Mercy For Animals, nonfiction, is the most eye-opening book I’ve read about the way farm animals are treated in the current factory farming system. It’s a very hard read for animal lovers, but a must read, and Nathan Runkle, the founder of the organization by the same name as the book’s title, is engaging and personable, and the books ends on a hopeful note. Our review is here.
Living the Farm Sanctuary Life, by Gene Baur, founder of Farm Animal Sanctuary in upstate New York, and co-authored by Gene Stone. This is a nice big coffee-table book filled with lots of glossy, beautiful pictures, and it details in a very engaging way the stories of some of the animals who have come to live in the sanctuary. See our review here.
One of my favorite memoirs about starting an animal sanctuary. Beautifully written, full of compassion, both for animals and at-risk youth who come to the sanctuary to visit the animals and begin the process of healing. Founder Laks’ struggles in forming My Gentle Barn are often page-turning – from an angry neighbor who nearly puts them out of business, to financial difficulties, to a Santa Clarita fire that nearly destroys everything. Read our more detailed review here.
Saucy by Cynthia Kadohata is a delightful middle-grade novel (ages 8 and up) about a girl, Becca, who feels a little overshadowed by her many brothers. She finds a sick little piglet on the side of the road and takes her to the vet. Things are initially uncertain for the mange-covered piglet but soon Saucy recovers and grows to be a healthy, happy, and endearingly saucy pig! She soon becomes too much for the family to take on with their small house, so they find a nearby sanctuary to care for Saucy. Many good things happen to Becca and her family as a result of the little pig, who is lovingly and realistically portrayed. She our review here.
See many more of our favorite books about farm animals and animal sanctuaries here.