Crown Prince

September 15, 2012
It's time for the Dream Horse to die. It is. The Dream Horse is an archetype distressingly common in children's literature, spawning awful books like this one for generations of obsessed little riders. Young teen Sarah Wagner is a Talented Horseless Rider who, through the interventions of an Amazingly Kind Adult, is gifted with a choice of four horses just off the track. The one she picks, a gelding of remarkable, valuable breeding who never raced because he is so poorly behaved under saddle (a fantastic choice for a kid!), is immediately found to have a reversible medical condition (somehow missed by the track vets) that will made him tractable. A real, honest teenager would at this point immediately return the horse for one of the others--his racing career is presumably restored, and since she's only owned the horse one day and never ridden him, he's the equal to her of the others. But no. This is a Dream Horse. Our Heroine must throw temper tantrums until she can keep the horse; the adults, instead of counseling her toward appropriate moral behavior, applaud her Loyalty and Perseverance. There's also a Poor Little Rich Girl, a Stalwart Friend, an Irascible Groom and a Token Boy Rider. Despite the liberal use of tropes, far too much of the prose is unnecessary, laborious detail. Worse, it's first in a series. (Fiction. 10-13)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-Ever since she began riding, Sarah has dreamed of having a horse of her own. Through a number of fortuitous circumstances, she becomes the owner of a young thoroughbred on whom a race owner has given up. Her parents feel a great deal of trepidation about such a "green" horse, but Sarah's trainer at Bookmeade farm promises to work closely to bring Crown Prince along. The first book details their journey as Crown Prince adapts to his new life as an event horse and Sarah takes on the responsibility of helping him achieve his potential. Most of the other riders at the facility are supportive, but a few mean girls go out of their way to create problems for Sarah. Their jealousy and bad behavior escalate in the second book as Sarah and Crown Prince prepare for and participate in their first three-day event. Their actions almost end in tragedy for Sarah and her talented horse, but they triumph in the end. Sarah is a believable character with a great work ethic and determination. Her friends all have their own issues but rally around when needed. These books are solid reads for children who enjoy good stories that are authentic in their presentation of the intricacies of dealing with horses and the day-to-day lives of young equestrians as they develop their skills to compete.-Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA

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