The Wild One is a horse story for young readers.  It is focused on an eleven year old boy who doesn’t seem to fit into his surroundings.  Horses feature heavily in this children’s story, but there is also a delightful tale of the Cheyenne people and their way of life.  Unfortunately for Snow Deer, although he feels at home as a Cheyenne, his tribe doesn’t agree that he belongs.

Snow Deer’s father was a white man.  The young boy inherited his father’s looks – including blonde hair – and his love for painting.  Neither seems to fit into the world of hunting for food and fading into the background of nature.  Snow Deer finds himself a victim of bullying from the other Cheyenne boys.  The young boy wonders how he can convince them he is staying.

A chance meeting with a white horse has Snow Deer finding something else that doesn’t fit in.  In time the stallion is caught but the Cheyenne conclude he’ll be no good with his pale colouring that will show up easily in the day and night.

Wanting to prove himself, Snow Deer vows to break in the white stallion.  A wild ride results in the two having the chance to change the history of the Cheyenne people for good.  The Wild One is an interesting and realistic read with a lovely horse focus.  Young readers are sure to enjoy the story.

Author – Eve Bunting
Fiction – children
In my library – that it is 🙂
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

“A horse loves freedom, and the weariest old work horse will roll on the ground or break into a lumbering gallop when he is turned loose into the open.” ― Gerald Raftery

The fourth book that follows Born That Way by Susan Ketchen is Rides that Way.  The story sees fourteen year old Sylvia further developing as a teen.  As someone recently diagnosed with Turner Syndrome, Sylvia is struggling with the many things that make her different from others.  What she doesn’t seem to realise is that many of the things she is struggling with, other ‘normal’ teens are also struggling with.  She attributes a lot of what she is navigating in life to Turner Syndrome, when much of it is perfectly normal for a growing teen.

Sylvia finds her peace in riding her pony Brooklyn and is rapt to have taken him in her first one day event – and survived!  She is an unstoppable athlete.  Sylvia is also a young female who isn’t sure she wants to deal with developing into a woman.  Because of her syndrome, Sylvia needs to take oestrogen to further develop.  If she doesn’t, she will stay with a boyish figure.  As she watches people around her managing male attention and working out how to best present their figures, she is not sure it’s at all what she wants.

Then there’s Logan Losino.  He might be Sylvia’s favourite person but when she learns how he explains her syndrome to others, she questions if he is like everyone else.  Too many people seem to think she’s a freak and she’d rather just fly under the raidar.

Rides that Way has a lot to offer.  The book takes a look at family dynamics with some very humorous insights from young Sylvia.  Issues of peer pressure and unwanted attention by males is also covered.  From a horse point of view there’s lots of riding, caring for horses that are sick and considering what is best for the horse’s welfare.  Rides that Way is a unique and entertaining read.  Highly recommended.

Author – Susan Ketchen
Fiction – teens
In my library – it is as an eBook!
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.