Starred review from July 20, 2009
Pulitzer Prize–winner Smiley's first novel for young readers is a lyrical meditation on horses, families and the vicissitudes of peer relationships among girls. Twelve-year-old Abby lives on a California horse farm with her evangelical parents. It is the mid-1960s, and references to Dusty Springfield records and portable hi-fis contrast with the pastoral setting, where the struggle is mainly between Abby and “Ornery George,” one of the gelding horses (all the horses are named George or Jewel by Abby's father to eschew unnecessary attachments). A wise and kindly horse trainer eventually teaches Abby how to temper Ornery George, paralleling the nuanced lessons she learns about her relationship with her father, his fraught dealings with Abby's older brother, Danny, as well as the bullying by the “Big Four” girls at school. As might be expected from the skilled hands of Smiley (A Thousand Acres
), there are additional synchronous story lines, such as the ways an unexpected and spirited colt named Jack becomes accepted into the human and horse families. Many will find it difficult to say goodbye to Abby, Jack and especially to Ornery George. Ages 10–up.
October 1, 2009
Gr 5-8-A quiet novel about the relationships surrounding 12-year-old Abby on her family's rural horse ranch in 1960s California. Due to her parents' strict religious views (no TV or rock music), Abby often feels like an outcast in her small seventh-grade class and she is often subjected to ridicule by the popular girls. She finds solace in working with the horses (there are numerous detailed scenes of riding, jumping, and grooming) with the exception of Ornery George. To avoid attachment and to ready the animals for sale, her father names all their horses George or Jewel. Meanwhile, the family is dealing with the estrangement of 16-year-old Danny, who left home after an argument. Abby's voice tends to be far more intuitive and insightful than one would expect of her age, especially as she discerns the nuances and tensions in her parents' relationship. The occasional anachronistic word or phrase such as "wandering around the strip mall" (a term generally not in use until the 1980s) tend to distract. Ultimately, the subtle shifts in attitude that occur may be appreciated by adults but lost on the young readers for whom the book is intended. Intricate pen-and-ink drawings of horse equipment at the beginning of each chapter give the book an old-fashioned feel."Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library"
Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 15, 2009
Grades 4-8 As in adult titles such as Horse Heaven (2000), Pulitzer Prizewinning author Smiley draws on her personal passion for horses in this quiet, psychologically attuned youth debut set in 1960s rural California. The best thing that can happen to you in seventh grade, really, is that you float from one classroom to another like a ghost or a spirit, undetected, says Abby, a loner who dreads dealing with her schools ruling mean-girl clique. She finds blissful escape working on her familys ranch, but she tangles with her stern, born-again Christian father over how best to treat and train their horses. While studying horse behavior, she gains insight into humans that helps her gradually discover the strength of her own voice. Smiley builds tension slowly, and some readers will skip over the extraordinarily detailed passages about tack (illustrated in sporadic, charming ink drawings), care, and riding. Serious horse fans, though, will be enthralled, and Abbys gentle, emotionally nuanced conflicts, both at school and at home, will reward a general audience of patient readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2010
Though it's not allowed by her horse-trainer father, Abby grows attached to one particular gelding and an orphaned foal. The novel is about Abby learning to work with the horses, but also about dealing with her fundamentalist dad. Smiley unfolds the plot strands so naturally, with such an assured, brisk voice, that readers will take them all in avidly.
(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
November 1, 2009
The time Abby spends riding horses is an important part of her dad's horse training business (he likes to be able to tell clients that "a little girl can ride them"), but Abby's not allowed to get attached, which is part of the reason her dad calls all the mares Jewel and all the geldings George. Abby calls one particular gelding Ornery George, though, because he seems "dedicated to bucking [her] off," and he scares her. And when a foal gets orphaned and she raises him, she demands the right to name him Jack, although her dad says that motherless foals are never good for much. The novel is about how Abby learns to work with the two horses, but it's also about Abby learning to work with her fundamentalist father, whose rigidity has already driven away her older brother, and to navigate school cliques. There are plenty of plot strands, but Smiley (in her first foray into children's books) unfolds them so naturally, with such an assured, brisk voice, that readers take them all in avidly. The sixties-era California setting subtly makes its presence known in dialogue and cultural references. Plot matter dealing with horse training philosophy and techniques will engage horse lovers -- Abby's riding skills and ability to communicate with horses are hard won, but like readers, she still has much to learn.
(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)