The Runaway Racehorse

A to Z Mysteries #18

by Ron Roy, John Steven Gurney (Illustrator)

Help Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose solve mysteries from A to Z!
 
Kids love collecting the entire alphabet and super editions! With over 8 million copies in print, the A to Z Mysteries® have been hooking chapter book readers on mysteries and reading for years. Now this classic kid favorite is back with a bright new look!
 
R is for Racehorse . . . And they’re off! The kids can’t wait to see Uncle Warren’s racehorse Whirlaway’s big event. But then the horse disappears. He shows up the next day, just in time to lose the race. Why is Whirlaway suddenly so slow? Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are on the case!


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Childrens, Chapter Books, Horses, Middle Grade, 2nd Grade

96 pages, Library Binding

First published October 1, 2002

About the author

Ron Roy has been writing books for children since 1974. He is the author of dozens of books, including the popular A to Z Mysteries®, Calendar Mysteries, and Capital Mysteries. When not working on a new book, Ron likes to teach tricks to his dog Pal, play poker with friends, travel, and read thrilling mystery books.

Reviews

[Corbin Billington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about three friends who are visiting Forest Evens, who owns a winning race horse. People begin to get fureous that Forest's horse, Whirlaway, is winning and a friend of Forest steals WHirlaway. Whirlaway just so happens to have a twin who is much slower than he is and the man who stole Whirlaway replaces him with a horse called Dancer in Forest's barn. Eventually the kids put there detective skills to the test and find Whirlaway. I ratd this book four out of five stars, because the author kept me guessing on possible outcomes and was not predictable. I would recommend this book to mainly young readers around twelve years old of either gender. This book really grabbed my interest and kept me on my toes with detailed descriptions and scenes.

[~Silv (ilpianetadeilibri) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Io ho bisogno di tornare alla mia infanzia e di avere amici come Dink, Josh e Rose col quale vivere avventure di questo tipo🥺

[Jasper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This A to Z Mystery book is a good book for 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders. This story is about a race horse named Whirlaway. Whirlaway is a fast horse. After being lost for a short time, Whirlaway returns but is no longer fast. The heroes of the story Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose, know that something is not right. Through good sleuthing, they figure out the mystery and save the day. It is a great introduction to chapter books for young readers who are ready to read longer stories. This book will be in my library for students that like this genre. I chose this book to read and review because my daughter read some of these fun mysteries when she was in the 3rd grade.

[Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Runaway Racehorse" was a good book that shows that kids can solve mysteries. The three kids Rose, Dink, and Josh go to their uncle's house to watch his horse race. The day before the race Whirlaway, the racehorse, gets out of the barn and runs away. Whirlaway comes back to the barn later that evening but she just seems different. Can the kids figure out what is different about Whirlaway?

I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to read a good book. This book is good for any ages. It is a short read but it has a lot of detail in it which makes it a great book for anyone.

[Blue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not terrible. Maybe even "not bad".

This book pulled in some previously used characters, which is good. I found it odd that Forrest would not take the pony from O but has a horse now.

I suppose I will give the next audio (s-v) a go.

This was Summer, and presumably the summer after the one in ), so one more year has passed. It is strange that the author has time moving so fast, especially without marking it at all and without many if any of the mysteries taking place during the school year/not breaks (which the grade levels/years would mark time).

[Edison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't like this book because It isn't very exciting because all the kids did was chase the horse.

[Kori Looker · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Runaway Racehorse is a story about a horse named Whirlaway that has gone missing. Three kids, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose, go out to solve the mystery of where Whirlaway has ran off to. They found Whirlaway with his mother eating hay. What they don't know is that it's actually not Whirlaway! The kids go the horse races to watch their friend Sunny who is a jockey. Sunny is the owner of Whirlaway. The race started and Whirlaway came in dead last, which is unusual because Whirlaway is one of the fastest horses out there. Sunny said, "It's as if I'm riding a totally different horse!" It was true! One of the other jockeys switched horses with Sunny without her knowing and used black shoe polish to cover up one of Whirlaway's white spots. I recommend this book to whoever likes mystery books. I couldn't figure out the mystery until the end, but I had an itch someone was messing with Sunny. The author of this book, Ron Roy, writes other mystery books like this one. If you like mysteries,check out some of Ron Roy's books.

[Dan Crist · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about one of the best race horses around, and its mysterious getaway the day of the race. Whirlaway is the best horse Forest ever had. Whirlaway is winning every race he has been in; but the day before the big race Whirlaway runs away. Ruth Rose, Josh, and Dink try to find Whirlaway before the race happens. I really enjoyed this book, because the author, Ron Roy, does a great job on leaving big enough clues during the book so the reader is not completely lost. This book is great for any age group. This book is really an easy read and a great book to pick up for someone who is looking for good mysteries.

