Content: G
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
11yo Carolina has lived her whole life on Paradise Ranch, working as stable hands with her parents. She knows every horse, and every nook and cranny of the place. When a new owner, Heather, comes to take over, she brings along her daughter, Chelsi. Carolina worries that Chelsi will take over the small barn and that she, along with her mom and dad will lose their jobs. Heather brings in new people and new horses. One of the new, Velvet, seems especially skittish. Carolina vows that one day she will ride that horse. She sneaks into the barn at night to get to know the new horse. She feeds her treats and even takes her out of her stall to show the others that she alone can get this skittish horse to relax. In the process she makes a huge mistake, and is nearly killed.
I enjoyed this book much more that I thought I would. The story is told from Carolina's point of view. She is a very hard working, dependable 11-year old girl. She loves the horses in her charge and she cleans their stalls and their barn every day till it shines. She loves all the horses. sometimes, when her work is done she gets to ride on of the horses. She has a special touch with the horses. A talent. A gift. Carolina is a very believable character, and the author has written 11yo girls really well. Chelsi tells girls at school that the ranch is hers, and that Carolina is but a "pooper scooper." Read, and find out how Carolina help solve many problems on the ranch and for herself. I loved this book, and I know a lot of girls that middle school and upper elementary school age that will read all the horse books they can find on the library shelves. This would be good for a read-a-loud or even for reading groups. Carolina is Argentinian and white; her friend Vida is from the Philippines.
Ellen-Anita, LMS
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