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Quick answer: If you loved The Call of the Wild, try White Fang, To Build a Fire, The Sea-Wolf, Hatchet, Julie of the Wolves and Into the Wild. They share wilderness, survival and the pull of nature.
Jack London's 1903 novel follows Buck, a pampered dog stolen and sold as a sled dog in the Klondike gold rush. It is a short, intense adventure about instinct and survival. Readers who finish it want more wilderness stories and animal tales. These 15 books fit, from classics to modern nonfiction. Some include animal death.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Fang | Jack London | 10+ | more London |
| To Build a Fire | Jack London | Adult | readers who want a short read |
| The Sea-Wolf | Jack London | Adult | readers who like sea adventures |
| Hatchet | Gary Paulsen | 10-14 | younger readers |
| Julie of the Wolves | Jean Craighead George | 10-13 | nature lovers |
| Into the Wild | Jon Krakauer | Adult | readers who want nonfiction |
| Lassie Come-Home | Eric Knight | 8-12 | dog lovers |
| Old Yeller | Fred Gipson | 10-14 | readers who like frontier stories |
| Where the Red Fern Grows | Wilson Rawls | 10-14 | readers who want a tearjerker |
| Black Beauty | Anna Sewell | 8-12 | horse lovers |
| The Yearling | Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings | 10-14 | readers who want a Pulitzer winner |
| Never Cry Wolf | Farley Mowat | 12+ | readers who like nature |
| The Old Man and the Sea | Ernest Hemingway | Adult | readers who like short classics |
| Moby-Dick | Herman Melville | Adult | patient readers |
| The Wild Robot | Peter Brown | 7-11 | younger readers |
1. White Fang by Jack London
A wolf-dog's life from the wild to civilization. A companion to The Call of the Wild.
Best for: more London.
2. To Build a Fire by Jack London
A man travels through the Yukon cold with a dog. A short story of survival.
Best for: readers who want a short read.
3. The Sea-Wolf by Jack London
A scholar is rescued by Captain Wolf Larsen, a brutal seaman. Dark and gripping.
Best for: readers who like sea adventures.
4. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Brian survives alone in the Canadian wilderness. Fast and intense.
Best for: younger readers.
5. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
Miyax, an Inuit girl, survives on the tundra with help from wolves. A Newbery winner.
Best for: nature lovers.
6. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
The story of Chris McCandless, who left his life to live in the Alaskan wilderness. Thoughtful and tragic.
Best for: readers who want nonfiction.
7. Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight
A collie travels hundreds of miles to return to her family. A heartfelt classic.
Best for: dog lovers.
8. Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
A Texas boy bonds with a stray dog in 1860s frontier life. Moving and sad.
Best for: readers who like frontier stories.
9. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Billy trains two hunting dogs in the Ozarks. Emotional and classic.
Best for: readers who want a tearjerker.
10. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
A horse tells his life story in Victorian England. A classic that promoted kindness to animals.
Best for: horse lovers.
11. The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Jody Baxter adopts a fawn in Florida scrub country. Beautiful and sad.
Best for: readers who want a Pulitzer winner.
12. Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat
A biologist studies wolves in the Arctic. Funny, short and observant.
Best for: readers who like nature.
13. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Santiago, an old fisherman, fights a giant marlin. Short and powerful.
Best for: readers who like short classics.
14. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
Captain Ahab hunts the white whale. A giant classic of obsession.
Best for: patient readers.
15. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
A robot learns to live with animals on an island. Short and touching.
Best for: younger readers.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Call of the Wild: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For more London, read White Fang or To Build a Fire. For younger readers, try Hatchet or Julie of the Wolves. For dog stories, choose Lassie Come-Home or Old Yeller. For nonfiction, read Into the Wild. A simple plan is to pair one animal story with one wilderness fact book. Several of these books have animal death and violence. A fun extra is to read a nonfiction book about the Klondike gold rush alongside, or watch a nature documentary about sled dogs. Reading in winter makes the cold chapters even more vivid. If you like movies, compare the book with one of the film versions, and notice what the screen leaves out.
Related: 15 Books Like Into the Wild You’ll Love: Wilderness, Adventure and Self-Discovery · Wild by Cheryl Strayed Book Club Discussion Questions (With Summary and Themes)
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is The Call of the Wild?
About 100 pages, so it can be finished in a few sittings.
What age is it for?
It is often read by ages 12 and up, though it has intense scenes.
Is it based on a true story?
No, but London drew on his own time in the Klondike gold rush.
What should I read after it?
White Fang is the natural next book.
Is Buck a real dog?
No, but London was inspired by dogs he met during his time in the Yukon.
Is The Call of the Wild too violent for kids?
It has fights and cruelty, so many parents wait until ages 11 or 12.
What age do kids read it in school?
Many schools assign it in grades 7 to 9.