Reddit mentions of The Rider on the White Horse (New York Review Books Classics)

Second the recommendation for Krabat by Ottfried Preussler.

Dackelblick by Frauke Scheunemann might be worth looking at, it is a book about a small dachshund and his adventures. There are three more sequels, "Katzenjammer", "Welpenalarm" and "Hochzeitsküsse". It is typical "women's lit", cute animals and a love story, but not too cheesy and easy on the big words.

Similar idea are the Kater Schnurr books, they are available on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mbdU_4pnZw

>but at the same time isn't something that would be analyzed in a German literature college, for instance, Like Shakespeare's novels in Usa/Uk colleges.

If you feel up to a challenge in this regard, look up "Schimmelreiter" by Theodor Storm.

http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/buch/der-schimmelreiter-3488/1

There is a halfway decent translation available on amazon.com if you get stuck.

https://www.amazon.com/Rider-White-Horse-Review-Classics/dp/1590173015/

Another story by Storm that I really like is "Regentrude"

http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/buch/die-regentrude-3478/1

Audioplay based upon the book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dbrpWROQcA

Translation into English if you get stuck:

https://www.amazon.com/Theodor-Storm-Maiden-Knecht-Ruprecht-ebook/dp/B00EMJYAT2/

This: http://www.amazon.com/Woman-Velvet-Necklace-Alexandre-Dumas/dp/1410100480/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317675765&sr=1-6

Been enjoying it, though it's flagging a little now (about two-thirds through). Still, a weird little novel by one of my favourite writers, featuring one of my other favourite writers as the protagonist (in a wholly fictional story), hard to beat that.

Next up, this: http://www.amazon.com/Rider-White-Horse-Review-Classics/dp/1590173015/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317675850&sr=1-1