A Horse of Her Own
Grade 5–8—Jane Ryan, 14, is a capable rider whose family is not affluent enough for her to have her own horse. She rides a school horse for years, but then he is sold. Jane also tries to deal with the fact that the wealthy girls with whom she rides have never completely accepted her, except for Robin. When she gets the opportunity to ride Lancelot, a talented but difficult animal, she gains his trust and eventually wins the first Sunny Acres event. Tenacious and thoughtful, Jane is an appealing protagonist who gradually recognizes that being accepted no longer matters to her. The plot, though unremarkable, has enough twists, including a hint of romance, to sustain readers' interest. The descriptions of the challenges involved in preparing for competing are believable, although the time needed to achieve success seems a bit short. This novel merits consideration where horse stories are popular.—Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.