I am slowly preparing for summer reading, but this spring has been a crazy one.
After not getting over from being sick last fall, I found out I have to get my tonsils taken out.
I hate missing work. So when the Doctor broke the news my first question was how long do I need to be out? Can I go back after a few days?
The nurse laughed at me and told me I had to take at least two weeks off, but should prepare to take it easy for next few months.
One of my friends jokingly told me I should have my family hide my laptop.
I guess I have come to accept I need to take a step back & will be taking a least a couple weeks off before summer reading.
As you can imagine, I am not looking forward to it.
As a result, my posts will be spotty for the next month. I will be back though! Has anyone gotten their tonsils taken out as an adult? Do you have any advice?
Until then, I am still working on summer reading!
This week I wanted to try and tackle a horse list.
I have to be honest, I am not a horse person.
Every few weeks, however, I always get a tween girl inquiring about horse books. They always want not one, but a whole stack to take home. Since this isn't a genre I am passionate about, I really struggle with this aspect of reader's advisory.
So when I got these questions, I started to ask the patron what some of their favorite horse books are. As I got this information, I composed it into a list to potentially use for reader's advisory.
According to the tweens in my area, here are some of the best:
This is part of Scholastic's Branches series.
It is perfect for young tweens who are at a lower reading level.
It is contemporary and is perfect for 1st-2nd grade readers.
In this series, readers will be taken away to a magical island where horses can talk. For horse lovers, what could be better? This one is again best for very young readers. Publishers typically recommend this one for ages 5-9. This one seemed to be a favorite for 8 year olds. I find it to be great for readers who enjoy the show My Little Pony.
This series is a collection of stories from the horse's perspective. It is another great series for young horse loving tweens.
A girl named Nell is forced to spend a summer with a relative she does not know.She reluctantly goes. There she meets a magical girl named Angel who steals her suitcase. Together they go on a magical journey with some magical horses.
This series surrounds a group of young girls at an elite boarding school that has a strong horse riding program. The girl who recommended this book mentioned that she felt like she could relate to the characters. There are mean girls, a little romance, and the characters have other interests too. It is perfect for older tweens that want a realistic drama.
When the tween book talked this series to me she described it as a young girl who goes on adventures with her Mustang horse, but you can read more about it with the Goodreads link!
This book is narrated from Dante the horse’s perspective. After the horse failed as a racehorse, he ends up being adopted as a project by a local stable. There he forms a special bond with a student named Ashley. The tweens I talked to about this book mentioned that they enjoyed that it was from the horse’s point of view.
This is a Christian novel about a young girl trying to get a horse to trust her. In order to learn how to trust, however, she first must learn to trust God.
This one would be great for christian animal lovers.
This is an exciting horse mystery. It is great for tweens that are looking for an animal mystery.
This story surrounds a foster former race horse and a foster child named Shiloh. Both are in the same place for their last chance, and form an unbreakable bond.
A puzzling photograph, a box filled with faded toy horses, and a single fractured memory are all that Maya has left of her mother. In her Grandmother’s house, she lives like a captive, tethered by rules... until a shocking event changes everything. A world away, in the rugged Wyoming wilderness, a wild mustang called Artemisia runs free, belonging only to the stars. In a land where mountain lions pose an ever-present threat, she must vigilantly defend her foal... until a devastating act separates them from their band. Like a braided rein, Maya's and Artemisia's lives will ultimately intertwine.
This one was a favorite by all of my tweens. Here is the book information provided by Goodreads:
Princess Haya, daughter of the King of Jordan, loves her family more than anything. So when tragedy strikes at its heart, she is devastated.
The Princess becomes ever more withdrawn until, on her birthday, the King gives her a life-changing present. An incredible new friendship grows and the heartbroken princess begins to dream of an extraordinary future.
Inspired by the real-life story of Olympic equestrienne Princess Haya Al Hussein and set against the exotic backdrop of Arabia, this novel is destined to become a modern classic
This series is from a small publishing company in Missouri. The author is local, and so my library has a copy. This might be as feasible for all, but it is a favorite among my tweens. In this book the New Madrid earthquake comes alive. Crystal uses her special bond with her horse to go on a mission to save her parents.
As I have put together this list, I have noticed two things.
1. The tweens did not enjoy classics such as Black Beauty
2. The books they did like were older, and my library did not carry all of them. If a patron requested a copy, I generally had to take out an interlibrary loan.
What are some of your favorite horse books for tweens? Could you recommend any newer titles?
I hope everyone has a great week!
My surgery is tomorrow. So I will be cuddling up with my cat and reading lots of books in the next several weeks. He is already a good book buddy. ;)
My surgery is tomorrow. So I will be cuddling up with my cat and reading lots of books in the next several weeks. He is already a good book buddy. ;)
-Pamela
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