Owl Booklist! (How I Wonder Reading Challenge)
Title: Baby Owls
By: Deanna Caswell
Published: 2019
Follow baby owls' first experiences through engaging text, fun facts, and vibrant photography including growth charts and other infographics. This book takes readers on an adventure through the firsts of some of the world's most adorable animals. Age Range: 4-8 years; reading level: 6 - 8 years
Call Number: x598.9713 Caswe.D
Title: The Capture (Guardians of Ga'Hoole #1)
By: Kathryn Lasky
Published: 2003
This is an intense fantasy series about owls! Pushed from his family's nest by his older brother, barn owl Soren is rescued from certain death on the forest floor by agents from a mysterious school for orphaned owls, St. Aggie's. With a new friend, clever and scrappy Gylfie, he uncovers a training camp for the leader's own nefarious goal. Age Range: First 3 books of the series - Age 7 and up; later books - 9 - 14 years
Call Number: JSeries Guardians of Ga'Hoole
Title: Dark Emperor and other poems of the night
By: Joyce Sidman
Published: 2010
A collection of poems that celebrate the wonder, mystery, and danger of the night and describes the many things that hide in the dark, including owls. Age Range:6 - 9 years
Call Number: x811 Sidma.J (also available as a Wonderbook: JUV Wonderbook x811 Sidma.J)
Title: Eva's Treetop Festival, Owl Diaries #1
By: Rebecca Elliot
Published: 2015
A beginning chapter book series featuring owls! Eva Wingdale gets in over her head when she offers to organize a spring festival at school. Even with her best friend Lucy's help, there is NO way she will get everything done in time. Will Eva have to ask Sue (a.k.a. Meanie McMeanerson) for help? Or will the festival have to be cancelled? This book is written as Eva's diary—with Rebecca Elliott's owl-dorable full-color illustrations throughout! Age Range: 5 - 8 years
Call Number: JChapter Ellio.R
Title: Guess Who Swoops
By: Sharon Gordon
Published: 2004
Provides clues about an owl's physical characteristics, behaviors, and habitats in a fun guessing game format. Age Range: 2-5 years
Call Number: x598.97 Gordo.S
Title: Hidden City: Poems of Urban Wildlife
By: Sarah Grace Tuttle
Published: 2018
The perfect blend of science and poetry, this wonderful book demonstrates that nature can thrive anywhere, even in highly populated areas. In this graceful collection of poems, skyscrapers serve as perches for falcons, streetlights attract an insect buffet for hungry bats, and an overgrown urban lot offers shelter to both flora and fauna. And there is a beautiful Great Horned Owl! Hidden City also includes scientific information about the animals and plants in back. Age Range: 4 - 8 years
Call Number: x811 Tuttl.S
Title: Hoot
By: Carl Hiaasen
Published: 2002
Can Roy and his friends save a parliament of burrowing owls from the bulldozer? Economic Development clashes with ecological awareness in this fascinating story set in Florida about a group of kids who are trying to make a difference. Age Range: 10 and up
Call Number: J Hiaas.C
Title: Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise
By: Sean Taylor
Published: 2014
Read this laugh-out-loud tale of Hoot Owl! Hoot Owl is no ordinary owl -- he's a master of disguise! And he will use his expert camouflage powers to trick his unsuspecting prey into succumbing to him! Tiny animals of the night ... beware! But, somehow, Hoot Owl's prey keeps escaping... Will he ever succeed in catching himself some dinner? Hilarity, ridiculousness and very bad costume changes abound in this wildly inventive book! Age Range: 3 - 7 years
Call Number: JPicture Taylo.S
Title: Knight Owl
By: Christopher Denise
Published: 2022
A determined Owl builds strength and confidence in this medieval picture book about the real mettle of a hero: wits, humor, and heart. Since the day he hatched, Owl dreamed of becoming a real knight. While holding guard during Knight Night Watch, Owl is faced with the ultimate trial—a frightening intruder. It’s a daunting duel by any measure. But what Owl lacks in size, he makes up for in good ideas. One of Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids List for 2022! Age Range: 4-8 years
Call Number: J Picture Denis.C
Title: An Owl at Sea
By: Susan Vande Griek
Published: 2019 (The true event took place in 2015.)
This is the true story told in a lovely prose poem of a Short-eared Owl that plummeted onto the deck of an oil rig in the North Sea, one hundred miles from shore. Weak and tired, it huddled on the deck until riggers provided it with a makeshift shelter and fresh meat to eat. When a helicopter arrived to transport some of the workers back home, they took the owl with them, handing it over to scientists at Scotland's SPCA (anti-animal cruelty organization). Soon, the owl was strong enough to be released into the countryside. Age Range: 6 - 9 years
Call Number: x598.97 Vande.
Title: Owls
By: Josh Gregory
Published: 2013
Did you know there are around 200 different owl species?
