Readalikes

Readers who enjoyed The Call of the Wild might also enjoy these titles:

White Fang by Jack London. 1906. A classic adventure novel centering on a ferocious and magnificent creature, half dog, half wolf, through whose experiences we feel the essential savagery of wilderness life among animals and men.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George. 1972. The thrilling Newbery Medal-winning classic about a girl lost on the Alaskan tundra and how she survives with the help of a wolf pack. Julie of the Wolves is a staple in the canon of children's literature and the first in the Julie trilogy. The survival theme makes it a good pick for readers of wilderness adventures such as My Side of the Mountain, Hatchet, or Island of the Blue Dolphins. To her small village, she is known as Miyax; to her friend in San Francisco, she is Julie. When her life in the village becomes dangerous, Miyax runs away, only to find herself lost in the Alaskan wilderness. Miyax tries to survive by copying the ways of a pack of wolves and soon grows to love her new wolf family. Life in the wilderness is a struggle, but when she finds her way back to civilization, Miyax is torn between her old and new lives. Is she the Miyax of her human village--or Julie of the wolves? Don't miss any of the books in Jean Craighead George's groundbreaking series: Julie of the Wolves, Julie, and Julie's Wolf Pack.

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson. 1956. A timeless American classic and one of the most beloved children's books ever written, Old Yeller is a Newbery Honor Book that explores the poignant and unforgettable bond between a boy and the stray dog who becomes his loyal friend. When his father sets out on a cattle drive toward Kansas for the summer, fourteen-year-old Travis Coates is left to take care of his family and their farm. Living in Texas Hill Country during the 1860s, Travis comes to face new, unanticipated, and often perilous responsibilities in the frontier wilderness. A particular nuisance is a stray yellow dog that shows up one day and steals food from the family. But the big canine who Travis calls "Old Yeller" proves his worth by defending the family from danger. And Travis ultimately finds help and comfort in the courage and unwavering love of the dog who comes to be his very best friend. Fred Gipson's novel is an eloquently simple story that is both exciting and deeply moving. It stands alongside works like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Where The Red Fern Grows, and Shiloh as a beloved and enduring classic of literature. Originally published in 1956 to instant acclaim, Old Yeller later inspired a hit film from Walt Disney. Just as Old Yeller inevitably makes his way into the Coates family's hearts, this book will find its own special place in readers' hearts.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. 1875. Mark Twain called his 1876 novel a "hymn to boyhood," and it remains an archetypal vision of small-town America before the Civil War. Readers of all ages delight in its humorous narrative voice, as mischievous and good-hearted as Tom Sawyer himself. This inexpensive hardcover edition is the only version that features the endearing illustrations from the original publication.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. 1961. For fans of Old Yeller and Shiloh, Where the Red Fern Grows is a beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man's best friend.    Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when he's finally able to save up enough money for two pups to call his own--Old Dan and Little Ann--he's ecstatic. It doesn't matter that times are tough; together they'll roam the hills of the Ozarks.   Soon Billy and his hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Stories of their great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of Old Dan's brawn, Little Ann's brains, and Billy's sheer will seems unbeatable. But tragedy awaits these determined hunters--now friends--and Billy learns that hope can grow out of despair, and that the seeds of the future can come from the scars of the past.

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. 1881. Two boys who look alike, one of them poor, the other heir to the English throne, decide to switch places. When young Edward VI and the poor boy exchange places, each learns something about the other's very different station in life.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. 1959. Sam Gribley is terribly unhappy living in New York City with his family, so he runs away to the Catskill Mountains to live in the woods--all by himself. With only a penknife, a ball of cord, forty dollars, and some flint and steel, he intends to survive on his own. Sam learns about courage, danger, and independence during his year in the wilderness, a year that changes his life forever.

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. 1947. Paul and his sister Maureen's determination to own a pony from the herd on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, is greatly increased when the Phantom and her colt are among the ponies rounded up for the yearly auction.

And the Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness. 2018. With harpoons strapped to their backs, the proud whales of Bathsheba's pod live for the hunt, fighting in the ongoing war against the world of men. When they attack a ship bobbing on the surface of the Abyss, they expect to find easy prey. Instead, they find the trail of a myth, a monster, perhaps the devil himself...

Jack London's The Call of the Wild: the Graphic Novel by Neil Kleid. 2006. Presents a graphic-novel version of the tale of an unusual dog, part St. Bernard, part Scotch shepherd, that is forcibly taken to the Klondike gold fields where he eventually becomes the leader of a wolf pack

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long. 2002. On a frozen wasteland of a planet, a girl is on the run with a wolf who is born to be a killer but bound to be her guide. As they fight to escape ice goblins, giant bears, and a ruthless leader intent on trapping them both, one question drives them relentlessly forward: where do you turn when there is nowhere to hide?

Jason's Gold by Will Hobbs. 1999.  When news of the discovery of gold in Canada's Yukon Territory in 1897 reaches fifteen-year-old Jason, he embarks on a 10,000-mile journey to strike it rich.

Snowhook by Jo Storm. 2019. When a massive ice storm traps Hannah and her family in a remote cabin, she must take the four family dogs on a dogsled ride to find help before they all freeze to death in the wilderness.

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick. 2010. In a tense, psychological drama set in the snowy wilderness of the Arctic Circle during the Alaska Gold Rush, 14-year-old Sig confronts a stranger who has come to take revenge on his dead father.

The Boy Who Spoke Dog by Clay Morgan. 2003. After being marooned on an island near New Zealand, Jack, an orphaned cabin boy from San Francisco, becomes allied with a group of dogs who protect the local sheep from wild dogs.

In the Valley of the Grizzly by Ed Ferrell. 2011. Ben, a fifteen-year-old Tlingit teenager's exciting trip to the wilderness turns into a nightmare when the plane he and his grandfather are on makes a forced landing in northern British Columbia. They land in grizzly territory and try to survive along with the wolf who has befriended them.