Rate this book

Bell's Star (2009)

by Alison Hart(Favorite Author)

4.18 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0375852042 (ISBN13: 9780375852046)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Random House Books for Young Readers

series

Horse Diaries

review 1: As a fan of Ruth Sanderson's art, a friend suggested I might read a series of books written for children, and illustrted by Sanderson. This is the first one I have read, and I kind of liked it.I have an aversion to the fact that all the books about horsies seem to focus on the 'little girls love horses' and so I started out with a considerable bias there. More little girls and horsies. Hey, ya know, BOYS love horses too, you know. hrmf.This story twines the history and behavior of the Morgan horse breed, with the Historical era in which slaves were fleeing to Canada for freedom. A little girl whose best friend is a Morgan born on thier fam, finds a runaway slave who is her own age... and the adventure begins. I thought it was fairly well written, but you might want to read... more it with your child if they're very young, because it hints at some very dark issues of the time, without really explaining them- and kids have a way of turning vaguaries into nightmares. It has a VERY happy ending, and then a chapter about both the Bree of horse, the Morgan, and the situation of Slavery at that time in that place. That makes it much better, in my opinion!
review 2: The 5.5 X 7” size of this book and its format made me think it might be “slight” in several ways. I think this is a lovely book for young girls who love horses, but more than a horse book, BELL’S STAR is a work of historical fiction. Nicely told from the horse’s viewpoint (it took me a few pages to get used to that), readers will learn about runaway slaves in Vermont, 1835, and how one child’s courage can change the world. The horrors are hinted at, not dwelt upon, so this might be a good introduction to slave catchers etc. less

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