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California Riding Magazine • June, 2009 Views & Reviews by Nan Meek |
Remember the first horse book you ever read? Or did you start really early, with picture books? Which book made the biggest impact on your equine addiction? For me, it was The Horsemasters, by Don Stanford, which I checked out from the Santa Maria Public Library. It told the story of a girl who goes on a horsemasters course, studying riding and stable management at a British equestrian center. Her fictional experiences made a lasting impression on me, and I still think of her story while I’m grooming, or mucking out, or doing one of the million chores around the barn. The moral of the story may have been that we humans are our horses’ servants for life, but that wouldn’t have deterred me, even if it had been written in large, bold-faced type. Once a horse lover, always a horse lover, no matter how much work is involved! That was then, this is now: A friend’s young daughter has developed an intense interest in horses, and since she’s an avid reader, of course I wanted to explore the world of children’s horse books for her. What I found was a wealth of delightful books, guaranteed to feed the imagination of any young horse lover.
A Dandy Collection One of the most recently published children’s horse books—You and Your Horse: How to Whisper Your Way into Your Horse’s Life by Dandi Daley Mackall, with illustrations by Jeff O’Connor—led me by way of the author’s website to even more great horse books for tweens and teens. Dandi Daley Mackall is the author of hundreds of books (no, that’s not a typo!) including three series that tap straight into the teen horse lover’s heart. Winnie the Horse Gentler series features Winnie Willis and her adventures with horses and their humans in titles such as Wild Thing, Eager Star, Bold Beauty, Midnight Mystery, Unhappy Appy, Gift Horse, Friendly Foal and Buckskin Bandit. On her website, Dandi describes the Starlight Animal Rescue series books, Runaway, Mad Dog, Wild Cat and Dark Horse, as a place “where problem horses are trained and loved, where abandoned dogs become heroes, where stray cats become loyal companions, and where people with nowhere to fit in find a place to belong.” But wait, there’s more … her Horsefeathers! series for readers age 11-17 stars Sarah “Scoop” Coop, a teenage horse whisperer, with titles that include Horsefeathers!, Horse Cents!, Horse Whispers in the Air, A Horse of a Different Color, All the King’s Horses, Horse Angel, Home is Where Your Horse Is and A Horsefeathers Mystery. That’s a lot of reading for any teen or tween, but when the subject is horses, reading is the next best thing to riding.
Half Moon Ranch Horses I couldn’t help myself ... the name Half Moon Ranch caught my eye, since I live and ride near Half Moon Bay. But there’s no connection; in fact, the books in The Horses of Half Moon Ranch series take place in a fictional mountain setting. I’m glad my eye got caught, because this series by British author Jenny Oldfield, includes 24 titles at last round-up. When you love reading about horses, you don’t want your book to end. With so many books in The Horses of Half Moon Ranch series, there’s always another book waiting to be read, another horse to meet, another adventure to share.
Speaking of Horse Lovers In The Horse Lover’s Book (We Both Read) by Stephanie Ledu and illustrated by Cecile Hudrisier, its redheaded narrator, Lily, explains all about horses, introduces readers to horse care and riding, and includes fun things to do with horses. The illustrations of Lily, combined with photos of horses, capture the reader’s imagination while teaching in a fun and engaging style. Even better, the We Both Read unique interactive format is designed so that the child can read the simpler text and the parent or teacher can read the more sophisticated text. Developed with reading education specialists, this format has been exceptionally effective in helping reluctant and struggling readers discover the joy of reading and improve their reading skills. If you know a reluctant reader who loves horses, The Horse Lover’s Book (We Both Read) could make everyone happy: parents, children and teachers. How great is that? Happy Reading, Happy Riding I’ll be introducing young Renee to my Andy very soon, and I predict it will be love at first sight. Renee’s mom has already fallen in love with him, so I know she’ll approve … and I think she’ll approve of a book list that gives her daughter the opportunity to combine reading skills with horsey thrills. However young you are ... young in years, or young at heart ... I wish you happy reading and happy riding!
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