Why am I passionate about this?

I’m the eldest of seven children and didn’t grow up with pets because frankly, it was chaotic enough with that many people in the house. And yet I always had a penchant for looking at an animal and imagining what it was thinking to itself. I assumed that every creature had an inner life that was as colorful and varied as my own. Animal fables were as plausible to me as stories about humans. Now I love writing books with talking animals, because once your furry or feathery protagonist opens their mouth and starts talking, anything goes!


I wrote

Otto P. Nudd

By Emily Butler,

Book cover of Otto P. Nudd

What is my book about?

Otto is the smartest bird around. "You’ve seen the best, now forget the rest,” is his motto. He spends his…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Charlotte's Web

Emily Butler Why did I love this book?

Charlotte’s Web is one of the greatest children’s books of all time. No line is wasted; every word is necessary. Almost all human emotions are on display in this story—fear! greed! altruism! young love! pride! Templeton (the gluttonous rat) was my first encounter with an anti-hero. Could he really, in the end, help save Wilbur’s life? As a six-year-old, I struggled to understand how such a thing might be possible. And Charlotte’s Web was my first encounter (albeit literary) with death. I felt terrible grief at the end of the story and know how important it is to let children process “big” emotions this way. I’d be happy to be buried with a copy of this book.

By E.B. White,

Why should I read it?

16 authors picked Charlotte's Web as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child.

On foggy mornings, Charlotte's web was truly a thing of beauty . Even Lurvy, who wasn't particularly interested in beauty, noticed the web when he came with the pig's breakfast. And then he took another look and he saw something that made him set his pail down. There, in the centre of the web, neatly woven in block letters, was a message. It said: SOME PIG!

This is the story of a little girl named Fern, who loves a little pig named Wilbur - and of Wilbur's dear friend,…


Book cover of Where the Red Fern Grows

Emily Butler Why did I love this book?

I made the mistake of reading Where the Red Fern Grows in class during “quiet time” and had to crouch under a table so that nobody could see me cry. I cried so hard that my teacher eventually sent me out to the drinking fountain to pull myself together. I knew nothing about the Ozarks or the complexities of raccoon hunting, but I identified greatly with Billy, a boy who wanted puppies so much that he saved every dime for two years to pay for them. To this day I look for red ferns, which, according to the story, can only be planted by an angel! I’m recommending this book because it hits the reader squarely in his or her feelings, and that’s valuable.

By Wilson Rawls,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Where the Red Fern Grows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Read the beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man’s best friend. This edition also includes a special note to readers from Newbery Medal winner and Printz Honor winner Clare Vanderpool.
 
Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when he’s finally able to save up enough money for two pups to call his own—Old Dan and Little Ann—he’s ecstatic. It doesn’t matter that times are tough; together they’ll roam the hills of the Ozarks.

Soon Billy and his hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Stories of their great achievements…


Book cover of The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Emily Butler Why did I love this book?

This book completely captured my imagination when my teacher, in a very successful bid to corral a large class of third-graders, read it aloud to us after recess. So I’m recommending it as a riveting read-aloud. There was no question in my mind, at least while my teacher was reading to us, that a mouse might dream of riding a motorcycle. Nor was I skeptical that the boy who owned the motorcycle would befriend that mouse, and that they would have a falling out, and ultimately be reconciled, as friends often are. No, it all seemed very plausible to me. Beverly Cleary’s genius for setting up stories that draw children all the way in is on full display in The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

By Beverly Cleary, Jacqueline Rogers (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Mouse and the Motorcycle as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

In this imaginative adventure from Newbery Medal–winning author Beverly Cleary, a young mouse named Ralph is thrown into a world of excitement when a boy and his shiny toy motorcycle check in to the Mountain View Inn.

When the ever-curious Ralph spots Keith's red toy motorcycle, he vows to ride it. So when Keith leaves the bike unattended in his room one day, Ralph makes his move. But with all this freedom (and speed!) come a lot of obstacles. Whether dodging a rowdy terrier or keeping his nosy cousins away from his new wheels, Ralph has a lot going on!…


Book cover of Amos & Boris

Emily Butler Why did I love this book?

