read one, then I’ve got her hooked for the rest.

Stella Diaz

           

Reading Age:

6 – 9 years

Why I Recommend:

• Basic Spanish vocabulary mixed in for an easy introduction to other languages.
• Latinx characters with a glimpse into Latinx culture and cuisine.
• An early chapter book with some cute illustrations scattered throughout.
• Female protagonist interested in STEM.
• Ongoing discussions about conservation, animals, and science.
• Lots of cute little animal metaphors and tidbits of information.

My Thoughts:

Okay, so this one doesn’t technically really have animals in it. It’s animal adjacent, if you will. I received an eARC of the third book of this series from the publisher, and I thought it was super cute! Not really something I would read, of course, but definitely the sort of book the kids at my library like. I’m always excited to see female characters interested in STEM, and Stella does a little bit of everything. She’s also president of the Sea Musketeers, which is a conservation club. Oh, and she’s obsessed with the ocean. This is the perfect series for young readers who like animals and are interested in life sciences (even if they don’t know it’s called that yet!).

For More Advanced Readers, Try:

Doggo and Pupper

   

Reading Age:

6 – 9 years

Why I Recommend:

• Who doesn’t love doggos? And puppers? Duh.
• Katherine Applegate is a fantastic author with a large breadth of books. Hook them with this one and then move them on to the others! It’s a legitimate strategy!
• Simple story about the importance of individuality and being one’s self.
• Super cute and colorful illustrations.

My Thoughts:

I received a finished copy of this from the publisher, and Minion stole it the moment it came in and she saw the cover. How’s that for proof? I’m always excited when Katherine Applegate releases a new book, because she was my favorite author as a kid. If you haven’t read her work, I’d happily recommend any of her books to reluctant readers, because she her writing has a certain charm that seems to lull readers in.

This book was just plain fun, and Minion read it to me without any hesitation and talked about the pictures. This one works really well for readers who have doggos at home, since we were able to talk about our own doggos (all four of them) and whether they were more like Doggo or Pupper.

For More Advanced Readers, Try:

Fitz and Cleo

   

Reading Age:

6 – 9 years

Why I Recommend:

• Super cute illustrations with an adorable yet paranormal vibe.
• Brother/sister sibling duo.
• Cute kitty! Who doesn’t love kitties?
• Characters that young readers are sure to relate to.
• Cleo very efficiently makes the case for why cats are amazing. Probably not so great for you dog people, but a sure-fire win for cat lovers out there!
• To be fair, Fitz does totally present his counterargument as to why cats are the worst … you know, for balance.
• (Also, cats are jerks, albeit cute jerks, and the sooner kids realize this, the better.)
• Super hilarious story. I couldn’t stop laughing! Sure to appeal to readers who enjoy humor.

My Thoughts:

Listen. I’m not convinced that Jonathan Stutzman didn’t track us down and model Cleo after Minion, okay? They go into a spooky attic, and she starts singing “The Spooky Attic Song,” which she makes up on the spot to make herself feel better, and I’m like, huh, that feels familiar. But then she finds a cat and instantly melts and fawns over it and gives it a name. At which point, the resemblance is starting to become more than a little uncanny, okay?

But then Fitz (who will be playing my husband in this scene, obviously) reminds her that you can’t name it because then you have to keep it, and Cleo responds with, “That’s the WHOLE POINT.” At this point, it went beyond coincidence and I became a little paranoid. Cleo is 100% Minion, and I suspect she will be relatable to way too many other young children (whose parents I also pity, because I have been in those shoes).

This one had me laughing out loud. It’s bound to appeal to younger readers, but also slightly older ones who can relate. Each chapter is a little mini scene, so they’re pretty bite-sized and easily digestible chunks.

For More Advanced Readers, Try:

Bad Kitty Chapter Books

               

Reading Age:

7 – 10 years

Why I Recommend:

• This has been recommended to me by many a reader, reluctant or otherwise (including Minion).
• One of the most popular kids’ series in our library.
• A long series, so once kids are hooked, there’s plenty more for them to read!
• A graphic novel filled with all sorts of funny antics and scenarios.
• Bad Kitty isn’t all bad, and he’s bound to make readers laugh.

