Pebblehoof

by Jason Black, Nathan Everett (Design)

Ten-year-old Maria Browning, the American-born daughter of German immigrants, never asked to be dragged from her friends in Chicago to the tallgrass prairie of the Nebraska Territory. Yet in the spring of 1863 that’s exactly where she finds herself—working hard to eke out a life with her family on the 160 acres Uncle Sam has promised them, should they last the requisite five years. She isn’t alone for long. A wild prairie horse becomes her unexpected friend in the sea of grass surrounding the family’s Platte River homestead. But a young girl, riding alone through the wilds, without so much as a saddle? Her parents surely wouldn’t approve, if they knew. What neither Maria nor her parents know is that corrupt railroad boss Silas Seymour has a greedy eye of his own on the Browning’s idyllic stretch of riverfront. Soon the family is beset by a dirty-tricks campaign to drive them and their neighbors off the land they've worked so hard to make their own. Amid several near calamities, Maria discovers she and Pebblehoof hold the key to upsetting Seymour’s nefarious plans—if only she can find a way to defy the most powerful man in the territory.

218 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

Reviews

[Norma Nill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put Pebblehoof down. Its endearing characters include ten-year-old Maria and her family, who emigrated from Germany and are homesteading the land. Realistic conflicts unfold around the coming of the railroad to Nebraska.

Not just for girls! The unrelenting pace of the story, driven by the challenges of life in the 1860s, will also captivate boys. I was actually sorry to see the book end. Definitely a good read for adults as well as middle grades and up. Caution for parents: the book includes a couple of swear words (which I plan to omit when reading to kids.) Nathan Everett's graphics at chapter beginnings and between scenes add to the ambiance, and I appreciated the Author's Notes at the end about the real places and people in the story.

I gave this book to an 11-year-old girl. To see her thank you artwork, go to http://normanill.com/write-thank-note...

[Pam Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the first page I was drawn into Maria's new life on the prairie. It has been a very long time since I have had a historical fiction resonate with me in the same way that Laura Ingalls Wilder books did. I have never forgotten the descriptions of everyday tasks in Laura's world, the pig bladder, cutting sod and planting vegetables. When Black told about Maria making soap with her mother, I found myself transported again to a time before supermarkets, details so vivid I could almost smell the lye. That said, I think the underlying theme is about finding where you belong in a new place. Maria is taken from everything she knows, but finds a new friend and ultimately home.

See complete review on soimfifty.blogspot.com.

[Chelly Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a lot like Little House on the Prairie, but it has a lot more to do with horses. It is an ideal read for middle-grade girls who love horses.