The Island Horse

February 15, 2012
Another misunderstood child. Another friendly stallion. Young Ellie, still grieving her mother's death, is unhappy when her father takes a new job on remote Sable Island. This sand-shifting "Graveyard of the Atlantic," 25 miles long and one mile wide, causes multiple shipwrecks each year, and Ellie's father is joining a group of government rescue workers there. Ellie doesn't want to leave home, but within a few days of reaching Sable Island she's made friends with a wild stallion there. A few days after that, the villagers are holding their annual wild-horse roundup. Terrified that her new friend will be sold, Ellie begs her father for help. He suggests she--at 9 years old--lead the wild stallion to the far end of the island. Ellie does, and the stallion is saved (at least until next year). Hughes does well describing the physical setting but struggles with the temporal aspect. The author's note says the book takes place in the early 1800s, but the story and characters feel more modern than that. It's also hard to find the point--that Ellie doesn't want to leave her home? that the stallion shouldn't be captured?--and the pacing is far too abrupt for the emotional changes to be believable. It's too bad, because Sable Island itself is fascinating. A few shipwrecks and less hand-wringing, and you'd have a good story. (Historical fiction. 7-10)

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April 1, 2012

Gr 3-5-After her mother dies, nine-year-old Ellie has to leave her beloved Nova Scotia home so that her father can take a job on isolated Sable Island. Even though he tries to reassure her by telling her about the wild horses there, Ellie is miserable about leaving the only place she has ever known. Just a few families live on the island in the early 1800s, and although there is a girl her age, she is reluctant to return Sarah's overtures of friendship. While her father is patrolling the coastline for ships in distress, Ellie starts to explore the area and discovers a small herd of horses. As she comes to know them, especially the stallion, some of her loneliness starts to fade, and when she finds out that they are in danger, she knows that she must act to save them and gets some unexpected help from Sarah. Accompanied by detailed, finely drawn black-and-white illustrations, this is a well-told, simple story that will keep young horse lovers interested because of the lure that surrounds the idea of living among wild horses. Ellie is a sympathetic character dealing with some difficult issues, and Sarah is a free-spirited creature like the wild horses themselves. The history of the island is subtly woven into the story, and an author's note provides additional background.-Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2012
Grades 3-5 For nine-year-old Ellie, still aching from the death of her mother, the good news that her father has found work is offset by the wrenching realization that they must leave their home near a Nova Scotia coastal village. Soon they arrive on Sable Island, a windswept, treeless place known for its wild ponies and for shipwrecks. There Ellie patiently watches a band of wild ponies and forms a bond with the stallion. When she learns of an upcoming roundup, she becomes determined to keep the ponies together on their island home. An appended author's note fills in background information on the island during the early 1800s, when the story takes place. Written with simplicity and clarity, this attractive chapter book features likable characters and a distinctive setting. Each of the 19 chapters opens with a small, inviting drawing. Printed in fairly large type, this quiet historical novel is accessible to a wide range of readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)