The Island Horse

This story I am excited about - although I'm not personally a fan of historical fiction. It's exactly the kind of middle grade story I'm looking for - an attractive cover (yes, horses are still popular), a good story that doesn't depend on flashy action, gross-out gore, or whiny brat kids to move the plot, and above all it's a tidy 160 pages, not a 400 page tome that will discourage young readers from even trying.

Set in the early 1800s, it's the story of a girl named Ellie who lives on the coast of Nova Scotia. She's gradually recovering from the death of her beloved mother but then her father gets a job. It requires them to move from the home she's always known, from her close friend Lizzie, from school, and from her mother's grave. show more They will go to a lonely island, little more than a spit of sand, far away in the ocean where her father will join the men who patrol the shores for shipwrecks and try to save sailors. At first, Ellie is overwhelmed by loneliness and loss, but gradually she comes to see the beauty of the island as she forms a friendship with a wild stallion and a wild island girl. With her father and new friend's help, can she save the stallion from the roundup - and make Sable Island her home?

Two minor quibbles - there's a typo on page 9, not what I expect from Kids Can Press! For younger readers, I think the flashback section on pg 62 should have been set aside or italicized in some way to make it easier to follow the story. However, these are minor details. The story isn't as fast-paced as most fare for "reluctant readers" but that's not the target audience of this book, at least in my mind.

I would hand this beautiful, heartfelt story to kids who really want to read more serious fiction or historical fiction, but can't handle the massive tomes publishers are dumping on their age group. The language is spare but perfectly conveys Ellie's emotions and the wonder and beauty of the island. It's hard to pick a particular spot, but page 68 has some lovely examples: "She stretched out her arms. Turned them this way and that, making dipping shadows, too. And then, without deciding to, she began walking. She walked so she wouldn't have to stay in any one place. So she would not have to be here." The author's note includes some background information on her own interest in horses and the historical context of the story. Alicia Quist's delicate black and white illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to Hughes' starkly emotional text.

Verdict: This isn't going to be a bestseller, but will find a solid group of readership. Hand this one to kids who like historical fiction and beautiful language and a story that's a little different than the usual plots. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781554535927; Published March 2012 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab Associates; Purchased for the library show less

This is definitely a book for anyone who loves horses, or historical fiction. There are so many themes here; moving on when things get tough, moving past loss and grief, facing hardships, and most importantly, friendship. Ellie was a very believable character. You could see and understand her feelings. I don’t think I would have wanted to leave the only home I’d ever known, especially if my mother had been buried there. I enjoyed learning about Sable Island. I had never heard of it and so learning some history is always a good thing for me. I look forward to passing this on to students who will really enjoy this book.

Author: Susan Hughes
Published by: Kids Can Press
Age Recommended: 7-10 years
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 5

Review:

"The Island Horse" by Susan Hughes was a wonderful Children's book about horses and historical fiction. This novel will be dealing with tough decisions, moving pass loss and grief...along with tought hardships and friendships. We find that Ellie has lost her mother and her father is now having to leave Scota to find a more stable job on the Sable Island. Now, Ellie will have to leave her mom's resting place along with her friends. After arriving in Stable Ellie awakens to find she is looking at a wild stallion and she befriends it only to find out later it could be taken from it's home, its herd and show more Ellie. What will come of this? Will Ellie loose the island horse she has named Orchid too?

"The Island Horse" is about the "about loss, love, friendship and findling strength through it all." Also, there will be some history of Sable Island and its struggles of living on a very dangerous place. Will Ellie be able to make friends? Now, this is when I say you must pick up "The Island Horse" to find out what the author has for the reader. In your read the scenery, characters come together of so well making you seem like you are there. The book cover is beautiful display only adding to what is between the covers.

If you love horses or historical fiction...then I would recommend "The Island Horse" for you. show less

From Inside Jacket: Ellie Believes she will live in her little village on the coast of Scotia for always. But when her father gets a job on Sable Island, she must say farewell to her beloved home and her mother’s final resting place. Not even the idea of seeing wild horses that roam the island can ease the pain of leaving. And after arriving on the sandy, windswept crescent of island, Ellie feels adrift and alone . . . until one afternoon when she awakens on a dune to find herself looking into the curious eyes of a wild stallion. Little by little, as the days pass, Ellie gets closer to the beautiful chocolate-colored horse. Yet she soon discovers something that could take him away from his home, his herd and her. Ellie has lost so show more much already. Will she lose her island horse, too?

Ellie is a happy child, given she has recently lost her ma to a fatal illness. She had returned to school, where she sees her friend Lizzie every day while walking to and from school. Ellie lives in a little house she believes she will live in forever and ever. Pa has been unemployed since giving up his good job on the docks, to spend time with his wife, those last precious months of her life. Pa could not get his good paying job back at the docks, or anywhere else. No one was hiring. Then one day, Pa arrived home with a letter containing a job offer.

“Ellie, we’ll be alright! I have been offered a job. A good job!”

The job takes Pa and Ellie to Sable Island, 100 miles off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the rescue station on Sable Island, Pa would help other stationed men rescue occupants of shipwrecks, off the island’s coast. It is a dangerous job, on a non-habitable island, made of sand and marram grass. There were wild horses, surviving by eating the deeply rooted grass and by using their hoof to dig for fresh water in the sand. Ellie is not happy. She loves watching the wild horses, but nothing else. Nothing. No formal school exists, and no trees can grow, nor much plant life. Yet, the people survived, saved countless lives, and, at least while Ellie was there, were nice, jovial people, who cared for one another.

Ellie loves horses. She has become adept at drawing horses from all angles and wanted to see a wild horse, though she knew that was only a dream, living in her village. Her dream became vividly real when a big, strong stallion approached. A few days later, the stallion gently accepted an apple from Ellie’s out-stretched hand. She went to the same spot as often as she could and the stallion would appear. They gazed into each other’s eyes, but Ellie thought better it best not to touch him. She names him Orchid, her Ma’s favorite flower. Where Orchid went, his little herd followed. All seems too good to be true and like all good stories, something bad interrupts. And so, it is with The Island Horse. Ellie must save Orchid and his herd; she must, to save herself. The question is . . . can she?

I enjoyed the story. At first, there is small angst and that only raises minimal amounts for the better part of the book. Life on the island is not and never will be home to Ellie. She fights its pull every day, and it shows in her attitude and her behavior, especially to one possible friend her age. Meanwhile, Pa is thrilled with his job, the island, and his new home at station two. If you like horses even a teensiest bit, you will love this story. If horses are okay, as they are for me, you’ll like this story. Should you could not care less about horses, find another book—unless you like well-written stories, wonderful plot lines, that do not waver, exciting endings, and a fairly fast read at 153 pages, not including interesting facts about Sable Island’s history. The character’s are from the author’s imagination. The rescue jobs, stations, shipwrecks and wild horses are all-true and seem well-researched.

I like how the author pre-shadows all that is to comes, if one pays close attention. I did not on my first read, and immensely enjoyed the story as it picked up in the second half. On second reading, I caught a few, (possibly?) unintentional clues, which made me wonder and think, yet unable to guess correctly.

Illustrations appear on each chapter’s first page. I simply liked each one. The text kept visions of the island in my head, still today. Vividly detailed, it is easy to see much of the story, Sable Island and Orchid in particular. Such characters deserve a new story. If The Island Horse should become a series, stay here for more information.

Received boom from the publisher, Kids Can Press.
Originally reviewed at Kid Lit Reviews http://kid-lit-reviews.com/2012/05/28/the-island-horse-by-susan-hughes/ show less

Good historical fiction and an appealing story that horse lovers will especially appreciate.