Animals Stories for 6th Grade and Above Readers

Alex had been watching the fox for weeks. Every evening, it came to the edge of the yard, looked around with sharp eyes, and then slipped back into the trees. Alex sat still on the porch with his friend Jan. "There it is," he whispered. The fox stepped out, its red fur bright against the green grass. It had something in its mouth. A smaller fox followed behind. "It has a pup," Jan said. Alex reached for his camera, slow and quiet. He took three pictures before the foxes disappeared into the brush. The next morning, Alex and Jan followed the trail. They found a den under a fallen tree. Inside, they could hear soft sounds. Alex set up a small camera near the den and left food nearby. Over the next month, they watched the fox family grow. The pup got bigger and bolder. By the end of summer, the young fox was coming to the edge of the yard on its own, just like its mother had done.

Alex worked at the animal shelter every Saturday. It was hard work, but she loved it. Her friend Lee came to help one morning. The shelter was full. Dogs barked from every pen. Cats pressed against the glass of their rooms. "Where do we start?" Lee asked. Alex handed him a leash. "We walk the dogs first," she said. They took turns. Alex walked a big black dog with one white ear. Lee walked a small brown dog that kept trying to lick his face. After the walks, they cleaned the pens and filled water bowls. A family came in looking for a pet. Their daughter pointed at the small brown dog. Lee brought it out. The dog jumped into the girl's arms. The family filled out the papers. "That dog found a home because of you," Alex said to Lee as they watched the family drive away. Lee smiled. "I think I will come back next Saturday," he said.

Alex found an injured hawk in the field behind her house. It had a hurt wing that hung at a wrong angle. She called her friend Max, who knew about birds. He came over with a box and a blanket. "We need to keep it calm," Max said. They wrapped the hawk in the blanket and placed it in the box. Alex called the wildlife center. A woman came to pick up the hawk an hour later. She said they would fix the wing and release the bird when it was strong. Two weeks later, Alex got a call. The hawk was ready. She and Max drove out to the field. The woman opened the box. The hawk stepped out, spread its wings, and flew. It rose up in a wide loop, higher and higher. Alex watched until it was just a dot against the clouds. Max put his hand on her shoulder. "That was something," he said. Alex nodded. She would never forget it.