Zoological reads for middle graders

The Year of the Puppy

Alexandra Horowitz
(Viking Books for Young Readers 2024)

Children who have ever wondered why puppies chew slippers and chair legs but still manage to win over human hearts will appreciate this intelligent explainer by dog researcher Alexandra Horowitz. In this young readers edition, Horowitz intertwines scientific study with down-to-earth narrative as she traces the first year of Quiddity the puppy, whom Horowitz’s family adopted at 8 weeks. Dog owners will sigh and nod at the family’s struggles to house-train the pup, but Horowitz treats the experience much like a loving parent navigating life with a toddler. Where less forgiving owners would give up, she carefully explains to readers that Quid’s antics are just part of growing up in an unfamiliar human world. Readers will marvel not just at how much puppies change in a year, but how much dog owners do, too. Ages 8-12

The Incredible Octopus

Erin Spencer
(Storey Publishing 2024)

A human is born with one heart, one brain, two arms, and two legs. But consider the octopus, which has three hearts, eight arms, and nine brains. Author and marine biologist Erin Spencer takes readers on a deep dive to discover these curious cephalopods, the small subset of marine creatures whose legs are connected directly to their heads. They can camouflage, squeeze through small places, shoot ink, and use human tools. Some octopuses are extremely venomous, some hide inside coconuts, and others make their own shells. Readers will enjoy the fun superlative awards for best disguised, deepest, and most inventive octopuses, all of which remind us that even among these strange sea creatures we can see God’s breathtaking creativity. Ages 7-10

Animal Minds: What Are They Thinking?

Dana L. Church
(Orca Book Publishers 2024)

Dolphins can be neurotic. Ferrets can be extroverted. And some honeybees know how to chill out. Animal researchers can’t read their minds, but author and animal researcher Dana Church says animals have personalities. Some of them even can think surprisingly complex thoughts. Scientists have found, for example, that hyenas can solve puzzles, gorillas can remember where they laid their food stashes, and parrots can tally up the number of different treats under three cups. So does this mean hyenas are clever, gorillas have good memories, and parrots can do math? Or were they merely interested in food? Church says the verdict is still out, but this colorful 80-page book will intrigue young readers who are curious about animal cognition and personality. Ages 9-12

The Unlikely Hero: The Story of Wolf 8

Rick McIntyre & David A. Poulsen
(Greystone Kids 2024)

In 1995, American biologists captured a pack of gray wolves from the Canadian wilderness and carefully released them in Wyoming. They were the first wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park since the 1920s as part of its Wolf Reintro­duction Project. This story recounts the remarkable life of one of those wolves, named Wolf 8. As the runt of three brothers, Wolf 8 is picked on as a pup, but life changes when he meets a widowed alpha female with eight new pups. This young-readers adaptation of McIntyre’s 2019 book, The Rise of Wolf 8, takes some liberties describing Wolf 8’s thoughts and fears, but all of the stories are based on observations of Wolf 8 or other wolves in similar situations. Note: The book does not shy away from descriptions of animal violence and death. Ages 9-12