Man O'War


Walter Farley - 1962
    the book covers horse-breeding, training and racing.

Old Bones the Wonder Horse


Mildred Mastin Pace - 1955
    Old Bones, as he was affectionately called, came out of nowhere to win a Kentucky Derby and to run a hundred races before his retirement."

On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894


Laura Ingalls Wilder - 1962
    They heard that the soil there was rich and the crops were bountiful -- it was even called "the Land of the Big Red Apple." With hopes of beginning a new life, the Wilders made their way to the Ozarks of Missouri.During their journey, Laura kept a detailed diary of events: the cities they passed through, the travelers they encountered on the way, the changing countryside and the trials of an often difficult voyage. Laura's words, preserved in this book, reveal her inner thoughts as she traveled with her family in search of a new home in Mansfield, where Rose would spend her childhood, where Laura would write her Little House books, and where she and Almanzo would remain all the rest of their happy days together.

Rascal


Sterling North - 1963
    Rascal is only a baby when Sterling brings him home, but soon the two are best friends, doing everything together--until the spring day when everything suddenly changes.Rascal is a heartwarming boyhood memoir that continues to find its way into the hearts of readers fifty years later. This special anniversary edition includes the book's classic illustrations restored to their original splendor, as well as a letter from the author's daughter, and material from the illustrator's personal collection."Everyone should knock off work, sit beneath the nearest tree, and enjoy Rascal from cover to cover."—Chicago Tribune

National Velvet


Enid Bagnold - 1935
    The heroine's grit and determination, backed by the support of her eccentric and loving family, offer an inspiring example of the struggles and rewards of following a dream."The book is one that horse lovers of every age cannot fail to enjoy."--"The New York Times""Humorous, charming, National Velvet is a little masterpiece."--"Time""Put on your not-to-be-missed list."--"The New Yorker"

Billy and Blaze: A Boy and His Pony


C.W. Anderson - 1936
    Anderson.Billy was a little boy who “loved horses more than anything else in the world.” Imagine how happy he was when he got his very own pony for his birthday! From that day on, Billy was seldom seen without his new friend, Blaze. Riding through fields and woods, Billy and Blaze learned to trust and understand one another—and to jump over fences and fallen trees with ease. They were a great team, but were they good enough to win the gleaming silver cup at the Mason Horse Show? This is the first book in the classic Billy and Blaze series. Sensitive drawings and easy-to-read words capture the warmth and gentle understanding between a boy and his horse.

Helen Keller's Teacher


Margaret Davidson - 1965
    The true story of the dedicated woman, Anne Sullivan Macy (April 14, 1866 – October 20, 1936), originally from Tewksbury, Massachusetts, who became Helen Keller's inspirational teacher and lifelong friend.

My Friend Flicka


Mary O'Hara - 1941
    He loses saddle blankets and breaks reins...but then comes the worst news yet: a report card so bad that he has to repeat a grade. How can you tame the dreamy mind of a boy who stares out of the window instead of taking an exam? Enter Flicka, the chestnut filly with a wild spirit. Over the course of one magical summer, both will learn the meaning of responsibility, courage, and, ultimately, friendship.

Boy: Tales of Childhood


Roald Dahl - 1984
    From his years as a prankster at boarding school to his envious position as a chocolate tester for Cadbury's, Roald Dahl's boyhood was as full of excitement and the unexpected as are his world-famous, best-selling books. Packed with anecdotes—some funny, some painful, all interesting—this is a book that's sure to please.

The Silver Brumby


Elyne Mitchell - 1958
    Thowra, the magnificent silver stallion, is king of the brumbies. But he must defend his herd from the mighty horse, The Brolga, in the most savage of struggles. But that is not the only danger. Thowra needs all his speed and cunning to save his herd from capture by man. In a desperate chase through the mountains, it seems there is no longer anywhere for him to run to...

Battlecry Forever!


