Today's read... Abby's Pony Love by Susan Count

Today's read slides into the ever-loved realm of horses and ponies. These type of books had plenty of readers, when I was a child, and I know several girls, who love to read them today. So, I'm going to take the leap and call it a more 'timeless' theme. This is the first book in the series with the second releasing...oh, in the next month or so. Five books, in total, should be released within 6-9 months. So once a young reader dives in, she/he doesn't have to wait long for the next adventure to appear.

ABBY'S PONY LOVE

Dream Pony Riders, #1

by Susan Count

Hastings Creations Group

Middle Grade Contemporary

133 pages

ages 7 to 12

When a girl falls in pony-love, she wants it to be forever.
Desperate to be near horses, a hopeful girl with no horse experience begs for a job at a stable. Then she falls in love with a beautiful but mischievous pony, only to have it bought by another family. Abby’s heart aches when her barn job becomes helping the new owner learn to ride the best pony ever. Can her faithful heart let go of what never belonged to her?

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MY TIDBITS

Pony love abounds in this down-to-earth tale of a girl's hard work and important life lessons.

Abby loves horses, but her family doesn't have the money to let her join a riding school or anything else, which gets near the animals. When she sees a flyer and a job opportunity at a stable, she's sure her dreams can now come true. The work is hard, but when Abby falls in love with a certain pony, Glory, life seems perfect...but there's a catch. Abby's family can't afford to buy Glory for her. When someone else purchases the pony, Abby's upset and is sure they aren't handling Glory correctly. And she's not sure what she can do to change that.

This is an easy-to-read, quick and engaging tale for horse lovers. It dives right into Abby's problems and has the reader caught up before she even arrives at the stable. Her determination and work-ethic is inspirational, and she's a kind person, who does make some mistakes, but is also able to grow from them. There's a wonderful sense of family and new forming friendships to round this off into a wholesome read.

The situations and characters are realistic and relatable. It gives the entire tale a familiar atmosphere and allows readers to sink right in. The horse aspects are well done, never over-simplify or talk down, but do give a good glimpse into stables, pony care and such, without drudging through details. Those, who dream of having their own horse (or do own one), will find themselves drawn in.

I do recommend this for horse fans ages 7 to 12 and believe that even reluctant readers won't feel overwhelmed.

And here she is...

Susan Count writes for the joy and entertainment of young readers. She is a best-selling, award-winning author of the Dream Horse Adventures Series, Dream Pony Riders Series, and Texas Boys Adventures.

She prefers to create stories in a quiet zone. Out her window, her mind wanders through the forest and keeps her in a grateful, contented state of being. She writes at a fabulous antique desk that has secret compartments filled with memories, mysteries, and story ideas. As a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and American Christian Fiction Writers, Susan takes studying the craft of writing seriously.

Susan confesses to being overly fond of brownies and horseback riding on forest trails. She is a lifelong equestrian and is owned by a Rocky Mountain Horse.

You are invited to saddle up and ride along. www.susancount.com

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