If you liked Sounder you’ll love these dog-themed classics

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” –Groucho Marx

Dogs have been at the heart of many famous and classic books over the years. Sounder is one of these classic stories. If you liked Sounder, then we highly recommend these classic books about dogs and the people who love them.

The Incredible Journey –by Sheila Burnford

This classic story tells of the love animals have for their owners and the lengths these pets will go to be reunited with them. The Incredible Journey is about two dogs and a cat. Luath is a young Labrador Retriever. Bodger is an aging English Bull Terrier. And Tao is a pert, blue-eyed Siamese cat. The trio treks 300 miles through the Canadian wilderness to find their way home. They set out without knowing the way and only their instincts to guide them westward. They fight starvation, wild animals, exposure, drowning, and even a porcupine along the way. The animals support each other on their journey. They find strength and courage they didn’t know they had. Will they ever be reunited with their beloved owners?

White Fang –by Jack London

Author Jack London is famous for his books that have the theme of “a boy and his dog.” White Fang is a half-dog, halfwolf who is born in the wild. Starvation in the wild pushes White Fang to approach civilization. A man named Grey Beaver takes him in. Unfortunately, the village dogs terrorize White Fang until he learns to fight back. Grey Beaver encourages White Fang to become more and more vicious. Soon the wolf-dog begins to kill other dogs. Grey Beaver later sells White Fang to Beauty Smith. Smith turns out to be an unusually cruel man. He abuses White Fang. He takes him on the dog-fighting circuit. Smith doesn’t care whether or not his star fighting dog lives or dies. White Fang knows only cruelty, injustice, and pain both from humans and other dogs. Then, a man named Scott steps in. Scott rescues White Fang from the fighting ring. Will Scott’s care and devotion be enough to help White Fang learn to love again?

Old Yeller –by Fred Gipson

This story is set in Texas in the 1860s. It takes place just after the Civil War. Travis Coates is only 14 when his father sets off on a months-long cattle drive. In the meantime, Travis must take his father’s place as “man of the house.” The day that his father leaves, a dusty yellow dog shows up at the family’s farm. At first, Travis tries to drive off the ugly mongrel. But his mother and his five-year-old brother, Arliss, overrule him and the dog gets to stay. They name him Old Yeller for his “yeller” color as well as for the way he barks. At first, Travis hates the dog. Eventually, he wins over Travis’s heart by making himself invaluable to the family. Soon, Travis and the big yellow dog are inseparable and Travis can’t imagine life without him. Then one day, Old Yeller is bitten by a rabid wolf while trying to protect his family. Travis is stuck with the heartwrenching decision of what to do with Old Yeller. We dare you to read this book without crying.

Because of Winn Dixie –by Kate DiCamillo

Ten-year-old Opal Buloni is the new kid on the block. She and her father, a preacher, have just moved into a small town named Naomi, Florida. Opal becomes very lonely—her mother abandoned them when Opal was just three, her father is too busy with work to spend much time with her, and Opal is finding that she’s having a lot of trouble making friends in their new home. One day Opal is in the local supermarket chain Winn Dixie when an ugly stray dog gets into the store and creates quite a ruckus. Even though he looks like “a big piece of brown carpet that had been left out in the rain,” Opal claims that he’s hers and takes him home. Her father lets Opal keep the mongrel and she names him Winn-Dixie after the grocery store in which she found him. It turns out that Winn-Dixie is a lot better at making friends than Opal and because of Winn-Dixie, Opal begins to meet more people and make friends. Taking care of Winn-Dixie helps Opal begin to grow, but can a dog’s love also help her to come to terms with the deep emotional scar left by her mother’s abandonment?

Shiloh –by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Eleven-year-old Marty Preston lives in rural West Virginia. One day, Marty finds a shy young beagle that is practically afraid of its own shadow. Marty’s family is just scraping by. His family doesn’t have enough money to be able to afford the food and vet fees for a dog. Marty’s father suspects that the dog belongs to Judd Travers, who owns a few hunting dogs and isn’t known to be particularly kind. Marty is disappointed when his father insists that they drive the dog over to Judd’s place. His disappointment quickly turns to hatred, because as they approach Judd’s home, Marty feels the dog begin to tremble in his lap. Judd punishes the dog for running away by kicking her and Marty decides that he has to find a way to buy Shiloh from Judd. Marty comes to an agreement with Judd, but the nasty hunter finds ways to trick Marty out of their deal at every turn. Will Marty ever be able to buy Shiloh from Judd and save him from a life of misery?