Joanna Campbell - 1992
    But the only horse Leslie wants is Battlecry, a racer everyone else has given up on as wild and untrainable. Leslie knows Battlecry is something more. Beneath his unpredictable behavior is a spirited horse who would give his all to win races again—for her. Finally Leslie's parents give Battlecry a chance to prove his worth. Leslie doesn't know that by entering Battlecry in a race, she'll risk losing him forever...

International Velvet


Bryan Forbes - 1978
    Sarah and her beloved horse Arizona Pie had set their sights on victory in the Olympic Games...but falling in love took Sarah by surprise...

Come On, Seabiscuit!


Ralph Moody - 1963
    Nevertheless, thousands of fans left behind their troubles that day to gather at the Pimlico racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, to cheer on Seabiscuit, the horse from the West�the people's horse with the oversized head and the stubby little legs. Seabiscuit was competing against War Admiral, winner of the Triple Crown, the three greatest races in the Thoroughbred world. Exploding from the start, by the far turn of the track the two champions were running neck and neck, neither giving an inch. Then Seabiscuit looked War Admiral squarely in the eye, snorted his trademark challenge, and powered away from the eastern victor...Seabiscuit was an unlikely hero. Considered lazy by his trainer, he was overraced, broken down, and in the lowest ranks of racehorses by the age of two. Then in 1936, old-time cowboy trainer Tom Smith�who saw something in Seabiscuit, despite the colt's reputation�convinced businessman Charles Howard to buy the horse. Howard did, for practically nothing, and hired jockey Jack "Red" Pollard to ride him. Smith and Pollard were as down-and-out as Seabiscuit at the time, but together the threesome made history!With great courage and stamina, and an even greater heart, Seabiscuit overcame injuries in the course of his career that would have killed a lesser horse, and in his four years of racing topped the Thoroughbred earnings record of his time. The story of Seabiscuit's life�now a major motion picture starring Tobey Maguire�is in turn thrilling, heartbreaking and incredibly inspiring.Ralph Moody, the second of six children, was born on December 16, 1898, in East Rochester, New Hampshire. In 1950, when he was fifty-two years old, Ralph enrolled in a short-story writing class. Encouraged by his teacher, he turned a class paper into a book, Little Britches, describing his childhood days living on a ranch in Colorado. Ralph wrote nineteen books, all based on his life. He died at age eighty-three in New England, at the home of his sister Elizabeth.Robert Riger was born in Manhattan in 1924 and graduated from Pratt Art Institute. His distinctive sepia sketches appeared in the first issue of Sports Illustrated in 1954 and became a regular and familiar feature in the magazine for many years afterward. In 1963 Robert joined ABC's Wide World of Sports, where he became a producer/director of many groundbreaking and award-winning programs. Among his prizes are nine Emmy Awards. Other children's titles illustrated by Robert include Ralph Moody's Riders of the Pony Express; Sequoyah: Leader of the Cherokees by Alice Marriott; and Wren by Marie Killilea. He died in 1995 in Huntington Beach, California.

Black Beauty


Anna Sewell - 1877
    But when circumstances change, he learns that not all humans are so kind. Passed from hand to hand, Black Beauty witnesses love and cruelty, wealth and poverty, friendship and hardship . . . Will the handsome horse ever find a happy and lasting home? Carefully retold in clear contemporary language, and presented with delightful illustrations, these favorite classic stories capture the heart and imagination of young readers. By retelling the story in a shorter, simpler form, these books become highly engaging for children, and the color illustrations help with both comprehension and interest level. Black Beauty is part of a collectible series that has strong gift appeal.

The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia


Esther Hautzig - 1968
    The Rudomin family has been arrested by the Russians. They are "capitalists' enemies of the people." Forced from their home and friends in Vilna, Poland, they are herded into crowded cattle cars. Their destination: the endless steppe of Siberia.For five years, Esther and her family live in exile, weeding potato fields and working in the mines, struggling for enough food and clothing to stay alive. Only the strength of family sustains them and gives them hope for the future.