The one and only Ivan by Katherine Applegate ; illustrations by Patricia Castelao has been awarded the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature for the year 2013. This heart-moving tale about a captive silverback gorilla was inspired by a true story. Ivan has spent 27 years of his life at The Big Top Mall, a cheap roadside circus attraction, confined to an enclosure of glass, metal, and concrete. He has become numb to his existence, watching TV, dabbling with art, and eating food thrown to him. Bob, a spunky dog, and Stella, an aging elephant are his only friends and companions. Ivan's melancholy life begins to change, however, when Ruby, a young vibrant elephant appears on the scene and Stella dies from neglect. Stella's dying plea to Ivan is help Ruby escape.

Lovers of dogs and/or dog stories will be delighted to know that a deluge of delights awaits them this publishing season. Here is but a sampling of some recent dog tales. Take your pick of the litter!

A dog called Homeless by Sarah Lean

The vanishing by Christopher Holt

The dogs of winter by Bobbie Pyron

The scorpions of Zahir by Christine Brodien-Jones is a riveting, fast-paced mixture of fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, mythology, mystery, family affairs, and travel. Feisty Zagora Pym sets off for Morocco with her astronomy-crazed brother and archaeologist father to connect with a long lost colleague (Pitblade Yegen) of her father and explore  ruins of the ancient city of Zahir. But Pitblade had been kidnapped, mammoth scorpions have invaded the city, and the rogue planet, Nar Azrak, is on a collision course with earth. With the help of members of the Azimuth tribe, thought to have been extinct, Zagora begins a daring quest to restore order and harmony to this desert land. Key to success of this mission is returning the Oryx Stone to the apex of a buried pyramid.

Last chance by Norah McClintock is the first book in the Robyn Hunter Mystery series. While working in an animal shelter for the summer, Robyn if forced to confront her fear of dogs as well as Nick, a boy from her past she had hoped never to see again. Nick is one of the juvenile offenders volunteering at the shelter.  He is accused of hitting a pedestrian while joyriding and pleads guilty.  Robyn senses something strange about his plea, begins snooping around, and once convinced of his innocence, sets out to prove it. Dog lovers and mystery fans will enjoy this book.  Danger, clever detective work, and current teen/tween issues will keep even reluctant readers coming back for other titles in this series.

Merrill is best known for two popular children's books, The Pushcart War (1972) and The Toothpaste Millionaire (1972), but wrote more than 30 books and twelve movie scripts for animated adaptations of her work. A common theme in her stories is that of an underdog overcoming the constraints of the established social and economic order. Merrill grew up on a farm in upstate New York and preferred outdoor activities, such as building forts, sledding, collecting fossils, and climbing silos, to playing inside with manufactured toys and being watched by adults. She died of cancer at her home in Vermont on August 2, 2012.

The pushcart war by Jean Merrill ; with illustrations by Ronni Solbert