All Points West February 2026: Animal Insights

Looking for a fresh take on the world? Perhaps from the perspective of a different species? From prose poetry to Foxlish, from climate fiction to cozy mysteries, and picture books from GVPL's updated list of 100 Books to Read Before Kindergarten, there is something in this booklist for most humans to enjoy.

Updated February 11, 2026
G
Greater Victoria Public Library
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Open Throat A Novel
Hoke, Henry.
Paper Book
Finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction. One of the Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Fiction in 2023. One of The New York Times' 10 Best California Books of 2023. Longlisted for the Mark...

Also available as an ebook through Overdrive/Libby.

Hollow kingdom : a novel
Buxton, Kira Jane
Paper Book
In this hilarious, "dazzling" romp, a foul-mouthed crow is humanity's only chance to survive a zombie apocalypse-think Watership Down meets Dawn of the Dead (Mona Awad, author of Bunny). S.T. is a bird of simple pleasures:...
The Bees A Novel
Paull, Laline.
Audiobook
The Handmaid's Tale meets The Hunger Games in this brilliantly imagined debut set in an ancient culture where only the queen may breed and deformity means death. Flora 717 is a sanitation worker, a member of the lowest caste in her orchard hive where work and sacrifice are the highest...

Available as large print book, as well as ebook and e-audiobook through Overdrive/Libby.

Remarkably bright creatures : a novel
Van Pelt, Shelby
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Soon to be a Netflix Film A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! NAMED A BEST BOOK OF SUMMER by: Chicago Tribune * The View * Southern Living * USA Today "Remarkably Bright Creatures [is] an ultimately...

Also available as an ebook and e-audiobook through Overdrive/Libby as well as on CD.

The tusks of extinction
Nayler, Ray
Paper Book
Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novella When you bring back a long-extinct species, there's more to success than the DNA. Moscow has resurrected the mammoth. But someone must teach them how to be mammoths, or they are doomed to die out again. ...

Also available as an ebook through Overdrive/Libby.

https://tinyurl.com/39k896hw
We are thrilled to bring back the much-loved 100 Books to Read Before Kindergarten list. This carefully curated collection of classic favourites and engaging new stories is designed to inspire young readers, spark curiosity, and support early literacy at home. Whether you\'re preparing for a child’s September kindergarten start or simply looking for enjoyable stories to share, this list offers a trusted starting point for building reading routines and discovering new favourites.

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