Recs if you like Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Rats of NIMH, #1)...

i love when animals get the chance to yap and/or narrate their own stories :)

recommendations welcome!

title mentions rats? the book goes into this list.

feat. animal protagonists getting shit done without the help of humans and/or with little human interaction

emphasis on “in”. sister list to ‘absolutely rat-tastic’! for this list, rats do not have to be mentioned in the title, but they MUST be mentioned in the book, featured on the cover, or both! suggestions are extremely welcome🐀

A collection of MG books with rodent MCs

Bring on those Gen Y memories! A list of books likely to give people born between 1981 and 1996 a lot of feelings.

This list is for those of us who grew up eagerly awaiting the Scholastic Book Fair, watching Reading Rainbow (or Wishbone!), and dreaming of a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.

Note: these are not books published in 1981-1996, but books that had a hold on the millennial generation.

Also check out the Dear America series, American Girl series & Royal Diaries series.

stories narrated by animals. primary focus on ya/adult books with a select few classics for all ages.

sparse updates since there is an animal pov main quest now!

Much like books to movies but solely focused on animated movies/series! Suggestions welcome!

books where protagonists and/or sidekicks are mice and rats for fellow rodent lovers

(all ages included! please check individual books for age ratings)

Young readers and middle grade

According to the ALA, "The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."

A collection of books where the main characters are animals

Warning!! Pearl by Josh Malerman is considered a horror (extreme horror?) So check your triggers!

books i got lost in during quiet reading time as a kid (and maybe you did too)

All genres, all demographics, all furries. (Some of these have a bite, please research contents warnings)

The kind of books that make youngins dream of adventure, and call adults back home to for a cozy reread.

Note: In a series, only the first book is listed.

Complete as of August 2026.

Or short SFF books for the cold and dark months when you need quick stories and can't focus on big tomes.

They all have under 200 pages, but are very different, so you can try new things or find new favourites.

Here are many beloved and distinguished children’s novels that have won the Newbery Gold award and the silver Newbury Honor award, which were first started over a century ago in 1922. There are many choices, old and new, that have cemented their place in children’s literature for any reader to explore.

Series and books that feature animal MCs, of varying target audience age. There is a lean toward fantasy, as that is what I read, but I tried to include a number of other fiction titles with animal characters as well.