At Whitbred Goats, every venture begins with reading. Before we stepped into goat ownership we read every book we could put our hands on about goats. Some were more helpful than others. Books written about a variety of livestock contain some helpful information but not the in-depth reporting available in those specifically about goats. Here are some of the best we found:

 
Dairy Goats for Pleasure and Profit by Harvey Considine
*Mr. Considine died in 2006 after a lifetime of loving goats and their owners. He has had a great impact on the dairy goat community and his book is easy to read and informative while his love for the species flows from every page.
 
Your Goat: A Kids Guide to Raising and Showing by Gail Damero
*The kids have perused this volume so much it is now dog-eared. One caution from our 4H Club, Serene Caprine: the kid bottle-feeding schedule may be sufficient for dwarf goats but is not enough nutrition for a full sized dairy goat. In either case, we would recommend comparing this feeding schedule with other authors to avoid tragedy if you are bottle raising your kids.
 
Natural Goat Care by Pat Coleby
*I have been after this book for a long time and finally acquired it. It was recommended to me when we purchased our first kids. For a while I put it off, then when I did order it, all copies were sold out (everywhere it seemed) so I had to wait for the publisher to print more. Now I have my own copy, hot off the presses, and already know I like this approach to goat care. We always try to opt for natural remedies when possible and this gives us more direction in that area.

Raising Milk Goats the Modern Way by Jerry Belanger
*The edition I have is from 1992 so I’m not sure how modern it actually is. This was an Amazon purchase from a used book company so I can’t even say if it is currently in print. Contains useful information and occasionally an alternate perspective to some in Mr. Considine’s book.
 
Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier
*Read about a girl and her family who receive a goat through the Heifer Project.

The Goat Lady by Jane Bregoli
*An elderly French-Canadian woman in Massachusetts raises goats to provide milk for people who need it.

Some of our children’s current favorites(not goat related):

King's Fool by Margaret C. Barnes (follow King Henry VII's jester through court life in England)

Peter and the Starcatchers  by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.  Read this book this year during it's 100th birthday!

The Sky's Not Falling: Why it's OK to chill about global warming     by Holly Fretwell

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan
 
The Penderwicks by Jean Birdsall

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cow Dog by John R. Erickson (silly book for silly boys)
 
Stuart Little by E.B. White
 
Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry
 
The Red Keep by Allen French (Medieval France)

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth J. Gray (Medieval England)

Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle (Medieval Germany)

The Golden Impala by Pamela Ropner

The Black Stallion by Walter Farley (and sequels)