With their strange faces and nocturnal habits, owls have long captured the imaginations of people around the world. Readers will discover how these feathered flyers swoop down to snatch prey in their talons, blend in with their environments, and work together to raise their young. They will also learn how some owls are different from others and how humans can help save endangered owl species from disappearing forever. Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Call Number: x598.97 Grego.J
Title: Owls
By: Melissa Gish
Published: 2012
A look at owls, including their habitats, physical characteristics such as their large and observant eyes, behaviors, relationships with humans, and protected status in the world today. Gorgeous photography combines with clear and helpful writing. Age Range: 8-12
Call Number: x598.97 Gish.M
Title: Owls
By: Gail Gibbons
Published: 2005
On silent wings a bird sweeps down in the moonlight... With their striking appearance and distinctive hoot, owls are one of the most recognizable birds in the world. But did you know there are more than 140 types of owls living in the world? Introduces young readers to owls, their characteristics, and habitats. Gail Gibbons in a master at nonfiction for younger kids. Age Range: 4-8 years
Call Number: x598.97 Gibbo.G
Title: Owl Babies
By: Martin Waddell
Published: 1992
This is the classic story of three baby owls who wake up one night in their hole in the tree to find that their mother has gone, so they sit on the branch and wait, wondering when she will return. At last she does, and they all bounce up and down with joy, welcoming her home. Age Range: 2 - 5 years
Call Number: JPicture Wadde.M
Title: Owlets
By: Genevieve Nilsen
Published: 2018
Good for kids learning to read but also good as a read aloud for younger kids: "In Owlets, emergent readers learn about baby owls in the forest. Carefully crafted text uses high-frequency words, repetitive sentence patterns, and strong visual references to support emergent readers, ensuring reading success by making sure they aren't facing too many challenges at once." Age Range: Read Aloud: 2-5 years; learning readers: 5-7 years
Call Number: x598.9713 Nilse.
Title: Owl's Outstanding Donuts
By: Robin Yard
Published: 2019
A mostly realistic middle grade novel that nonetheless features an owl character! After Mattie Waters loses her mother, she goes to live with her aunt, the owner of a roadside donut shop in Big Sur, California. When an owl taps on Mattie's window one night, Mattie looks out to see something suspicious taking place nearby. With help from her friends, she'll set out to find the culprits. Age range: 9-12 years
Call Number: J Yardi.R
Title: Owl Moon
By: Jane Yolk
Published: 1987
Late one winter night a little girl and her father go owling. The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream. Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird. Distinguished author Jane Yolen created a gentle, poetic classic that lovingly depicts the special companionship of a young child and her father as well as humankind's close relationship to the natural world. Age Range: 2 - 6 years
Call Number: JPicture Yolen.J
Title: The Owl and Two Rabbits
By: Nadia Sammurtok
Published: 2019
When two rabbit sisters ignore their parents' warnings and decide to play outside on the open tundra, a hungry owl soon spots them and decides they will make a delicious meal. As a chase ensues, the sisters must act quickly, using the owl's own greed against him in order to get away. A traditional Inuit story and cautionary tale, this book presents a centuries-old narrative for a new generation of readers to enjoy! Nadia Sammurtok is an Inuit writer and educator originally from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. Age Range: 4-8 years
Call Number: J Picture Sammu.N
Title: Silent Swoop: An Owl, an Egg, and a Warm Shirt Pocket
By: Michelle Houts
Published: 2019
An owl swoops down to lay her egg in a coal yard a dangerous spot for a fragile egg! Rescued by Walter, a bird expert with a big heart and a warm shirt pocket, the egg miraculously hatches and is aptly named Coal. Thus begins a tender story of rescue, rehabilitation, and most of all, friendship. Full of facts and STEM projects!
Age Range: 4-8 years
Call Number: x598.97 Houts.M
Title: So You Want to be an Owl
By: Jane Porter
Published: 2021
Do you have what it takes to be an owl? Find out in this funny, fact-filled picture book. Welcome to Owl School! Professor Olaf Owl is here to tell you everything you need to know about being an owl, from hunting to camouflage to seeing in the dark. Study hard, and soon you'll be a first-rate member of Team Owl! This engaging nonfiction picture book is full of vibrant, humorous illustrations and owl lessons. Age Range: 6-10 years
Call Number: x598.97 Porte.J
Title: Snowy Owl Invasion! Tracking an Unusual Invasion
By: Sandra Markle
Published: 2018
Late in 2013, snowy owls started showing up in places no one expected to find them--including Florida. What had caused so many of these majestic birds to leave their Arctic home and fly to southern Canada and the United States? Scientists quickly began working to find out. Author Sandra Markle brings together firsthand reports from the scientists involved along with stunning photographs of the owls to explain this rare event, known as an irruption. Age Range: 8-12 years
Call Number: x598.97 Markl.S
Title: Snowy Owl Scientist (Scientists in the Field series)
By: Mark Wilson
Published: 2022
Are the snowy owls in trouble? Venture into the Alaskan arctic and the summer realm of these predator birds to find out. Discover the diverse species necessary to owl survival, how climate change is affecting the landscape of their nesting site of past millennia, and what it takes to do field research in this action-packed addition to the award-winning Scientists in the Field series. Age Range: 10 years and up for kids reading on their own; younger with a parent.
Call Number: x598.97 Wilso.M
Title: This is the Boat that Ben Built
By: Jen Lynn Bailey
Published: 2022
A humorous exploration of a northern river ecosystem with an intrepid young boatsman is paired with an extended author’s note about its ecology and key species. Young Ben sets out to explore the river equipped with a sturdy boat, some sample collection gear, and his scientific curiosity. Along the way he meets a black bear taking a swim, a moose all wobbly and slim, a goose with a gorgeous grin, and a heron all proper and prim…but things really start happening after the owl HOOs loudly, on a whim! Age Range: 5 - 7 years
Call Number: JPicture Baile.J
Title: Whoo Goes There?
By: Jennifer Ericsson
Published: 2009
Whoo goes there? Whoo? In this mystical story of hunter and hunted, an owl listens for little creatures scurrying far below. Mouse? Squirrel? Rabbit? Or something else entirely? Stunning illustrations plus hypnotic text take readers on a suspenseful journey through night and nature. Age Range: 4-8
Call Number: J Picture Erics.J