War Animals

Vets and Pets tells fifteen emotional and entertaining stories of the incredible bonds between wounded warriors, veterans, and other service members and their service and companion animals. Whether these special relationships are with dogs, cats, horses, pigs, or even birds of prey, readers will discover how these remarkable animals help veterans return to civilian life and live independently while simultaneously bringing joy and confidence into their lives.

Charles Fox is one of Britain's very best spies. He's dashing, he's clever... but he can't stop chasing chickens! And, during the Second World War, there is a VERY important agreement between all the animals that they won't eat each other. So Charles finds himself locked up for his own good. Then his French cousin goes missing in action, along with some vital war plans, and Charles is the only one with the expertise to find him again. So, Charles is released but he's forced to pair up with a genius code-breaking chicken called Gertrude for the mission.

In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times. One horse has the seen the best and the worst of humanity. The power of war and the beauty of peace. This is his story.

When Smoky, a tiny Yorkie Terrier, is miraculously found in a foxhole in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, she has no way of knowing she will become a World War II hero and Hollywood star. Flying with her new owner, Corporal Bill Wynne, on deadly combat missions, she is soon assisting the war effort, entertaining and bringing comfort to the soldiers with her unique tricks and spirited energy. Based on the true events of the American army’s wartime struggles and Smoky’s outstanding television career, her moving and uplifting tale is sure to entertain and touch the hearts of all who read it.

The year is 1945 in Austria, where an SS officer and some of his men visit a stable, determined to find the Jewish boy they believe the owner is hiding there. Luckily, just as Jakob - the boy in question - is about to be found, the men are called away...but not before the SS officer shoots and kills Jakob’s favorite horse. It’s very clear then, to Jakob and his guardian, that they are no longer safe there. Traveling through Nazi territory with that many horses will be incredibly difficult and risky, but the alternative - staying - is even more dangerous.

Gray and his alliance of peaceful shivers - Riptide, Coral, and AuzyAuzy - have beaten the bloodthirsty emperor Finnivus and his vicious Indi Shiver Armada to smithereens, sending them swimming as fast as they can retreat. But there’s no time to party: Finnivus may have been humiliated, but he’s still out for revenge. This is the ruler who feasts on the heads of every shark he conquers, after all. When the emperor’s gangs of soldier fish strike, Gray and his friends endure a tragic loss.

The father of the Kentucky Derby called him "the greatest all-around Thoroughbred in American racing history". Sportswriter Grantland Rice simply called him "the greatest racehorse". Now Eliza McGraw tells the story of how a gangling, long-shot Kentucky Derby winner named Exterminator became one of the most beloved racehorses of all time.

This one follows Tucker and Shiloh, two young horses during the American Civil War. Young listeners will certainly enjoy this story and learn a thing or two about American History while they're at it! Meticulous research promises historical accuracy in the facts spread throughout this book, and yet the end of the story will leave listeners asking for more.

New from Newbery Honor author Kirby Larson, the moving story of a Japanese American girl who is separated from her dog upon being sent to an incarceration camp during WWII. Although Mitsi Kashino and her family are swept up in the wave of anti-Japanese sentiment following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mitsi never expects to lose her home - or her beloved dog, Dash. But, as World War II rages and people of Japanese descent are forced into incarceration camps, Mitsi is separated from Dash, her classmates, and life as she knows it.

A poignant World War II story about a boy and his dog and his dad, and the many meanings of bravery, from Newbery Honor author Kirby Larson. With World War II raging and his father fighting overseas in Europe, 11-year-old Hobie Hanson is determined to do his part to help his family and his country, even if it means giving up his beloved German shepherd, Duke. Hoping to help end the war and bring his dad home faster, Hobie decides to donate Duke to Dogs for Defense, an organization that urges Americans to "loan" their pets to the military.

No Better Friend tells the incredible true story of Frank Williams, a radarman in Britain's Royal Air Force, and Judy, a purebred pointer, who met as prisoners of war during World War II. Judy, who became the war's only official canine POW, was a fiercely loyal dog who sensed danger - warning her fellow prisoners of imminent attacks and protecting them from brutal beatings. Frank and Judy's friendship, an unbreakable bond forged in the worst circumstances, is one of the great recently unearthed stories of World War II.

Told for the first time, here is the story of a stray dog who eventually became affectionately known as Sergeant Stubby, the most famous war dog of World War I. Beloved award-winning children's author Ann Bausum brings her friendly writing style and in-depth research to her first book for adults. Stubby's story begins in 1917 when America is about to enter the war. A stray dog befriends Private J. Robert "Bob" Conroy at the Connecticut National Guard camp at Yale University, and the two become inseparable, eventually crossing an ocean and going to war together.

Nine-year-old Lara is the daughter of the leader of her cattle-raising clan. While she spends her days tending to the cattle, her heart lies with a spindly-legged filly. A rival clan captures them both. When the filly is eventually given to a titled baron in the castle town of Athenry, Lara, determined to stay with the horse no matter what, goes along. Together, she and her beloved horse face seemingly insurmountable challenges, but all along Lara keeps two things in mind. One day, she will manage to flee, and will set off in search of the family that she was taken from. And she will not leave without her silver mare.

Jay Kopelman sets forth more than a dozen lessons, including: Life can change in an instant, but you'll be able to handle it; passion for something can help you tap into your most powerful reserve of energy; have a standard operating procedure for everything; and never forget who you are or how you got here. Active and retired troops, soldiers' friends and families, and everyone who has ever loved a dog will embrace this book.

Before he became an archmage to topple an empire, before he met the legendary Eradicator Xal, Saghir was born a free ratkin, living on the streets of Gateway, a perilous desert city at the edge of the Blasted Lands. Each month, the free laborers must pay their tithe in coin, or blood. Every ratkin in Saghir's tribe searches for something of value, lest their whole people be enslaved. Ruthless Corax, carnivorous scarabs, and worse infest the city. There are countless ways for a rat to die, and all it takes is one mistake. There are no second chances.

Antonito n'a pas de plus grand ami que Paco, le petit taureau qu'il a vu naître. Paco est destiné à la corrida et le petit garçon ne peut se résoudre à voir son taureau mourir dans l'arène. À l'aube, les deux amis prendront la fuite. Nous sommes en 1936. Ils ne savent pas que la guerre civile gronde derrière les collines.

Best-selling author Michael Morpurgo turns his storytelling skills to the drama and tragedy of the Spanish Civil War, illustrated by Michael Foreman. Toro, Toro is the story of a young boy growing up in Andalucia, Spain, on a farm rearing bulls for the bull ring. Antonito hand rears a little black calf, and they become firm friends, but the boy doesn't yet understand the fate of the black bulls: the corrida and death.

The long awaited new novel of identity, loss and the lingering effects of war, from master storyteller Michael Morpurgo, second biggest children’s author in the UK and bestselling author of War Horse, now a sold-out Broadway smash and an Oscar-nominated film. Michael doesn’t remember his father, who died in a Spitfire over the English Channel. And his mother, heartbroken and passionate, doesn’t like to talk about him. But then Michael’s aunt gives him a medal and a photograph, which begin to reveal a hidden story.

Vlad flea is with his friend Crisp VC, the carrier pigeon. They are on a mission to deliver a secret message. It is March 25, 1918, and the friends are behind enemy lines. They must dodge the dog-fights, survive the trenches and seek help from the staff of the hospital tent as they race to reach Britain safely.

Artsy Fartsy was used to spending his days all alone. Until one day, he made two penguin friends. Celebrate this winter with a new classic story to share and laugh with loved ones. Adults are permitted to laugh, too.