Blazing Courage

Animal Rescues #1

by Kelly Milner Halls

Since getting a job at Top Tier stables, Annie has had her mind set on just one thing: earning enough money to buy a horse of her own. When she reaches her savings goal, she bids on a horse at an auction and buys Poco, a four-year-old buckskin mare that Annie couldn't love more. But someone is trying to sabotage Top Tier, and a terrible fire breaks out at the stable. Annie must summon all her courage to save her beloved horse as well as many others in an act of heroism she didn't know she was capable of doing.

96 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Kelly Milner Halls specializes in high interest, well researched nonfiction for young readers. Her books include TALES OF THE CRYPTIDS, SAVING THE BAGHDAD ZOO, IN SEARCH OF SASQUATCH and ALIEN INVESTIGATION. But she is also an avid YA fan and loves realistic fiction including GIRL MEETS BOY, the anthology she edited for Chronicle (January 2012). Her first short story is in that anthology. She hopes it won't be her last. When she's not writing or doing school visits, she works for her friend and mentor Chris Crutcher in Spokane.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It should be no surprise to fans of author Kelly Milner Halls' nonfiction books that her first novel-length fiction is rich in specific detail about rescue animals. It was a pleasant surprise to see her turn out such a compelling story.

Fourteen year old Annie carries with her the same internal dialogue as most--am I good enough, smart enough, pretty enough...worthy? Her rescue of a wild mustang otherwise destined for a dog food factory ends up turning into her own rescue as she learns her own worth.

Milner Halls doesn't disappoint her nonfiction fans with the explanation at the end of the story about the truth behind the fiction. (Note to teachers--this is a great teachable moment about turning a personal narrative into a narrative.)

Fast-pace with limited distractions makes this a perfect book for grades 5-8, and even older, reluctant readers.

Looking forward to the next ones!

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be good for reluctant readers. The story moves along, but the vocabulary and formatting is very basic.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This realistic approach to a young girl's transition from horse-lover to horse-owner reflects the knowledgeable confidence of a horseperson, but captures the point-of-view of a tentative early teen. It has the makings of a successful series with well-developed and complex characters who ring true and leave readers wanting to know "what happened next?" There's much to be learned about handling horses for those who only dream, and the authentic details will be welcomed by those who with more experience. Wrap that around a well-told story and this is the kind of book that will pass hand-to-hand among classmates.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author explains at the end of the story the truth behind the fiction. This could be used to teach about turning a personal narrative into a narrative. For grades 4-8. I liked it and am hoping students will find that it is about horses appealing.