Annie Wedekind Book Title: A Horse of Her Own Publication Date: June 2008 Publisher: Feiwel & Friends ISBN: 0-312-36927-1 Author's Website: http://www.anniewedekind.com

Description of Book:

Fourteen-year-old Jane Ryan has always dreamed of having a horse of her own--but so long as she gets to ride her favorite school horse, Beau, at Sunny Acres farm, she's content. And this summer she means to try out for the advanced riding class.

But just as camp begins, Jane receives heartbreaking news about Beau. She loses not just her favorite horse, but also her chance to ride in the end-of-summer competition. When her trainer asks for her help with an out-of-control chestnut warmblood, Lancelot, a newcomer to the barn, Jane has no choice but to say yes.

There's another new addition to the farm: Ben Reyes, the grandson of the barn's manager. As Jane struggles to go on without Beau, and to make Lancelot the great horse she believes him to be, her feelings for Ben, her rocky relationships with the privileged group of girls she rides with, and her painful, joyous road to self-discovery all lead to a heart-pounding conclusion. Only Jane's faith in Lancelot, and her own rediscovered skill and strength, can see her through the hard journey toward a horse of her own. 

About the Author:

 

 

Annie Wedekind grew up riding horses in Louisville, Kentucky, at a farm very much like Sunny Acres. Since then, she's been in the saddle in every place she's lived, from Providence to New Orleans, South Africa to Brooklyn. This is her first book.

 

 

Excerpt:

 

 

Reviews:

KIRKUS (Starred Review) - Ever since her first riding lesson six years ago, 14-year-old Jane Ryan has wanted two things: acceptance from the clique of wealthy girls with whom she trains and a horse of her own, preferably Beau, the elderly school horse she understands completely. Over the course of six weeks of camp, Beau is sold out from under her, and she's given the difficult task of restoring Lancelot, a show horse belonging to one of the rich girls, to his former brilliance. Gradually Jane comes to see herself as adrift in the middle of a river of change; with grit and courage, she learns to paddle. Sensitive, sophisticated and lyrically written, Wedekind's debut portrays the typical teen struggle for self-awareness in an anything-but- typical fashion. Possibly the most honest horse book since National Velvet, from an equestrian point-of-view, this offering's riding scenes combine accuracy with seat-of-the- pants excitement. A champion. (Fiction. 10-15)