I made a valiant effort on Warriors book 1, but I just can't. It's all tell, and seems to be solely about cats tackling one another to the ground while shouting cheesy As You Know Bob dialogue.[/I]
KP, try "The Wainscott Weasel" by Tor Seidler. It has none of that tedious "tackling each other" stuff.
Think Wind in the Willows meets Tom Sawyer, but WAY shorter and easier to read
(Some dialect, but VERY minimal), and moves at a decent clip, though not the page turner that rivals an action flick.
It might read a tad cheesy in parts
(Though NOT dated, which for a mid-90s title is impressive by today's standards), but that depends on the kind of reader you are. It's not saccharine fluff, but it's not a madcap, sarcasm trip, either. There's humor, but it's subtle and wit based, rather than slapstick.
I'm finding the story more and more touching as I near the end. THIS is a story to be savored, the art too, I mean, WOW.
What I wouldn't GIVE to illustrate like this guy!
(I'd want him to illustrate my last MG novel, if only he were still alive
)
Anyway, if you want some serious action without too much over the top violence, try "The Daring Adventures of Penhaligon Brush" by S. Jones Rogan. This has a fast-paced story, I almost tore one of the pages out by accident because I reading that fast.
Usually, I read slower the more engaged I get, this was a rare exception, and the only book apart from "The Tale of Despereaux" or the third HP I read in one day.
Now there are battles in this one, but I personally feel these are both engaging, and add dimension and weight to the plot, rather than mindless barbarism, not something I enjoy anymore than you, I reckon.
The sequel's just as good, and while it stands alone, it does have more power when you read them both in order.
For something more risque and Grimm-esque like there's "A Taste For Rabbit" by Linda Zimmerman. An older title, and I think out of print, but it's worth finding for cheap online.
Like Penhaligon Brush, A non-Redwall approach to animal fantasy worth a look.