My Thoughts:

This one comes from the reluctant reader herself. In fact, this is one of the few series that’s an auto-buy in our household specifically because I know she’ll sit down immediately and read them. The best part is I actually handed Minion this series on a whim, not expecting she would love it, but she definitely did! Bad Kitty makes her laugh every time, and she can’t wait to see what antics he’ll get into next.

For More Advanced Readers, Try:

Dave the Unicorn

               

Reading Age:

7 – 10 years

Why I Recommend:

• When in doubt, unicorns are always a safe bet for grabbing a kid’s attention!
• Very cute illustrations to go along with the text.
• Magical unicorn schools are always a win.
• Really cute, dynamic page layouts that’ll help carry a reader’s attention.
• Lots of fun adventure and, most importantly, MAGIC.

My Thoughts:

Are unicorns animals? I mean, in some books they have a form of sentience, so is that really an animal? I’m going to count it. I always know I can convince Minion to read a book if there’s a unicorn in it. She’s slowly wising up to my trickery, so that might change soon, but for now, unicorns are big. I can almost convince any little girl who walks into the library to walk out with a unicorn book … and half the boys, too. It’s really hard not to love something about unicorns.

Have boys (or girls) around this age who are into unicorns but want something less “girly” (whatever that means because pfft give me a murdercorn any day), try Zach Lopez vs. the Unicorns of Doom for a more horror take on them!

For More Advanced Readers, Try:

Diary of a Minecraft Zombie

               

Reading Age:

7 – 10 years

Why I Recommend:

• Pixelmon! Which are sort of like Pokemon … except more pixelated … and less likely to be copyright infringement.
• Combines something kids love (Minecraft) with something they may not love as much (reading) to become something they’re more likely to do!
• Perfect for readers who enjoy humor and a good laugh.
• Zombies are people, too. Allegedly.
• Perfect for nerdy gamers who haven’t achieved the nerdy bookworm status just yet.

My Thoughts:

Another long series so you get more bang for your buck, so to speak, if you can get kids invested in it! Also, this one is a teeensy bit cheating, but so what? Sue me. But don’t. Because I’m poor and all you’ll get is crippling debt and more books than you know what to do with, so it’s probably just not worth it, in retrospect.

Anywho, these books are pretty funny, and kids eat them up … kind of like zombies! Except hopefully having more fun than zombies have. This one’s got gamer references and actions and humor all mixed into one, plus being easy enough for reluctant readers to sink their teeth into. (Get it?! Okay, fine, I’ll stop.)

For More Advanced Readers, Try:

Monster and Boy

   

Reading Age:

6 – 9 years

Why I Recommend:

• Ridiculously cute illustrations to accompany the story.
• Very smooth, cozy quality to the prose.
• A story that sucks the reader in with monsters under the bed.
• Story about friendship.
• Perfect for readers just starting chapter books.

My Thoughts:

This is really just a feel-good sort of a book. If you’ve got a kid whose thing is monsters, but not necessarily the scary type, this is a great lead-in. It’s a heartwarming story about friendship, even between a boy and his (not-so-scary) monster. The illustrations are charming, and this would make for a perfect bedtime read, either with or without parents.

For More Advanced Readers, Try:

The Bad Guys

               

Reading Age:

6 – 9 years

Why I Recommend:

• Super fun personified animals.
• Exciting mission-focused action and adventure.
• All the characters are animals of some sort!
• Lots of punny animal-themed shenanigans.
• Good guys turned bad guys when these missions go hilariously awry.
• Lots of fun animal-themed illustrations.

My Thoughts:

Another long book series! I’m going to admit that I haven’t actually read this one (even though all the characters are animals, so out of all the books, this one obviously fits this prompt). This is another really popular series in my library, and I hope to pick it up one day. Maybe even convince Minion to read it? I still have hope, darn it, however misplaced it might be!

For More Advanced Readers, Try:

Owl Diaries

               

Reading Age:

5 – 7 years

Why I Recommend:

• Lots of cute, colorful illustrations to engage young readers.
• Perfect for readers just moving into chapter books, with simple text and a simple plot.
• Focus on friendship and family.
• All the characters are animals (and not just owls).
• A storyline that’s easy to follow and very relatable.

My Thoughts:

A long series perfect for those just moving into chapter books! We recommend these to a lot of readers testing the chapter book waters, and most readers seem to enjoy them. They’re short, to the point, but filled with fun characters and engaging illustrations.

For More Advanced Readers, Try:

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