Adventure Tails: Light Summer Reads for Dog Lovers

Planning your summer reading list? We’ve got you covered. Check out these 8 books for some tales of adventure (and cute dogs, we never get sick of reading about cute dogs). Grab your own pup, a hammock or spot on the couch and enjoy listening to them snooze at your feet while you escape into one of these stories.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Written in 1961 this classic is still a fun read even today. The story features a boy named Milo who was gifted a magical tollbooth. The tollbooth takes him to an imaginary place and explores the themes of boredom and education. Where does the dog come in you might ask? Milo meets a dog named Tock who travels through the imaginary places with him! If you aren’t into books or need a break from reading a film version of Juster’s book was released in 1970.

The Art of Racing in The Rain by Garth Stein

The novel follows the story of a racecar driver, Denny Swift and his pup, Enzo. The story follows Enzo’s life with Denny and his family. Enzo learns about being a human and believes he has a human soul. This story was also adapted for film and a movie of the same title was released in 2019.

Jonathan Unleashed by Meg Rosoff

A fun and engaging story about a man who is searching for happiness. When his brother asks him to look after his dogs, Jonathan’s worldview begins to shift. Could a border collie and a cocker spaniel hold the key to life, the universe, and everything? Their sly maneuvering on daily walks and visits to the alluring vet suggest that human emotional intelligence may not be top dog after all.

Oogy by Larry Levin

If you are looking for an incredible rescue story, this one is for you. In 2002, Larry Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah, took their terminally ill cat to the Ardmore Animal Hospital outside Philadelphia to have the beloved pet put to sleep. What would begin as a terrible day suddenly got brighter as the ugliest dog they had ever seen–one who was missing an ear and had half his face covered in scar tissue–ran up to them and captured their hearts. The dog had been used as bait for fighting dogs when he was just a few months old. The Levins, whose sons are themselves adopted, were unable to resist Oogy’s charms, and decided to take him home.

Esther the Wonderpig

Okay, the dogs aren’t the star of this show, but Esther the Wonderpig is an engaging tale of two men who thought they were taking in a minipig from a high school friend. Only to find out they’d been bamboozled. Esther grew, and grew and grew into a full-sized pig. Not only can you read the story of Esther and her pup siblings – the story is 100% true and you can follow this gorgeous family, and the animal sanctuary they started in her name on social media.

As the Stars Fall

As the Stars Fall is the story of a young girl sufffering from her own tragedy when she comes across an injured dog. She can’t resist helping him. Both having braved the worst the world had to throw at them, the pair quickly form an unbreakable bond. They picture their future as an endless stream of adventures filled with love, laughter, and good times. But life has one last cruel trick to play. The story is filled with ups and downs and lots of love.

A Dog Called Hope: A Wounded Warrior and the Service Dog Who Saved Him

A Dog Called Hope is the incredible story of a service dog who brought a devastated warrior back from the brink and taught him how to be a true father. It is the story of Napal, who built bridges between his wheelchair-bound battle buddy and the rest of able-bodied humankind.

What are your favorite dog stories to read? Tell us in the comments, we’d love to add to our list.

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