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Horse Girl #2
Horse Camp
YEE-HAW! Willa is back in this standalone sequel to Horse Girl. This time, she tackles summer camp, new and old frenemies, and worst yet: a horse that's mysteriously gone missing.
Seventh-grader Willa is head-over-hooves when she finds a secret note inviting her to Juniper Ranch—a sleepaway camp that’s all about horses. The camp promises trail rides, horseback swims, and “ghorst” stories, plus tons of new horse-girl and (gasp!) horse-boy friends. Even better? Willa’s pals from Oakwood Riding Academy—including her sworn frenemy, Amara—are all coming along for the fun.
But when Willa makes a dangerous mistake and a beloved steed goes missing, everyone at Juniper Ranch is suddenly a suspect. Wills isn’t sure who to trust (including herself) as she tries to figure out who’s behind the mysterious horse napping. And where they might be lurking. And just how she’ll save her “forever herd” before a frightening storm rolls into camp. Gulp!
Seventh-grader Willa is head-over-hooves when she finds a secret note inviting her to Juniper Ranch—a sleepaway camp that’s all about horses. The camp promises trail rides, horseback swims, and “ghorst” stories, plus tons of new horse-girl and (gasp!) horse-boy friends. Even better? Willa’s pals from Oakwood Riding Academy—including her sworn frenemy, Amara—are all coming along for the fun.
But when Willa makes a dangerous mistake and a beloved steed goes missing, everyone at Juniper Ranch is suddenly a suspect. Wills isn’t sure who to trust (including herself) as she tries to figure out who’s behind the mysterious horse napping. And where they might be lurking. And just how she’ll save her “forever herd” before a frightening storm rolls into camp. Gulp!
256 pages, Hardcover
Published May 13, 2025
15 people are currently reading
2162 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 19, 2025
This book may be meant for middle grade readers (and probably horse crazy girls), but as a horse crazy adult this mystery actually kept me guessing! The plot in here is actually very satisfying. It gives tons of clues but then you have to decide what is going on in here about the missing horse named Silver Streak. And while I had guessed part of it right (a small part) the main part I had been totally wrong about!
And this is supposed to be a kid's mystery!
I should admit at the very beginning of the book I did find Willa (Wills) very annoying. That made me feel a tad uncertain about this story but I kept reading and then she had settled down. I hadn't cared for her slang language or how hyper she was. Many words were written entirely in capital letters. I guess it was enthusiasm. But once she got to camp any annoyance I had with her vanished. Either I had gotten used to her by then or else she had mellowed out a bit. No matter which it was I got hooked on the story.
More importantly I actually found myself invested in trying to figure out what had happened to Silver Streak (who is a very expensive horse that belongs to Wills' friend Amara) and who was responsible. All sorts of ideas were going through my head and I was even talking a bit to Wills. It seems a long time since I've been this excited about a book!!
Lots of different characters in here and there was no confusion about who is who. There is danger, excitement, sneaking around in the camp after dark and breaking rules.
Of course there are lots of horses in here too. Trail rides and riding horses in water too.
The overall message in here is friends stick together like a herd.
And this is supposed to be a kid's mystery!
I should admit at the very beginning of the book I did find Willa (Wills) very annoying. That made me feel a tad uncertain about this story but I kept reading and then she had settled down. I hadn't cared for her slang language or how hyper she was. Many words were written entirely in capital letters. I guess it was enthusiasm. But once she got to camp any annoyance I had with her vanished. Either I had gotten used to her by then or else she had mellowed out a bit. No matter which it was I got hooked on the story.
More importantly I actually found myself invested in trying to figure out what had happened to Silver Streak (who is a very expensive horse that belongs to Wills' friend Amara) and who was responsible. All sorts of ideas were going through my head and I was even talking a bit to Wills. It seems a long time since I've been this excited about a book!!
Lots of different characters in here and there was no confusion about who is who. There is danger, excitement, sneaking around in the camp after dark and breaking rules.
Of course there are lots of horses in here too. Trail rides and riding horses in water too.
The overall message in here is friends stick together like a herd.
