A Horse for Kate

When I read the summary I just had to read this book. I've always enjoyed stories about children/teenagers who have a dream and a chance to get it. I would say this book is especially perfect for young girls. By reading it they can learn so much like the importance of values, actions, friendship, love for animals, and compassion. It's also a good book for young readers to read so they can become aware of some of the harshness in the world. I can promise you, you will not regret reading this book.

A Horse for Kate is the perfect book for middle school and tween girls who love horses. Beyond the usual horse themes ( friendship, cliques, competition and cooperation) in books for horse-loving girls, the author portrayed a more complex social world than is usually described. Issues of class, ethnicity and disability were interwoven in the story and deepened it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am sure my 10 year old daughter will too.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book for an honest review.

very enjoyable read. Kate is such a sweet kid, dealing with issues that seem like the end of the world to a 13 year old, like moving in the middle of the school year. She wants nothing more than to have a horse, but her parent's financial situation isn't great.

Any horse loving teen will love reading this book. An excellent story that I would have loved when I was a teen, and I still loved as an adult

I taught 6th grade Language Arts for 7 years and I love reading YA (Young Adult) fiction. This is a lovely, fun read for adults and young adults. Kate has a true passion for horses and after moving far from her friends, she wants a horse so badly. She finds one who doesn't seem to be well cared for and she believes it has been abandoned. She wants to make this horse her very own, but her parents really can't afford the expense of caring for a horse at the moment. Readers will enjoy following along with Kate and her friend, Tori, as they fight for a horse for Kate. I especially like the Christian aspects of the book and would love to get a copy of this book for my twelve-year-old granddaughter as she loves horses too. We give her a subscription to a horse magazine for young adults and she has plastered her walls with the posters in each issue. Parents can feel good about allowing their young teens to read this book. I rate this book 5 stars and would definitely purchase it for young readers.
I received a pdf version of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

What I Like: In the span of a short chapter book, the story covered many issues that kids ages 8-12 would surely face at school and at a home like being the new kid in a new school, making friends, mean kids, doing chores and parental rules. I think middle grade readers can truly relate to the language and character traits of both Kate and Tori.

The author skillfully blended in the dynamics of a household with an autistic child into the plot while not making it overpower her main storyline. Both of the girls in the story already have a faith based background and occasionally turn to prayer without being prompted to do so. They are good realistic role models for young readers.

What I Dislike: Non-horse enthusiasts may find some of the jargon a little confusing.

Overall Rating: Good

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is appropriate for all ages, but I think it would be especially well suited for early teen girls. I remember loving horses when I was younger and this book took me back to those feelings. I really liked Kate and her family. I thought that her parents were very loving and patient with Kate and Pete, especially when Kate continued to hold onto her dream of owning a horse. Tori was a wonderful best friend and I loved the time that the girls spent at the stables. The author did a fabulous job teaching about the proper care of horses in a natural way throughout the story. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

One of my girls loves horses and stories about them, so I was excited to read a book geared for her age group by a familiar author. I was pleased to find my expectations of an age-appropriate read were met, and even exceeded, by a strong spiritual thread woven throughout.

This book is told in third person, but mostly from Kate’s perspective. She is a very human young lady who struggles with the challenges that accompany moving to a new place, family hardships, and even her attitude. What I especially liked is that even when Kate gets a bit out of line in her words or actions, she doesn’t remain there long; her conscience and the Holy Spirit’s conviction bring her around. Kate frequently prays about whatever is troubling her, and when she feels she’s been selfish in those prayers, she confesses and prays about what she realizes to be the real problem. In spiritual matters, Kate is a good example for the girls likely reading her story.

The novel pacing is even and the prose and dialogue are all believable as coming from a young teen. The tension within the novel is both common to tweens and teens, but also age appropriate for younger readers. Will she make friends in her new school? Will she get the horse she so longs for? There is also a nice subplot involving Kate’s autistic brother. This is handled with sensitivity and empathy, giving girls a peek into the world of someone not very different from themselves, but facing a family challenge that can be very difficult at times.

The theme of friendship is also explored with some depth. Being there during times of need, encouraging each other, and keeping her word to her friend, even when it goes against her deepest desires, are all things Kate and her new friend Tori exhibit.

There is a lot of horse terminology but it’s explained well within the context of the book. Girls interested in horses and their equipment will enjoy learning new things or being immersed in a world that they dream about.

This fairly predictable story will appeal to kids in the recommended age group of 8-12, and even younger girls will likely enjoy it if a parent reads with them. And the lack of surprises, especially unpleasant ones, will be welcome to parents who might be understandably concerned about what their children are reading. There is almost nothing objectionable within these pages—there is one mention of a boy and whether he is considered “hot” or not, but that is the only thing I’d flag as possibly questionable. And while the conclusion may be a bit unrealistic, I’m going to attribute that to a young girl’s version of a “happily ever after” ending, especially given that there is no real romance in this story, which again, parents of this age group will likely appreciate.

The story will work well for girls interested in horses or who have moved to a new town recently. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to my friends who have young daughters interested in riding or caring for horses. Overall, this novel is a great “chapter book” for young readers just beginning to strike out into their own reading interests, and Mom and Dad won’t have to worry that they’ll run across any attitudes, actions, or other content that they might wish to shield their young readers from.