Horses in the Wind: A tale of Seabiscuit

Time Spies #7

by Candice Ransom, Greg Call (Illustrator)

From acclaimed author Candice Ransom, comes another Time Spies adventure so fun to read that kids won't realize how much they're learining about history (until it's too late!)

The Chapman kids get caught up in the Race of the Century, between War Admiral and a little brown Thoroughbred named Seabiscuit. Hanging out in the barn before the race, the kids overhear a nosy reporter threatening to destroy Seabiscuit's chances. Can they find a way to stop the reporter before it's too late?

Genres: Historical Fiction

118 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 2007

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: Alex Chapman aimed and kicked his soccer ball.

Premise/plot: Alex, Mattie, and Sophie are back for their seventh time travel adventure. This time the siblings are sent to 1938 to witness a horse race. Who will win Seabiscuit or War Admiral?

My thoughts: I really liked this one. I did. I like how each book in the series is different. Different time periods. Different subject areas. Different interests. This one focuses on horses and on Seabiscuit in particular.

I was never big on horses--not like Sophie is--but it was an interesting read.

[Monica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just read this with my son. I was appalled at what the kids' "mission" turned out to be, or at least, what it partly entailed. Alex hears Seabiscuit's trainer say to himself, in effect, "I wish something would happen to the starting clock, so they would ask me if they could use my bell, which I have been using to train Seabiscuit in his start." Alex decides he knows what his mission is. He finds the starting clock and dismantles the inside so it won't work. His older sister, Mattie, gets mad at him, not apparently for CHEATING, but for messing with time, as they are not to "change" things (which is of course is impossible, simply by their presence). I continued reading the book, in the hopes that something appropriate would come out of this, hoping the clock would end up working, something, anything. But no. The clock fails to work at the start of the race, the starters borrow Seabiscuit's trainer's bell, and use that to start the race. If that is not blantantly cheating, I am not sure what is. When they return to the present, Mattie looks in a book about horses, sees that Seabiscuit actually won anyway, so Alex messing with the clock did not "affect" anything. So apparently it was okay, to break the clock. No! No! No! The dilemma was not "messing with time" -- it was cheating so Seabiscuit would have a better start! Is this what I want my son to learn? Cheating is okay? We had a serious talk about cheating and what it entails. I am highly disappointed with this author.

[Caren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This time the kids go back to the time of Seabiscuit.
Their missions begin with someone visiting their Bed and Breakfast Inn and leaving them a postcard. The guests stay in the Jefferson suite which has special powers and they help send the kids on special missions. The kids use the magical spyglass to send them.
Good alternative to Magic Treehouse.

[Poonguzhali · Rating 5 out of 5]

they got up in a a match of century,between the champion horse war admiral and a little brown out in the barn .
it was nice........

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this tale of Seabiscuit!!

[Book Tea 🫖 with Jai]

This series is a little lane even for children. Lol