Dark Fire by Angela Dorsey is an Excellent Book for Young Girls

Lisa’s life has been turned upside down. Her parents have lost their family home and, along with it, Lisa’s beloved horses. She misses Jupiter the most, but at least the kindly new homeowner, Mr. Pickering, allows Lisa to visit the horses whenever she likes – until his evil nephew, Jimmy, shows up. Lisa is forced to visit the stables under the cover of darkness, for fear of alerting Jimmy. It’s becoming clear to Lisa that Jimmy is willing to do anything to keep her away from Mr. Pickering and the horses. Fortunately, for Lisa, a mysterious and beautiful stranger named Angelica arrives to help.

What a wonderful story this is! I LOVE books that place girls in strong protagonist roles and Dark Fire certainly does this. Ms. Dorsey has written a story about a young, determined girl who is fearlessly devoted to her friends, family and horses. She’s willing to risk anything to right the wrongs she sees. This makes Dark Fire an excellent book for young girls in particular.

There’s plenty of mystery, action and suspense in this book to keep youngsters involved until the very end. The writing is compelling and intelligent.

The idea behind this story is lovely – that there are kind and gentle souls who are watching over horses and their owners is a charming basis for a book series. I’ve already downloaded another one of Angela Dorsey’s books and can’t wait to read it!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY FREE ON AMAZON.COM

Book Review of The Gift by Rebecca Hubbard

Pip is an eleven-year-old girl who is happy when she receives a colt for her birthday. She names him Buck and sets out to make him her new best friend, since she naturally assumes she’s found one in her young horse. Pip grows increasingly frustrated when Buck pays little attention to her and gallops away whenever she gets too close to him.

Pip’s dad helps her to understand that befriending a horse takes time and she needs to be patient. Will Pip and Buck eventually become friends? What if we could see the friendship progress not only through Pip’s eyes, but also through Buck’s eyes as well? I loved this sweet and unique book! What a wonderful way to teach children about horses, friendship and patience! I adored the way the second half of the book is told from Buck’s POV. Brilliant!

Buck’s descriptions of Pip as a “pipsqueak”, with a black mane and screechy voice made me chuckle. I’m certain children will get a kick out of this. It’s obvious that Rebecca Hubbard knows a lot about horses. I’d never thought about seeing things from a horse’s perspective, but it makes perfect sense when it comes straight from the horse’s mouth.

I could definitely see The Gift used as a stepping-stone when teaching children in a classroom setting, prior to beginning riding lessons or simply one on one at home. The illustrations are lovely and wonderful accompaniments to the story. I highly recommend The Gift!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

READ MORE ABOUT THE GIFT HERE