Callen Breed
Polar Pair
A charming and accessible entry point for kids interested in polar bears, though it lacks the narrative depth of a traditional chapter book.
Read this next
All picks after this →
Honk, the Moose
by Phil Stong
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 2001
A 1936 Newbery Honor that still lands — genuine wilderness adventure grounded in a kid's careful observation of a wild moose, with period charm that doesn't feel cloying.
The Defender
by Nicholas Kalashnikoff
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 1993
A solid survival-and-loyalty story with dog-centered appeal, though the pacing feels a touch dated compared to modern animal-protagonist fiction.
Kildee House
by Rutherford George Montgomery
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 750L · 1949
A quietly gripping mid-century naturalist novel where a boy's solitary year on a mountain teaches him more about animal ecology and self-knowledge than school ever could—beautifully written but dated in its idealization of isolation.