Dog Diaries Books

The fourteen books are numbered, but each dog tells a self-contained story in a different time and place. Begin with Ginger for the intended order, or choose a dog breed or historical event that already interests your child without losing a continuing plot.

Sparky is also a crossover with Horse Diaries, while Tiny Tim is a holiday Special Edition. Both still hold their official places in the Dog Diaries numbering.

Sources: Penguin Random House's official fourteen-book order.

Because the stories draw on history, they include puppy mills, abandonment, hunger and illness, dangerous rescues, epidemics, war, fire, natural hazards, animal and human deaths, and the sinking of the Titanic. The dog narrators keep the books accessible and hopeful, but sensitive animal lovers may find some separations and losses upsetting.

Realistic black-and-white illustrations and factual appendixes add information about each breed and historical setting.