Of course fate could bring a whale and a mouse together, their bond of friendship lasting for the rest of their lives! In his matter-of-fact yet sparkling and stylish way, William Steig always made the fantastical seem unremarkable. I have given this book to at least five friends. Its quirky and gorgeous illustrations (by Steig, who was also a brilliant cartoonist) are as vital to the story as the words. Amos & Boris is just one of those books that does not condescend to young readers and is therefore as appealing to adults as children. I recommend it because Steig understood that kids can handle the deepest of deep life-and-death stories, and if those stories happen to feature animals, well...all the better!

By William Steig,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Amos & Boris as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

Amos the mouse and Boris the whale are friends who have very little in common. Boris rescues Amos, who has set out to sail the seas - but might there be a time when Boris needs rescuing too?

An awardwinning fable and New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year from classic creator, William Steig.


Book cover of Beloved Dog

Emily Butler Why did I love this book?

I recommend this book in part for its sheer weirdness and in part because dogs have evolved to be our true blue friends, and Beloved Dog celebrates that fact as much as any book I’ve ever read. Kalman’s writing is often a stream of consciousness, so the reader needs to leave any expectation of linear story-telling aside and just enjoy the ride. Kids are great at doing that! They can turn each page and lose themselves in her illustrations. Once again, I adore a book that isn’t exclusively for children or adults, but both.

By Maira Kalman,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Beloved Dog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Maira Kalman, with wit and great sensitivity, reveals why dogs bring out the best in us

Maira Kalman + Dogs = Bliss

Dogs have lessons for us all. In Beloved Dog, renowned artist and author Maira Kalman illuminates our cherished companions as only she can. From the dogs lovingly illustrated in her acclaimed children's books to the real-life pets who inspire her still, Kalman's Beloved Dog is joyful, beautifully illustrated, and, as always, deeply philosophical.

Here is Max Stravinsky, the dog poet of Oh-La-La (Max in Love)-fame, and her own Irish Wheaton Pete (almost named Einstein, until he revealed himself…


Explore my book 😀

Otto P. Nudd

By Emily Butler,

Book cover of Otto P. Nudd

What is my book about?

Otto is the smartest bird around. "You’ve seen the best, now forget the rest,” is his motto. He spends his days swapping treasures with a girl named Pippa and inventing marvelous things with a scientist named Bartleby. But Otto’s most important job is keeping the local birds in line. After all, he’s the top bird.

Then Bartleby has a dreadful accident. Desperate to rescue the only father he has ever known, Otto raises the alarm! He tries to rally the neighborhood, but no one cares. The birds are sick and tired of following his orders. And Marla (a notorious squirrel) thwarts him at every turn. What’s the top bird supposed to do? Otto learns that to have a friend, you have to be a friend.

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Serendipity

By Maria de Fátima Santos,

Book cover of Serendipity

Maria de Fátima Santos Author Of Serendipity

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Maria's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Serendipity is a magical story told by a grandmother to a granddaughter, introducing us to the traditional way of living of the Scottish Travellers and their Cant language.

A fantasy tale for children of 8 years old and older inspired by three real places in Scotland. Serendipity takes us to Helge's Hole in Forres, the Hermitage Forest in Dunkeld, and Glen Lyon in Perth on a quest for Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. It's a story of a grandmother's greater love for a granddaughter, a mother for a daughter, and the boundless bounty of the natural realm for each one of…

Serendipity

By Maria de Fátima Santos,

What is this book about?

Not so long ago, nomadic communities in Scotland told stories around camp fires and slept in bow tents made of hazel and canvas. In this book, their culture is introduced through Cant's vocabulary, a dialect spoken by Scottish travellers. Following them, Serendipity takes you to Helge's Hole in Forres, Hermitage Forest in Dunkeld, and Glen Lyon in Perth, meandering through the valleys and cragged peaks of the Scottish Highlands, in a quest for Truth, Beauty and Goodness.

Dive into Scottish culture as the old grandmother, Julia, recounts to her granddaughter Gaia the tale of a little girl of pure heart.…


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Interested in dogs, farms, and the Ozarks?

Dogs 420 books
Farms 67 books
The Ozarks 19 books