Review - A Horse for Kate by Miralee Ferrell

208 pages; Pub. by David C. Cook; Amazon

I've had a slight cold for the last few days and the last thing I wanted to do was to read over the weekend, but that is exactly what I've been doing. Awhile back I had signed up to review Blue Ribbon Trail Ride by Mira lee Ferrell as part of a blog tour that kicks off later this week. The title is actually book four in a series, so the publishers kindly sent me the previous three books to read before reviewing it.

If you follow this blog, then you would already know that I do occasionally read children books, though normally the books are horror-related (like Goosebumps). This series is called Horse and Friends, and as you can see by the cover art, the books is written for a female audience or for anyone that loves horses. Despite the fact that I've never ridden a horse or ever care to, I thought I would give the books a try, and I would later give the books to my younger cousins.

Book one in the series is titled "A Horse for Kate," which centers on a young girl named Kate Ferris leaving her home after her father loses his job, and travels with her parents and younger brother to her late grandfather's farm to start a new life. The only upside to moving is that the farm is pretty big, big enough for a horse to live on. This is a plus for Kate as she has always wanted to own a horse, but sadly, her parents can't afford to buy one for her.

Adjusting to a new school is hard for every kid, but Kate is having a very difficult time trying to make new friends, though, a bit of luck goes her way and she befriends a Hispanic girl named Tori. While walking home one day from school, the two stumbles upon a female Thoroughbred horse (Capri) that has been starving. And of course the girls give the horse food. The girls are more than excited when the apply for a job at a local horse stables. They won't be paid in cash for doing chores, but instead they would be given riding lessons for free.

Kate is determined to do anything she can to get a horse of her own, well, most specifically, she wants to save Capri.

Final Thoughts

Like I already mentioned, I'm not into horses; however, I do like all animals, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to give this book a shot. At around 200 pages, A Horse for Kate is a fast read. The author does a great job crafting likable characters and gives a new spin on the "wanting a horse" plot. I was surprised that there was an autistic character (Kate's younger brother) in the story, but I also think it's a great way for kids to understand what "autistic" really means. Overall, A Horse for Kate was a surprisingly well-written read; though the title is written for younger readers, adults can enjoy it too.

*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.