October 27, 2025
once again, such a fun read despite being for a middle grade audience. really fuels my desires to work at a horse camp for a summer haha - willa and her friends are really out here living my dreams
- nora and her aussie slang was so funny as an aussie (v stereotypical/dont think we really say some of those things!)
- once again, i enjoyed the footnotes - and even learned some things! like that horses have one of the largest eyes of any land mammal but struggle with depth perception and can startle easy due to this combined with being well attuned to movements
- all the supportive adults in willa’s life (nora and her parents!) “most of all, the memories you’re making. this is what it’s all about”, the friendship bracelet with ‘grit’ on it - the letter from her parents really made me emotional haha
- willa’s t-shirts - especially the taylor swift one!! ‘tail-or swift fan club - shake it off’
- nora and her aussie slang was so funny as an aussie (v stereotypical/dont think we really say some of those things!)
- once again, i enjoyed the footnotes - and even learned some things! like that horses have one of the largest eyes of any land mammal but struggle with depth perception and can startle easy due to this combined with being well attuned to movements
- all the supportive adults in willa’s life (nora and her parents!) “most of all, the memories you’re making. this is what it’s all about”, the friendship bracelet with ‘grit’ on it - the letter from her parents really made me emotional haha
- willa’s t-shirts - especially the taylor swift one!! ‘tail-or swift fan club - shake it off’
January 17, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Wills and her friends are devastated that their Oakwood stables in Nebraska have to close for the summer, but the triplets (Gwyneth, Everleigh, and Noel) use this opportunity to apply for the Juniper Ranch summer camp in Colorado. Amara, Wills' sometimes enemy, sometimes friend, also is planning on attending. Wills, whose mother is an Air Force pilot, can't go because of lack of funds, but at the last minute is awarded a scholarship. All of the girls are off to camp, and end up in the same cabin. Wills manages to irritate Amara by falling asleep on her bunk and messing with her phone, but Amara seems on edge even before this incident. Amara's step brother, Pasquale, is also at the camp, and Wills runs into him in the barn when both are checking on Amara's horse, Silver Streak, whom she has brought to camp. Her parents made a large donation to the camp, which caused them to allow this, and also allowed Wills to have her scholarship. After this late night outing, Silver Streak goes missing, and Wills feels responsible, so starts investigating the disappearance. She has a list of suspects, and notes clues, like the fact that Silver Streak's saddle and snacks are also gone, and there are heart star hoofprints on the floor of the barn. She brings the triplets on to the case to help her, and uncovers a bigger plot than just a missing horse. Will Silver Streak be able to be reunited with his owner? And will Wills' family be moving for her mother's career again, just as she has bonded with her friend group?
Strengths: This definitely can be read as a stand alone, which is helpful. After a brief explanation of the friend dynamics at Oakwood, we jump right into the story, which is move involved with the mystery, even though the drama with Wills and Amara continues. I enjoyed the flirtation between Pasquale and Wills, both of whom make their own horse themed t shirts. There are plenty of details about horse riding, even including swimming with horses. There are copious footnotes explaining many equestrian details that were helpful. The mystery ended up being rather serious, and having financial implications, but is offset by a fun inclusion of a film production crew coming to the camp to save the day on several fronts.
Weaknesses: Willa is a very exuberant character, but I often wished that she would make better choices. Younger readers will not be as worried about her exploits as I was.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like the mysteries in Henson's 2017 The Whole Sky, Farley's Phantom Stallion books or the drama in Burkhart's Saddle Hill Academy series.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
Wills and her friends are devastated that their Oakwood stables in Nebraska have to close for the summer, but the triplets (Gwyneth, Everleigh, and Noel) use this opportunity to apply for the Juniper Ranch summer camp in Colorado. Amara, Wills' sometimes enemy, sometimes friend, also is planning on attending. Wills, whose mother is an Air Force pilot, can't go because of lack of funds, but at the last minute is awarded a scholarship. All of the girls are off to camp, and end up in the same cabin. Wills manages to irritate Amara by falling asleep on her bunk and messing with her phone, but Amara seems on edge even before this incident. Amara's step brother, Pasquale, is also at the camp, and Wills runs into him in the barn when both are checking on Amara's horse, Silver Streak, whom she has brought to camp. Her parents made a large donation to the camp, which caused them to allow this, and also allowed Wills to have her scholarship. After this late night outing, Silver Streak goes missing, and Wills feels responsible, so starts investigating the disappearance. She has a list of suspects, and notes clues, like the fact that Silver Streak's saddle and snacks are also gone, and there are heart star hoofprints on the floor of the barn. She brings the triplets on to the case to help her, and uncovers a bigger plot than just a missing horse. Will Silver Streak be able to be reunited with his owner? And will Wills' family be moving for her mother's career again, just as she has bonded with her friend group?
