What do bees, elephants, chickens, tortoises, and porcupines have in common? In this case, each is the narrator of one of these books (for adults!)--and you'll find books narrated by other animals, too. All of these titles are available from the library in print (click the title to request it in the catalog), and many are available as e-books or e-audiobooks. Anyone in Massachusetts can access Overdrive/Libby content from across the state: find out more here. Hoopla access varies by library, but if your home library doesn't offer Hoopla, all residents of Massachusetts are eligible for an e-card from Boston Public Library, which you can then use to access Hoopla. As always, if you have questions about accessing the library's e-content, visit the Reference Desk or contact us by phone at 978-623-8430, email (rdesk@mhl.org), or chat, and we'll be happy to help.
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The bees
by Laline Paull A member of the lowest caste in her orchard hive, Flora 717, due to her courage and strength, finds her way into the Queen's inner sanctum where she discovers secrets about the hive that cause her to challenge authority and perform unthinkable acts. Borrow the e-book in Hoopla. Borrow the e-audiobook in Hoopla. |
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Memoirs of a porcupine
by Alain Mabanckou After an ancient initiation, a young Congolese boy is given an animal double in the form of a porcupine and the pair begin an inexplicable streak of murders until the porcupine quits and decides to pen a literary confession. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby via Boston Public Library. |
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Perestroika in Paris
by Jane Smiley Coexisting in the lush hidden spaces of Paris until cold weather arrives, an escaped racehorse and her companion, a German shorthaired pointer, forge a bond with a boy living in seclusion with his nonagenarian grandmother in an ivy-covered house. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby via partner network OCLN. Borrow the e-audiobook in Overdrive/Libby. |
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The tusk that did the damage
by Tania James Orphaned by poachers as a calf and sold into a life of labor, Gravedigger has broken free of his chains and is terrorizing the South Indian countryside. Caught up in the violence are the studious younger son of a rice farmer drawn into the sordid world of poaching; and a young American documentary filmmaker engaged in a risky affair with the veterinarian who is her subject. In three intertwined storylines—one of them narrated by the elephant himself—Tania James crafts a heartbreaking tale of the ivory trade, exploring the porous boundary between conservation and corruption. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby via Boston Public Library. |
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Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey
by Kathleen Rooney Inspired by true events, a novel that centers on the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of World War I, told in the voices of Cher Ami, a messenger bird, and Charles Whittlesey, an army officer. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby via partner network CLAMS. |
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The hen who dreamed she could fly : a novel
by Sæon-mi Hwang This modern Korean fable tells the story of a hen named Sprout who plans to escape her farm and go into the wild to hatch one of her eggs that are routinely taken from her and brought to the market. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby via Boston Public Library. |
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Three bags full : a sheep detective story
by Leonie Swann In a cozy Irish village, when their beloved shepherd, George, is found struck down by a spade, his flock of clever sheep, led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill, launches its own investigation to find George's killer among the local village inhabitants--including the butcher, a village newcomer with a secret, a sinister priest, and another shady shepherd. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby via partner network C/W MARS. Borrow the e-audiobook in Hoopla. |
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Pride of Baghdad : inspired by a true story = Kibriyā' Baghdād
by Brian K. Vaughan Inspired by true events, a graphic novel examines life on the streets of war-torn Iraq, raising questions about the meaning of liberation through the experiences of four lions who escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during a raid. Borrow the e-book in Hoopla. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby via partner network NOBLE. |
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Hollow kingdom : a novel
by Kira Jane Buxton Sensing something is wrong with his owner, a domesticated crow abandons the only life he ever knew to discover that humans are turning into zombies and must use knowledge gleaned from his TV-viewing to save them. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby via Boston Public Library. Borrow the e-audiobook in Overdrive/Libby via Boston Public Library. |
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The travelling cat chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa An internationally best-selling ode to kindness, sacrifice, and the power of small things traces the experiences of adventurous Nana the cat and his owner, Satoru, as they embark on a road trip across Japan to visit three old friends. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby via partner network Minuteman. Borrow the e-audiobook in Overdrive/Libby via partner network SAILS. |
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The art of racing in the rain : a novel
by Garth Stein Evaluating his life on the eve of his death, atypical canine Enzo considers the sacrifices his master, Denny Swift, has made in his pursuit of becoming a professional race car driver; the painful custody battle between Denny and his in-laws, and the dog's own efforts to preserve the Swift family. Borrow the e-book in Hoopla. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby. Borrow the e-audiobook in Hoopla. Borrow the e-audiobook in Overdrive/Libby. |
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Timothy, or, Notes of an abject reptile : Or, Notes of an Abject Reptile
by Verlyn Klinkenborg Timothy, a tortoise who lived in the garden of eighteenth-century curate Gilbert White, speaks out on his life in the garden, his nine-day adventure outside the gate, his observations of the curious habits and habitations of humans, and the natural world around him. Borrow the e-audiobook in Hoopla. |
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A dog's purpose
by W. Bruce Cameron Searching for his purpose over the course of multiple canine lives, Bailey is reborn as a golden-haired puppy after a tragic death as a stray and shares a loving bond with young Ethan before he again dies and starts over. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby. Borrow the e-audiobook in Overdrive/Libby. |
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Mort(e)
by Robert Repino As a race of intelligent ants prepares to render the human race extinct, former housecat turned war hero Mort(e), while taking on the most dangerous missions, embarks on a dangerous journey to the heart of the Colony in search of his pre-transformation friend: a dog named Sheba. Borrow the e-book in Overdrive/Libby. |
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Memoirs of a polar bear
by Yoko Tawada In a unique novel, three generations of talented writers and circus performers who happen to be polar bears, both stars of the ring and of the literary world, share their stories, at turns happy and sad, as they each enjoy both celebrity and the intimacy of being alone to write. Borrow the e-audiobook in Hoopla. |
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Firmin : adventures of a metropolitan lowlife
by Sam Savage Born in a bookstore in a blighted 1960's Boston neighborhood, Firmin miraculously learns how to read by digesting his nest of books. Alienated from his family and unable to communicate with the humans he loves, Firmin quickly realizes that a literate rat is a lonely rat. Following a harrowing misunderstanding with his hero, the bookseller, Firmin begins to risk the dangers of Scollay Square, finding solace in the Lovelies of the burlesque cinema. Finally adopted by a down-on-his-luck science fiction writer, the tide begins to turn, but soon they both face homelessness when the wrecking ball of urban renewal arrives. Borrow the e-book in Hoopla. |
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The book of chameleons
by José Eduardo Agualusa An Angolan house gecko relates the exploits of an unusual businessman who sells manufactured new pasts to unhappy clients seeking to improve their future prospects by breaking free of painful memories, a practice that is thrown into chaos by the arrival of a mysterious foreigner. |
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The white bone : a novel
by Barbara Gowdy An intriguing novel told entirely from the perspective of African elephants follows young Mud and her family as they desperately struggle to survive the harsh drought and ivory hunters that threaten their lives. |