If you don’t know who she is, that’s okay, but I sincerely hope you will, and your children will, soon enough.

Diana Wynne Jones was a wonderful, imaginative writer. Those who know her work are fiercely loyal.

Unfortunately, Diana passed away this past weekend. As a long-standing fan of hers, I (like so many others) was devastated.

She wrote books for young adults and children, books filled with fantasy, magic, twists and turns, humour and insights and even dark topics.

I thought it would be a wonderful tribute to her to list a few of her books. And, as we’re a pet blog, what better way to do so than by recommending her books that contain, or are about, animals.

It’s such an important thing for children to read, to love reading, and the small list of books here, all of the fantasy genre, are a great way to get a child into reading. But don’t write any of these books off as merely kidstuff, adults of all ages are crazy about them, too.

The small list of books are below. Click on the title to read a review on Amazon.com.

And, from those of us who know and love your work, both present and future, we thank you for the wonderful body of work you’ve given the world, you will be sorely missed.

Diana Wynne Jones 16-8-34 – 26-3-11

Dogsbody (Diana Wynne Jones) – What more could you want? A tale about Sirius, the dogstar, who after being accused of murder is sent to live in the body of a dog on Earth, and to prove his innocence and get back to his celestial place, must find something called a Zoi…

Spellbound (chosen by Diana Wynne Jones) – A collection of fantasy stories from the Brother’s Grim, to L. Frank Baum, to Joan Aiken, it’s a great way to introduce someone into reading, and it contains a wonderful tale from Diana herself, entitled ‘What The Cat Told Me’.

The Dark Lord of Derkholm (Diana Wynne Jones) – A wonderful tale set in a world that seemingly many fantasy novels are set it, but with a twist, a nasty man from our world has enslaved the wizards and magical creatures, forcing them to do tours every year for off-worlders. A funny, dark, twisty, book, with such wonderful creatures as griffins (half eagle, half lion) and dragons, and also it has speaking, flying horses; winged pigs; friendly cows; and sarcastic geese. Enough animals for any animal lover.

The House of Many Ways (Diana Wynne Jones) – Charmain Baker is sent to look after her Great Uncle’s home while he’s being cured of a mysterious illness, she finds herself entrenched in magical mystery and her best friend is Waif, a tiny white dog who ‘reeks’ of magic.

Two non-Diana Wynne Jones Books

The Amazing Maurice & His Educated Rodents (Terry Pratchett) – Set in his Discworld world, this book is written for younger readers, this is a funny, smart romp about Maurice the cat who has the perfect scam where he and his smart rodent friends go from town to town, picking a boy and creating a pied piper con. However, when they reach the town of Bad Blintz, things go wrong…

The Book of the Night with Moon (Diane Duane) – When an ancient evil conquers the mystic gates under Grand Central Station, horrible things start happening in New York. Luckily for New Yorkers, some cats can turn invisible and work magic, and four wizard cats journey together, walking between worlds, to stop this evil and save the world…