Best Animal Stories for 9 and 10 year Olds

If you've got 9- or 10-year-old on your hands and are struggling to get them to read, fear not! We've got just the trick, and that is introducing books with ANIMALS. Inspiring young readers to connect with nature, look after all living beings and protect the innocent, these are series that will stick with them forever. And because they're series, you'll have more than one book to look forward to and familiar characters, settings and plot lines to come back to time and time again. Scroll down to read all about our top book series featuring animals for readers aged 9 and 10.

Georgina Atwell

Toppsta

2025-10-02

2024-07-08

Best Animal Stories for 9 and 10 year Olds

McTavish Series

The McTavish books are a delightful middle-grade series written by Meg Rosoff and illustrated throughout by Grace Easton. Perfect for all animal lovers, and especially dog lovers! Told through the POV of McTavish, a sweet rescue dog who has simply decided he cannot do without the Peachey family, each book follows him as he saves the day. Whether it's bringing peace to the family, making holidays fun, fixing a baking disaster or helping everyone move home, McTavish knows just what to do when things get tough.

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Historical Animal Stories Series

Winner of the British Book Award for Children's Fiction Book of the Year, Phil Earle's middle grade Historical Animal Stories series will tug at all your heartstrings. While the books' single stories are not interconnected and do not need to be read in any particular order, they do all share one thing in common: animals. Each book set in one of the world wars, and in each book a young protagonist develops a unique bond with an animal. In When the Sky Falls, a young boy called Joseph befriends a gorilla. In While the Storm Rages, Noah goes on the run to save his dog and as many animals as they can... The books continue, featuring bonds forged forever, and showing just how special our relationships with animals can be, defying even war.

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The Last Bear Series

Written by Hannah Gold and illustrated throughout by Levi Pinfold, these books will make a beautiful gift and will be cherished for years to come. As the story begins, it's very clear: there are no polar bears left on Bear Island. At least, that's what April's father tells her when his scientific research takes them to this remote Arctic outpost for six months. But one endless summer night, April meets one. He is starving, lonely and a long way from home. Determined to save him, April begins the most important journey of her life, which continues in book 2 when she finds a polar bear cub desperately in need of her help.

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The Twitchers Series

This is an award-winning series that has captivated so many Toppsta readers, from the internationally bestselling author of Beetle Boy and the Adventures on Trains books. Meet Twitch, the birdwatching DETECTIVE. Twitch has three pet chickens, four pigeons, swallows nesting in his bedroom and a passion for birdwatching. And, most importantly, a keen eye and clever thinking. Twitch's birdwatching skills will serve him well, but he is not the only clever birdwatcher in town. He will quickly form a band of fellow birdwatching detectives, THE TWITCHERS, and together they will outwit an escaped convict, uncover sinister criminal plots and even catch thieves!

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The Last Wild Trilogy Series

This is the perfect trilogy for those seeking a nature adventure and who love animals, which won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2014. In a dystopic world where every animal found is killed due to virus, Kester lives at the Spectrum Hall Academy for Challenging Children, and the one thing he is unable to do is speak, despite the academy warren's many attempts to get him to. But soon enough, thanks to an unexpected pigeon visit, Kester will discover that he can indeed speak and that he has an incredible gift: speaking to animals. He is destined to be the leader of the wild and save all the animals from what humans have done to them. And maybe even save humans from the damage they have brought upon themselves... This is a beautiful story of building self-confidence and self-acceptance, connecting with animals and nature, and learning that one's gifts can go beyond their wildest dreams.

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Wolfe & Lamb Series

If there's one thing Lauren St John does beautifully, it's writing about animals. This black-and-white illustrated middle grade series has our furry friends at its heart and so many mysteries to solve. The story starts when young Kat Wolfe moves to a small town called Bluebell Bay, along the Jurassic Coast. She makes a lovely new friend, Harper Lamb, and a furry one, a resident wildcat. Soon enough, Kat discovers that beneath the town's perfect surface lie some dark and dangerous secrets. Together with Harper, she sets to solve them in each book, sometimes even branching out of town.

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Eddie Albert and the Amazing Animal Gang Series

This book series from beloved comedian Paul O'Grady tells us exactly what it would be like if our wildest dream could come true: talking to animals! Eddie Albert is our somewhat-unhappy and never-quite-fitting in 10-year-old hero. He can speak to animals, including his pet dog Butch, his hamster and his two goldfish (who claim they were once pirates). Each book in this series is packed with friendship, animals and action as Eddie takes on crime and solves mysteries with the help of Aunt Budge, Flow and a whole cast of animals.

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Llama Out Loud Series

Written by the same author of the Dreamweavers and Agent Zaiba Investigates, and illustrated by the official artist for World Book Day, this is an illustrated series we HAVE to recommend. Yasmin Shah is a ten-year-old girl who is part of a big, noisy family and doesn’t ever speak. Levi is a rude, sassy toy llama, who talks A LOT and has come to wreak havoc in Yasmin’s life. In each book, Yasmin ends up getting dragged along on Levi's crazy antics. Life is never boring with Levi around – and it could just be that he has a secret plan to help Yasmin find her voice. And once he's helped her, Levi has more grandiose plans for other children. What we especially love about this series is that the idea came to the author because she realised there was a lack of representation of funny girls and diverse characters in children’s books – and she decided to do something about it by writing this!

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Seaview Stables Adventures Series

Bestselling author of the Hubble Bubble and Shifty McGifty series Tracey Corderoy has done it again. We love her books, especially this series about a young girl called Bryony May, who finds herself moving to a sweet cottage by the sea, in Brook Dale, and reluctantly leaves behind her whole life. Soon enough, though, she will adapt to her new town and make friends with an abandoned pony, Red. And Red is not the only surprise the small seaside town has in store for her and in each book she will get to go on a new adventure.

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Hannah's Farm Series

The Hannah's Farm books are a beloved Waterstones Prize-shortlisted series by Helen Peters for middle-grade readers, all about the a young girl's family farm and her passion for theatre. Since the death of her mother, Hannah's family life has been somewhat chaotic. Her father is absorbed by running their farm, and Hannah and her three siblings are increasingly left to their own devices. In each book, the farm is threatened to be either taken away from her and her family, and Hannah must concoct a clever plan to save the farm, her animals and her loved ones. Coming in handy, and often saving the day is her passion for writing and plays. When the going gets tough, the tough take to the stage!

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More to Explore

Appletree Animal Agency by Katya Balen and Gill Smith (Walker Books Ltd)

Seekers by Erin Hunter (Egmont)

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (HarperCollins)

Georgina Atwell

Toppsta

2025-10-02

2024-07-08

Best Animal Stories for 9 and 10 year Olds

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