[Nathan Burton · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Runaway Racehorse" is a good book about three young children. Dink the leader of the group, Ruth Rose the intelligence, and Josh the comic relief. They all go to Dink's uncle's house to watch Dink's Uncle Warren's race horse, Whirlaway, race. However, disaster strikes when Whirlaway goes missing from the barn. The kids have to try to find the horse and the master mind behind the horse knapping. I would recommend this book to someone in elementary school, because it was an easy reader, and I do not think it would be too hard for them to comprehend.

[Stephanie Butzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very cute book! I would recommend this book to elementary kids and middle school. Boys or girls would like this book. It has a great story line and keeps you reading. Readers want to find out where the "lost" racehorse went. The ending has a bit of a twist. The three kids in the story are so interested in racing, but they get very disappointed when their racehorse loses...Or does he?
Awesome short mystery!

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken]

Eleanor says: I like horses. They are one of my favorite animals. My mom is allergic to them. But she loves them too. In this story the kids get to meet a racehorse. When I am older I might want to be in the Kentucky Derby. This book was great. I liked when they solved the mystery. They figured out what was wrong with Whirlaway.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Dink Duncan, Josh Pinto, Ruth Rose Hathaway, and Ron Roy, for the childhood memories. These books helped me to become a lifelong reader and lover of mysteries. Thank you, John Steven Gurney, for another one of my favorite covers to come out of this series. The dark, foggy, gloomy atmosphere and the crazed horse galloping in the night pulled me right into this book. I can see the horse race across the cover and hear his hoofbeats and panting. I think after my mother introduced me to A-Z Mysteries, starting with The Vampire's Vacation, this was the next story I read because the cover drew me in.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josh, Dink, and Ruth Rose help solve the mystery of a racehorse named Whirlaway.
They are invited to Uncle Warren's friends' house to watch a horse race. While there they witness Whirlaway's odd behavior before, during and after the race. Whirlaway was a fast horse, but during the race he came in dead last. What caused his odd behavior? Was it the Jockey, Sunny? Was it nerves? Did something happen to him that spooked him? Read to find out. We were pleasantly surprised...okay, okay....I figured it out in chapter six, but my son and hubby figured it out later.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read these books when I was a kid and greatly enjoyed them, figured I'd give them a second read for kicks.

I certainly recommend any young mysteries fan devote time to this series, it's certainly a grand adventure for a young mind, the imagery of Ron Roy's words and his settings and unique character descriptions and personalities really help kids imagine a whole movie in their heads as they read each exciting page.

[Nam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew that wasn't Whirlaway, and what had happened to Dancer! I did get suspicious of Sunny though. Plus, I didn't know who had switched horses, so I guess my deductive reasoning could use a little work. All in all, I did enjoy this one better than a lot of others. I think that is because I adore animal storylines.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose travel to Larchmont, NY and Saratoga Springs, NY to watch Dink's uncle Warren, and Forrest Evans racehorse Whirlaway race at Saratoga Springs. On race day, something is amiss when Whirlaway reacts strange to his rider Sonny. The trio try and discover what could possible have happened to make the racehorse act this way.

[Elina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice book. But it doesn't matter if you lose or win. Yes you get a trophy. Makes me happy too. But if you cheated. Firstly there would be bad consequences very bad. And and 2nd because it won't be fair to the person in 2nd place because she/he is the actual winner because cheated. So in this book a person cheats to win a race his name is bunker. But why how when were. Read the book to find out.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whirlaway runs away and comes back with a rather changed aspect. What's wrong with the great racehorse? It's up to Ruth Rose, Dink and Josh to find the answers. Loved this one because it had horses and horse racing. Also, the mystery was interesting and not what you expect. Great fun all around!

[Amanda Schwind · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ending has the potential for so many additional pieces...
What about the negatives from Ruth Rose's pictures being developed or the sugar cube test with the replacement horse? Missed opportunities.

[Joyce T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

-- This is a series review. --

I love this series. The kids are solving real mysteries around their neighborhood (as opposed to their siblings), and they find out things that the adults couldn't.

-- End series review --

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

another mystery solved!

I was guessing someone switched horses but I didn’t know who until Ruth Rose pointed out Mr. Bunk.

Good little story with a twist and fortunately the kids were safe and everything turned out.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love horses.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always loved horse books. This is a good horse mystery.

[Mandy Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Josh, Dink and Rose head to see Uncle Warren's racehorse, but something just isn't right ... Quick and easy

[Tennyson McClelland · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was good

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the 2nd book in this series that I read with my son. We enjoyed this book better than the first. This was a book that he did not want to put down.

[Trista Berlemann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beginning level chapter book. Intriguing little mystery.

[Reese]

It was one of the hardest to solve.

[Vidyuth Gowtham · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Arnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

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