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Horses of Oak Valley Ranch #5
Star Horse
Gee Whiz is a striking horse, and only part of that is because of his size. He is tall, but also graceful. He keeps his eye on things, not as if he's suspicious, but as if he's curious. Abby is curious, too, about just how little of the world she has seen compared to those around her. Her brother receives a draft notice to Vietnam, her best friends return from their boarding school, and the wise, lovable Brother Abner opens her eyes with tales of his many years spent traveling. Then, her beloved horses Jack and True Blue are both offered opportunities to broaden their horizons away from the ranch. Will she let them go, with hopes that she might one day do the same?
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2013
20 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
About the author
Jane Smiley
134 books2,751 followersJane Smiley is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and graduated from John Burroughs School. She obtained a A.B. at Vassar College, then earned a M.F.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. While working towards her doctorate, she also spent a year studying in Iceland as a Fulbright Scholar. From 1981 to 1996, she taught at Iowa State University. Smiley published her first novel, Barn Blind, in 1980, and won a 1985 O. Henry Award for her short story "Lily", which was published in The Atlantic Monthly. Her best-selling A Thousand Acres, a story based on William Shakespeare's King Lear, received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992. It was adapted into a film of the same title in 1997. In 1995 she wrote her sole television script produced, for an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. Her novella The Age of Grief was made into the 2002 film The Secret Lives of Dentists.
Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel (2005), is a non-fiction meditation on the history and the nature of the novel, somewhat in the tradition of E. M. Forster's seminal Aspects of the Novel, that roams from eleventh century Japan's Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji to twenty-first century Americans chick lit.
In 2001, Smiley was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and graduated from John Burroughs School. She obtained a A.B. at Vassar College, then earned a M.F.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. While working towards her doctorate, she also spent a year studying in Iceland as a Fulbright Scholar. From 1981 to 1996, she taught at Iowa State University. Smiley published her first novel, Barn Blind, in 1980, and won a 1985 O. Henry Award for her short story "Lily", which was published in The Atlantic Monthly. Her best-selling A Thousand Acres, a story based on William Shakespeare's King Lear, received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992. It was adapted into a film of the same title in 1997. In 1995 she wrote her sole television script produced, for an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. Her novella The Age of Grief was made into the 2002 film The Secret Lives of Dentists.
Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel (2005), is a non-fiction meditation on the history and the nature of the novel, somewhat in the tradition of E. M. Forster's seminal Aspects of the Novel, that roams from eleventh century Japan's Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji to twenty-first century Americans chick lit.
In 2001, Smiley was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 3, 2013
I've read all five of these books with pleasure though some of my book friends seem to object to them on the grounds that 1) Jane Smiley is really a grownup writer; 2) they're set in the 1970s which is cheating because she isn't doing research into modern children; and 3) they're not very dramatic.
But Jane Smiley actually does a very good job of writing for children here; she doesn't write down at all and her prose is delightfully transparent. The best part for me is the horses themselves; Smiley's different horse-characters have the most interesting, developed and varied personalities in the books! Abby, the main character and narrator, knows almost everything about horses and riding and her interpretations of her horses' behavior are convincing and riveting, her explanations of the riding scene and different kinds of riders are precise, concise and just wonderful (for example when Abby's riding teacher say that usually you want a horse at a riding school to be boring but this particular horse is good because he can adapt to different styles of learners--in this case "the nervous and the pushy" styles.) Apparently Jane Smiley is quite a horsewoman herself and she writes about this world with the easy assurance that probably also characterizes her riding. The lovely pen-and-ink illustrations of bridles, haystacks and other object associated with the story add to the pleasure of learning about horses etc. and evoke the great Garth Williams.
I personally enjoy the 1970s references because they're so well chosen, and because I grew up in the age of Twister, draft dodgers going to Canada, the Stones "Paint it Black" being released, etc.
As for not being interesting, I'm a little sick of the dramatic problem novels and there is a heart to this story beyond the setting: Abby's frail, elderly friend Brother Abner from church sparks her curiosity about the great world outside her own by telling her of his adventures and dies soon after. (That's another thing I like about the books; Abby's family is born again and they are portrayed sympathetically but not fawningly. I can't think of another contemporary series that succeeds in walking this particular tightrope.) In Abby's reaction to Abner's death, clearly Smiley is planting the seeds for the next book--I'm sure Abby will be going out into the great world herself. I look forward to it.
But Jane Smiley actually does a very good job of writing for children here; she doesn't write down at all and her prose is delightfully transparent. The best part for me is the horses themselves; Smiley's different horse-characters have the most interesting, developed and varied personalities in the books! Abby, the main character and narrator, knows almost everything about horses and riding and her interpretations of her horses' behavior are convincing and riveting, her explanations of the riding scene and different kinds of riders are precise, concise and just wonderful (for example when Abby's riding teacher say that usually you want a horse at a riding school to be boring but this particular horse is good because he can adapt to different styles of learners--in this case "the nervous and the pushy" styles.) Apparently Jane Smiley is quite a horsewoman herself and she writes about this world with the easy assurance that probably also characterizes her riding. The lovely pen-and-ink illustrations of bridles, haystacks and other object associated with the story add to the pleasure of learning about horses etc. and evoke the great Garth Williams.
I personally enjoy the 1970s references because they're so well chosen, and because I grew up in the age of Twister, draft dodgers going to Canada, the Stones "Paint it Black" being released, etc.
As for not being interesting, I'm a little sick of the dramatic problem novels and there is a heart to this story beyond the setting: Abby's frail, elderly friend Brother Abner from church sparks her curiosity about the great world outside her own by telling her of his adventures and dies soon after. (That's another thing I like about the books; Abby's family is born again and they are portrayed sympathetically but not fawningly. I can't think of another contemporary series that succeeds in walking this particular tightrope.) In Abby's reaction to Abner's death, clearly Smiley is planting the seeds for the next book--I'm sure Abby will be going out into the great world herself. I look forward to it.
February 2, 2021
Delightful. Hoping for another book in this series. The subtle life lessons and true horsemanship depictions --and those fabulous horses! make reading this story pure pleasure .
May 3, 2021
Delightful. YA series
In THE HORSES OF OAK VALLEY RANCH, Jane Smiley gives young readers a glimpse into the life of a strict Evangelical family in 1960's California. The protagonist, Abby Platt, is endearing and intelligent- and one he'll of a good horse woman, easily overshadowing her self a righteous and limited ( but not hopeless) father.
While TRUE BLUE did not equal the other installments in quality, the series was enjoyable overall.
I look forward to exp!doing more of Emily's young adult fiction as well as more of her adult works.
In THE HORSES OF OAK VALLEY RANCH, Jane Smiley gives young readers a glimpse into the life of a strict Evangelical family in 1960's California. The protagonist, Abby Platt, is endearing and intelligent- and one he'll of a good horse woman, easily overshadowing her self a righteous and limited ( but not hopeless) father.
While TRUE BLUE did not equal the other installments in quality, the series was enjoyable overall.
I look forward to exp!doing more of Emily's young adult fiction as well as more of her adult works.
Read
March 2, 2023Although Gee Whiz is introduced in this book, more of the story seemed to center on Jack and Blue. Another enjoyable tale, quieter than others in the series with no large drama, at least as far as the horses are concerned, but enough events to keep it interesting. I would love to see additional titles in the series, and at least follow Abby through her high school career, but I don't know that any additional titles are planned.
December 22, 2018
The saga of Abby and her family and all the horses of Oak Valley Ranch continues with the arrival of Gee Whiz, a Thoroughbred recently retired from a racing career.
I love all of these books. They let me revisit my 10-year-old self, when my love of horses was pure and consuming, and life hadn't yet become so complicated.
I love all of these books. They let me revisit my 10-year-old self, when my love of horses was pure and consuming, and life hadn't yet become so complicated.
March 29, 2019
Much better than most of the horse books that are written for young people now. The book has a lot about horses, but is also about the main character's (Abby's) life, her family and friends, and her church. The series is set in the 70's and Abby is a hard-working, independent sort, and there is no drama here!
April 24, 2023
I'm knocking all these books down to three stars. As horse books, they're great, but I was much more interested in what Abby thought of Danny going to war, or how she felt about her family's nutty religion, and we literally never got any of that. It was very, very frustrating.
August 12, 2017
It is very good 😊 I love it I could fead it forever and not get bored
April 13, 2018
good book but need to work on the ending a little more
December 5, 2024
This book makes Free Rein look like a masterpiece.
May 8, 2014
A free copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is difficult for me to review, mainly because parts of it are good and other parts of it could be good, but there are so many formatting issues, and probably a few editing ones, that it makes the book really difficult to read. For one, the Kindle edition I received had endless paragraphs of text without any spaces between the words - difficult to read and a bit of a headache that I wasn't looking for. In terms of the plotline and characters, I definitely felt like the second half of the novel really picked up the pace and so enjoyed that more than the first half and wished that the whole novel had been like that. I did end up really confused though as to who all the characters were and what their relationships to each other were and the same with the horses. Sometimes it felt like there was just endless lists of names being presented to you, especially in scenes where the lineages of the horses were discussed. It was also a bit confusing considering I didn't actually register what the main character Abby's name was until the fifth chapter. I also felt that some of the details about the horses and how Abby's family stables worked was a bit beyond my comprehension as a reader. I used to love books about horses, but I'm too much of an amateur when it comes to horses and riding to keep up with all the technical aspects of the book.
Where this story really comes to life is when Gee Whiz - the 'star horse' of the title - comes into the scene, and I did become really involved in his and Abby's story and their bond. What I did wish when reading this book though, was that he had entered the story a little earlier because then I would have been completely engaged the whole way through.
A promising plot and second half of this story which is let down by poor formatting and a slow start. 2 stars.
This book is difficult for me to review, mainly because parts of it are good and other parts of it could be good, but there are so many formatting issues, and probably a few editing ones, that it makes the book really difficult to read. For one, the Kindle edition I received had endless paragraphs of text without any spaces between the words - difficult to read and a bit of a headache that I wasn't looking for. In terms of the plotline and characters, I definitely felt like the second half of the novel really picked up the pace and so enjoyed that more than the first half and wished that the whole novel had been like that. I did end up really confused though as to who all the characters were and what their relationships to each other were and the same with the horses. Sometimes it felt like there was just endless lists of names being presented to you, especially in scenes where the lineages of the horses were discussed. It was also a bit confusing considering I didn't actually register what the main character Abby's name was until the fifth chapter. I also felt that some of the details about the horses and how Abby's family stables worked was a bit beyond my comprehension as a reader. I used to love books about horses, but I'm too much of an amateur when it comes to horses and riding to keep up with all the technical aspects of the book.
Where this story really comes to life is when Gee Whiz - the 'star horse' of the title - comes into the scene, and I did become really involved in his and Abby's story and their bond. What I did wish when reading this book though, was that he had entered the story a little earlier because then I would have been completely engaged the whole way through.
A promising plot and second half of this story which is let down by poor formatting and a slow start. 2 stars.
Read
October 25, 2013I can pretty honestly say that this might be the only children's/young adult series I would still read if I weren't a children's librarian! This series, by the always reliable author, Jane Smiley, is the perfect antidote to Canterwood Crest, Thoroughbred, etc...all of which contain preposterous horse/barn situations coupled with the usual one-dimentional (either all-bitchy or all-good) teenage girls. Abby, the main character, is about as appealing as they come and completely believable as she navigates middle and high school - not a piece of cake, but certainly not the absolute hell most writers would have us believe exists for every kid out there (granted this series takes place in the 70's before "frenemies" and "cyber bullying" were part of the venacular :). And more importantly, Jane Smiley is an actual rider who lives on a ranch and who grew up riding and training horses. Her descriptions of the riding/training life are spot-on and I have actually learned a lot. As a matter of fact, that may be the only weakness of this series - if you're not a rider yourself or else really, really interested in horses, much of it may be lost on you and will probably seem very boring. But if you're familiar with the riding life, it will not disappoint!
This is the perfect series to recommend to your horse-loving patrons, you Northern County librarians, if you haven't already.
This is the perfect series to recommend to your horse-loving patrons, you Northern County librarians, if you haven't already.
April 7, 2022
Re-read.
I just love this entire series, I love Abby and her family and how realistic they are and I love the horses and everything that goes with them.
I could honestly keep reading new books in this series forever. I see that the author has written the first in a spin off series about Ellen a younger girl who Abby gives riding lessons too and need to pick that up.
But I am ever hopeful for more books in this series, I need more Gee Whiz in my life!
Also, although this book does feature religion quite a bit and Abby's parents are very religious, I never felt that it was pushy about it. It was just there and I had no issues with that.
I just love this entire series, I love Abby and her family and how realistic they are and I love the horses and everything that goes with them.
I could honestly keep reading new books in this series forever. I see that the author has written the first in a spin off series about Ellen a younger girl who Abby gives riding lessons too and need to pick that up.
But I am ever hopeful for more books in this series, I need more Gee Whiz in my life!
Also, although this book does feature religion quite a bit and Abby's parents are very religious, I never felt that it was pushy about it. It was just there and I had no issues with that.
May 5, 2017
I feel like this book was 45% about the family's religion, 40% about horses, 10% about the Vietnam War draft and 5% about friendship. I would have called it Brother Abner's friend has horses, but even that gets screwed up without a satisfying ending.
Maybe I need to know more about raising horses to sell on order to enjoy this story. I can't imagine raising anything to just give it away.
Also the book is called Gee Whiz, and he probably gets the least amount of story time of any of the horses.
Then ending left me confused. Probably because I don't understand the horse selling stuff, but I wasn't even sure if she kept or sold Blue.
Maybe I need to know more about raising horses to sell on order to enjoy this story. I can't imagine raising anything to just give it away.
Also the book is called Gee Whiz, and he probably gets the least amount of story time of any of the horses.
Then ending left me confused. Probably because I don't understand the horse selling stuff, but I wasn't even sure if she kept or sold Blue.
April 14, 2014
I wish this wasn't the fifth in the Oak Valley Ranch series and the first one I've ever read but it was chosen for me by my 4-year-old granddaughter and she doesn't recognize that OCD part of my personality. I have read a few of Jane Smiley's adult novels and liked them, and this is a good, good series especially for any teenage, horse-loving girls.
November 29, 2013
Good Coastal California horse story; fifth in the series. It was involving nice people, who seemed reasonable. I read #1 and the style, plot and character development were very smooth
December 18, 2013
Part of a series but it can stand alone. Recommended for horse lovers of all ages.
September 3, 2019
Abby sends her thoroughbred off for training and receives a retired race horse by way of her brother. I love how the horses are characters as much as the people are.
May 10, 2014
It was a book my granddaughter shared with me. I enjoyed it.
November 5, 2016
I was real impress with jane smiley's writing. I liked all of the series that she wrote. Jane wrote each series that at any age could understand about horses even if never had horses. Jane not only wrote about horse it was about a normal girl that went to school and bring raised on a farm. not that jane told about her family values when it came to religion. I would recommend it to anyone at any age.
May 15, 2019
I absolutely loved this book!! Really felt like I was there with so much detail... I NEED MORE!!_
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews