I'm starting to get ready for Christmas and I want to use some of my credits to get books for a 9 year old cousin. She reads on grade-level (she's in 4th grade) and is a fairly good reader. She doesn't pick up books willingly though because she says she can't find things she likes to read about much. She does like the American Girl books and she absolutely loves animals. I've already ordered the Marguerite Henry Misty books but I'm searching for some more suggestions. Is n't there a series called Animal Ark or something like that? Are there any authors you'd recommend? If there are recommendations of stories along the lines of the American Girl books, I'd love those too.

Thanks so much.

Here are a few ideas, they are all stories with animals:

Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant

The Warm Place by Nancy Farmer

The Cricket in Times Square by Selden

Ben and Me by Lawson

Black Stallion by Farley

 ETA: I thought of an author my son just loves, E. B. White. He wrote The Trumpet of the Swan, Stuart Little, and Charlotte's Web. All stories with animals featured prominently.

Ben M Baglio does the Animal Ark series and he also does the Dolphin Diaries. I have never read them but my niece has read some of them and likes them. She just turned 10. I have Under The Stars from the Dolphin Diaries series.

The Redwall Series starting with Redwall by Brian Jacques

A Dog's Life' the autobiography of stray by Ann M. Martin

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

Mistmantle Chronicles starting with Urchin of the Riding Stars by Margaret MacAllister

Stealing Thunder by Mary Casanova

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=animal+ark+pets&x=13&y=18

 I found an Animal Ark Series on Amazon

my friend's kids liked 'hank the cow dog' series but not sure what age those are written for.

I have the Animal Ark series, I like it because you dont have to have every single book to understand. You can just read the animals you like. I have 5 on my shelf

I really loved the Dr. Doolittle books. Ignore the movies.

Robin McKinley doesn't write books directly about animals, but the animals in her books always have a great deal of character while never being out of character, if you know what I mean. For example, in The Hero and the Crown, Aerin has a horse named Talat who is at least as strong a character as she is but who does not need to speak or do anything un-horse-like to achieve that. It's also a Newberry Award winning book. :)

There's a series called Puppy Place....small chapter books.  (Approx. ten chapters, 75 pages)  I have several still on my shelf (brand new) and will have more within a week or so!

James Herriot, the English vet, has wonderful stories.  Some are aimed at kids.  And his collection of Dog Stories might work.