Strengths: This definitely can be read as a stand alone, which is helpful. After a brief explanation of the friend dynamics at Oakwood, we jump right into the story, which is move involved with the mystery, even though the drama with Wills and Amara continues. I enjoyed the flirtation between Pasquale and Wills, both of whom make their own horse themed t shirts. There are plenty of details about horse riding, even including swimming with horses. There are copious footnotes explaining many equestrian details that were helpful. The mystery ended up being rather serious, and having financial implications, but is offset by a fun inclusion of a film production crew coming to the camp to save the day on several fronts.
Weaknesses: Willa is a very exuberant character, but I often wished that she would make better choices. Younger readers will not be as worried about her exploits as I was.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like the mysteries in Henson's 2017 The Whole Sky, Farley's Phantom Stallion books or the drama in Burkhart's Saddle Hill Academy series.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
July 12, 2025
This fun series is perfect for all the #HorseGirls out there.
This chapter book series is perfect for kids (girls especially as all the primary characters are female) who want a dash of excitement in their horse themed books. This book is part of a series so the character introductions are abreviated since there is an assumption that you have read the previous book. But even that doesn't take away from the fun story of this book. A girl gets to travel to a sleep away horse camp where she is paired with a horse for the summer who is her "halter-ego" from there we go along with Willa on regular rides and an exciting adventure.
While I can easily see recommending this to younger readers it is hard to tell the age of the main character, her inner monologue seems to be between 10-13 age wise.
This chapter book series is perfect for kids (girls especially as all the primary characters are female) who want a dash of excitement in their horse themed books. This book is part of a series so the character introductions are abreviated since there is an assumption that you have read the previous book. But even that doesn't take away from the fun story of this book. A girl gets to travel to a sleep away horse camp where she is paired with a horse for the summer who is her "halter-ego" from there we go along with Willa on regular rides and an exciting adventure.
While I can easily see recommending this to younger readers it is hard to tell the age of the main character, her inner monologue seems to be between 10-13 age wise.
December 10, 2025
Such a galloping good time with this second installment of Willa's horse adventures. Her "Mane Character Energy" is such fun as are all the punny horse sayings sprinkled in this read. The footnotes provide good information for young riders. This old rider loved reading it too with its nod to classics like Misty of Chincoteaque Island and other Marguerite Henry stories in the name of the camper cabins. Willa's forever herd joins her at camp and it's nice to see a story that features friendships with their ups and downs and how they are dealt with in a realistic teen way. Also the nervousness of going to sleep away camp for the first time. The characters collaboration and kindness in helping to solve the mystery in the end is also a nice lesson for young readers.
May 17, 2025
I enjoyed this book. I am hoping there is a third Horse Girl novel, so that this series can be a trilogy. I also enjoy the footnotes in these books. They add another fun element to reading these books. Thank you for writing this series. I hope there are more adventures to come.
June 18, 2025
Another adorable horsey adventure from the witty Carrie Seim. Her books are always easy pleasant reads, but with stylish affection that never talks down to young readers. The characters are always charming and you always want to know what happens next. Keep ‘em coming!
August 19, 2025
Adorable, sweet, and funny! This tale of Willa’s adventures with her friends at horse camp manages to be both nostalgic and modern at the same time! An excellent summer read for horse girls of any age!
December 30, 2025
These books are so fast paced and easy to read! I love her books so much!! I hope more of this series comes out!!!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews