Best Horse Books Ever!!
A Horse Named Doodlebug by Irene Brady
Reading level: Ages
5-8
Library Binding: 35 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (September 1977)
A young girl named Jennifer finds an injured, disheveled pony at a stock-sale. She buys this pony out of pity; only later to find out Doodlebug is really the black stallion of her dreams. It’s the perfect book for your daughter as it was for my wife when she was a little girl. This horse book will quickly become one of your little girl’s favorite horse books. This is such a cute story and is accompanied by wonderful illustrations.
Magnus at the
Fire by Jennifer Armstrong
Reading level: Ages 5- 8
Hardcover: 32
pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing (hardcover, May 2005)
This book has wonderful illustrations. You
can easily see the strength and power of this important horse. This story revolves around how a determined and heroic horse is not put out to pasture as his firefighting days are over. Known as Magnus, a beautiful gray stallion and his other companions have all been trained to be able to pull a steam pumper to fires. When one day, a captain comes back to the station having a fire engine that is motorized and then Magnus is shifted to another nearby field. Magnus is over the fence at just the noise of an alarm, running after a truck. The captain considers Magnus to be a nuisance until the engine breaks down and Magnus proves himself.
Fritz and the
Beautiful Horses by Jan Brett
Reading level: Ages 5- 8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
(1985)
This is another wonderfully illustrated book.
Fritz and the beautiful horses is a beautiful folk tale with colorful in depth pictorial descriptions about a pony known for its gentleness and kindness. The pony is always ready to do any given work at any time. This pony is always kept in the threshold of a medieval wall that encompasses the city, reason being only beautiful horses are let inside. One fine day the bridge falls and the parents who are known as the horseback citizens are caught within the city while their children are on the other side. Fritz is the only horse that helps the kids reaches the parents by carrying every child on its back through the steep hills.
Summer Pony by Jean Slaughter Doty
Reading level: Ages 5- 8
Paperback: 144pages
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
(1937)
In this story, the summer pony Ginny dreams of getting herself a pony and always wants to fulfill her dreams. Considering how badly she wants a horse, her parents rent her a pony just for the summer. Ginny is excited about the pony and completely thrilled. The pony arrives and his name is Mokey. Mokey is not the pony that anyone would dream about. He is skinny, starving and very dirty. The very look of this horse was completely different from what Ginny was Dreaming about. This summer was all that she was dreaming about. The rest of the story shows if this was truly the summer she wanted it to be.
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Reading level: Ages 5- 8
Hardcover: 32pp
Publisher: F.M. Lupton Publishing Company
(November 24th, 1877)
Black beauty is a story of a horse in his words. The novel is about how the horse was treated with respect and affection when he was a healthy and young horse, and how he fell ill and was passed from a set of unwise hands to another.
Beginning with the horse’s carefree days working as a colt on a farm through his hard days when he used to pull a cab in London, to his gay retirement period in the country. All throughout this way, he meets different types of hardships and recollects the different tales of kindness and cruelty. Every short chapter discusses an incident that contains a moral or lesson relating to sympathy, kindness, and treating a horse.
Old Bones the Wonder Horse By Mildred Mastin Pace
Reading level: Ages 5- 8
paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Mcgraw-hill
(1955)
This story perfectly portrays the rags to riches story of the horse known as exterminator, the best-loved horses of America. He was lovingly called old bones, just surprises everyone by coming out of nowhere to win the Kentucky derby and run another hundred races before he retires.
This novel is considered perfect for children and shows how a racing horse that was considered hopeless finally cuts through the big league. Old bones is not considered a pretty horse but indeed has a heart of a champion.
The story subtly shows how one can face challenges and doing his best even though everyone has lot hopes in you.
My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara
Reading level: Ages 5- 8
paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
(1941)
My friend Flicka is a story of a boy on a horse ranch. It is about a boy called Ken who is a daydreamer; he struggles to only please his father who is his authoritarian to be able to find a future direction. He just wants to own a horse for himself just like his elder brother. His father thinks Ken is not ready for it yet but his mother convinces the father to let Ken take the responsibility. Ken then chooses the unbroken filly that proves to be a very tough horse to train on the ranch. Although being fiction this story talks about the author who lived on the ranch and the different events and characteristics in the story, which makes reading this novel a total delight.
Misty of Chincoteague By Marguerite Henry
Reading level: Ages 5- 8
paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
(1947)
There lives a band of wild ponies on an island that is off the coast of Maryland and Virginia. Amongst all these is one mysterious known as Phanton, a mare that is rarely seen who also eludes the efforts taken to capture her until a girl and boy laid their eyes on the horse and decide they will not be able to live without her.
The author has tried to captivate the girls and boys by giving thrilling descriptions of the incidents taken place at this Chincoteague island and its magical atmosphere. This story reveals the opposing forces of nature and humans.
Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 414 pages
Publisher: Health
Communications Inc (July , 2003)
The chicken soup for the horse lover’s soul is a book filled with inspirational stories of rehabilitation and rescue, dedication, heartbreaking losses, commitment and the positive message of love and responsibility. Concentrated more on the humorous and uplifting stories of the horse’s versatility, intuitiveness and intelligence, helps the reader discover the healing powers of the horse and marveling at their performance as a winner, be taken aback by the strength and stamina of a horse and the prowess of a racehorse. Just with a little companionship and love, horses heal us, protect us, guide us and teach us. This book is worth every penny as it celebrates and appreciated this noble creature.
Chosen by a Horse by Susan Richards
Reading level: Ages 9-12
paperback: 256 pages
The lessons of love could be taught and learnt from many forms. For the author, adopting a horse that was maltreated impacted her in ways that she never foresaw. Richard adopts a mare ignoring the small voice that
tells her she has another three horses to take care of, and nurse her own herniated disk. The story talks about her experiences as to how love can help grow the human spirit and overcome any type of loss and pain. The mistreated mare Lay Me Down goes on to show how she remains gentle despite being treated badly and responds overwhelmingly to the treatment shown to her. Richard portrays the courage the mare shows and emulates it in her life.
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
( 1941 )
Reading level: Ages 9-12
(Depending
on publisher): 224 - 288 pages
The only survivors of a completely devastating shipwreck, the black stallion and Alec Ramsey learn to depend on each other in order to survive. This book portrays an amazingly strong bond that is developed between them, how Alec tries to gain this magnificent beast and how the stallion lets Alec ride. They finally are rescued, but the story goes to show if they will be allowed to be together? This stunning edition shows how timeless this adventure classic proves to be. |
