horsesforlife

     Has the simple love of an animal ever smoothed a sad sensation, brought joy and hope to a flickering life?  Like Touching Wild Horses, the book of the A Horse Called Wonder, evokes the healing power of horses.  Joanna Campbell wrote the first book in her series called Thoroughbred in 1991.  It embraces themes such as moving to a new place, the loss accompanying that move, and the power of an individual to change destiny.   The young character loses her horse, her farm and her way of life to a deadly equine illness.  As a result, her family moves to racing farm, where her parents will work.  Ashleigh struggles with the emotional turmoil, befriending a young newborn filly named Wonder.

Children’s Rating: 4 out 5 stars.  The themes are very relatable to young children. The intended audience is children, so that naturally makes since.  Written simply, and clearly, the book will be a hit for any young horse lover.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.  On the down side of that spectrum, the book entertains a classic plot, where a character grows because of her passion, love, and compassion.   In turn, she achieves her goals.  Adult readers will be content with the book, but will miss the more adult elements.