Riot Headline The Best Books of 2024
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40+ of the Best Books About Dogs

María Cristina García lives in New York with her favorite spouse, her favorite toddler, her favorite cat, and her second-favorite cat. When not ranking members of her household, she's catching up on Supergirl, strumming her mandolin, or trying to beat the clock on her library loans. Twitter: @MeowyCristina Blog: MeowyCristina.com

This Riot Recommendation of best books about dogs is sponsored by Gordon: Bark to the Future! by Ashley Spires from Kids Can Press.

HOLY FUZZBUTT! Aliens have invaded, and Gordon’s fellow space pets have been captured! Now Gordon will have to fight the enemy alone! Gordon’s never been much of a fighter—his deadliest weapon is his mind. What’s a genius dog to do? Time travel, of course! Will Gordon be able to save himself, his friends and his humans? And get back to the future? Kids won’t want to miss this hilarious trip through space and time!

 


Is it any surprise that when we asked for the best books about good boys, your favorite canine-themed page-turners, great reads featuring doggos…you flooded us with recommendations? From kid lit to mystery to memoir, here’s a small sample of the furry pals you can find in a book:

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava by Jay Kopelman and Melinda Roth

Susie’s Senior Dogs by Erin Stanton

A Dog Wearing Shoes by Sangmi Ko

Strays by Jennifer Caloyeras

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

The Day Cagney Lost Her Wag by Laurie Salzer and Lynn Starner

The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption by Jim Gorant

Saving Audie: A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

Rescuing Penny Jane by Amy Sutherland

Chase by Linwood Barclay

Afterglow: A Dog Memoir by Eileen Myles

Old Faithful by Pete Thorne

Oogy by Larry Levin

Hurry Home, Candy by Meindert DeJong

Gizelle’s Bucket List: My Life with a Very Large Dog by Lauren Fern Watt

See You in the Cosmos, Carl Sagan by Jack Cheng

How Dogs Love Us by Gregory Berns

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Laika by Nick Abadzis

Saving Audie: A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Dog Songs by Mary Oliver

Strider by Beverly Cleary

A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

The Underdogs by Melissa Fay Greene

Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell

Starting with Max by Ying Ying

Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill

A Dog Called Kitty by Bill Wallace

The Chet and Bernie series by Spencer Quinn

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Dog Medicine by Julie Barton

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

Lireal by Garth Nix

Dog Church by Gail Gilmore

Black Dog by Levi Pinfold

The Poet’s Dog by Patricia MacLachlan

The Dog Who Saved Me by Susan Wilson

A Time for Home by Alexis Morgan