Animal Heroes for Kids

In honor of our One Book, One Chicago selection, we're celebrating heroes of all kinds. Here are some fascinating books for young readers that focus on heroic animals.

Animal Heroes is a gripping and inspiring collection of rescue tales. Read about a gorilla who protects a boy who fell into her zoo enclosure, a guide dog who saved her blind owner by leading him down 77 flights of stairs in the World Trade Center building on 9/11 and a cat who saved its family from carbon-monoxide poisoning.

In Dog Heroes, Jack and Annie answer many questions about dogs: How do St. Bernards help find avalanche victims? Who are some of the most famous war dog heroes? What breeds make good service animals? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this intriguing book.

Courageous Canine! is an exciting book that tells three stories: dolphins who save swimmers, a pit-bull who pulls its owner from the path of a speeding train and even two gorillas who show us that they're more similar to humans than we realize.

And if you're looking for a great fictional story, check out Muttley, of "The Puppy Place" series. Lizzie isn't too sure about Muttley at first, but when a fire breaks out in the middle of the night, Muttley comes through when he is needed most.