Lassie Come-Home

Although it’s technically considered a children’s book, Lassie Come-Home is one of those special stories that crosses generations, cultures, and time periods.

As a child desperate for a dog, I loved imagining I had a dog as devoted as Lassie—and one as willing to traverse all manner of obstacles to come and find me should we ever become separated!

As an adult, I was struck by how much Lassie endured to find her way back to Joe, and how, even when presented with a comfortable life somewhere else, she chose to keep moving forward—back to the boy who held her… show more.

No list of dog books would be complete without this classic. We’re all familiar with the story, but it’s been presented so many times in a bowdlerised, Disneyfied fashion. The original book is a must-read for the dog lover. There’s no anthropomorphising, no sophisticated soliloquies, and almost no dialogue—certainly none from the main character, who is above all a dog, and purely a dog. Her stolid, stubborn, indomitable perseverance is the essence of dogness; it’s beautifully done, and the terrible limitations of a non-human protagonist are squarely met and wonderfully dealt with. It’s a classic for a reason. 

There is absolutely no way I can create a list of best dog books for kids without including this classic that truly captures and celebrates the mysterious bond between a dog and its person. I have said many times that my book, A Dog’s Way Home, was a “love letter” to Lassie Come-Home, which I first read at age nine and have re-read many times since. Set in England and Scotland, the story follows the separation of young Joe and his loyal and beloved collie, Lassie. When Joe’s family falls on hard times, Lassie is sold to a… show more.

When I was very young, we had a golden retriever called Nesta. While we were away on holiday one year Nesta was put in kennels. Clearly, she thought that she was there by mistake and that her duty was to find us, so she dug herself out of the kennels, crossed three very busy roads, and somehow, with that extraordinary homing instinct a dog can have, made her way back to our house - a distance of 15 km. When we finally returned, there she was at the door, starving and weak, but happy and supremely confident that she’d done… show more.

I suppose it may seem cliché to suggest a book about Lassie – probably the most recognized dog in history – should grace my top five list. It was one of the first “big kid” books I read as a child and rereading it years later did not disappoint. First published in 1940, Lassie Come Home spurred movies and later television shows that entertained generations. This is the story of a dog’s triumph over tragedy as she continues her quest to get back home to the people she loves. The stories of how Lassie imparts her own wisdom upon the… show more.