With many of us spending more time at home right now, we’re getting the chance to enjoy some quality time with our pets. That’s why this month’s reading list is dedicated to all creatures great and small, from the fluffy to the ferocious. Everyone loves an animal story and what’s more, they’re great for building children’s empathy and can be a big help when it comes to introducing difficult topics.
We’ve included plenty of eBooks that are available in the Oxford Owl for Home free eBook library in this month’s list, but you can find plenty more animal inspiration across Oxford Owl’s other libraries, where you can also create class logins for children to access the books from home.
Floppy Did This! (from Dad’s Birthday and Other Stories)
Read with Oxford
Read with Oxford Stage 1 (Reception/P1)
There’s no way we could put together a list of books about pets without featuring everyone’s favourite family dog! Early readers can get up to mischief with Floppy in this Read with Oxford story, specially designed for parents to read with their children at home, with plenty of top tips and activities to support reading to practise phonics.
Read the eBook or buy Dad’s Birthday and Other Stories on Amazon.
A Pet Tortoise
Read Write Inc. Phonics Book Bag Books
Read Write Inc. Orange Level (Year 2/P3)
Find out why tortoises make good pets and how to look after them in another book that’s specifically made for using at home. Read Write Inc. Phonics Book Bag Books support children’s Read Write Inc. Phonics learning and accelerate their reading progress, with handy notes for parents, comprehension questions and the chance for children to retell the story in their own words.
Read the eBook or buy the whole Read Write Inc. Phonics Book Bag Books: Orange Set 4 Storybooks Mixed Pack.
A Pet Called Cucumber
Oxford Reading Tree: Decode and Develop
Oxford Level 5 (Reception-Year 2/P1-3)
With a pet comes great responsibility, as the children are about to find out! When Uncle Max drops off Cucumber the snake, Anneena makes sure they take good care of her. As much fun as pets can be, this story is a great way to show your class how much hard work is involved.
Take a look at the whole Decode and Develop Level 5 pack or buy A Pet Called Cucumber on Amazon.
Perfect Pets
Oxford Reading Tree inFact
Oxford Level 6 ((Reception-Year 2/P1-3)
What would your perfect pet be? From loyal puppies to noisy chickens, this fun non-fiction book will help children weigh up the pros and cons of different creature companions – and it’s packed full of fascinating animal facts! Tricky words are explained in the glossary at the back of the book, where you’ll also find comprehension questions and a bonus writing activity.
Read the eBook or buy Perfect Pets on Amazon.
Winnie’s Problem Pets
Read with Oxford
Read with Oxford Stage 6 (Year 3/P4)
Join Winnie and Wilbur in two fun-packed stories with short chapters – perfect for children who are reading confidently and ready to tackle longer books in one sitting. Find out what happens when Winnie takes Wilbur – and a lot of fleas – to a pet show in Itchy Witchy, and laugh as Wilbur and Scruff the dog try to show Winnie who’s best in Winnie’s Perfect Pet.
Buy Winnie’s Problem Pets on Amazon.
Pet Squad
TreeTops Fiction
Oxford Level 14 (Year 2-4/P3-5)
Ever wondered what pets get up to when humans aren’t around? The Pet Squad and their fearless leader – Bubbles the Goldfish – need to make a plan to rescue Ginger the kitten from a gang of dogs. Teamwork, coping when things don’t go to plan and standing up for others – this book handles them all with sensitivity, humour and a gaggle of memorable animal characters.
Take a look at the whole TreeTops Fiction Level 13 More pack or buy Pet Squad on Amazon.
White Fang
TreeTops Classics
Oxford Level 15 (Year 3-5/P4-6)
Enjoy an animal classic, in this retelling of Jack London’s well-loved story of the relationship between a wolf-dog and the humans who try to tame him. A gripping tale of survival, it’s partly told from the perspective of the wolf-dog, helping children think about how animals might look at the world –and at us.
Read the eBook or buy White Fang on Amazon.
Georgie and Me
TreeTops Reflect
Level 17 (Years 4-6/P5-7)
Abi wants a dog more than anything in the world, so when Georgie comes bounding and wagging into her life, he proves that a dog really is man’s best friend. And it turns out Abi needs him more than she thought when she and her best friend start to drift apart. This story is carefully crafted to encourage thoughtful discussions and develop higher-level reading comprehension.
Take a look at the whole TreeTops Reflect Level 16-17 pack or buy Georgie and Me on Amazon.
This book is also available as part of the Oxford Owl eBook Library subscription.
We hope that you, your class and all of your dogs, cats, hamsters, goldfish, and whatever other perfect pets you have at home, enjoy our selection!
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Until then, register for free on Oxford Owl to try out the Oxford BookMatch tool to get lots of inspiration to keep your class reading while they’re at home!