Buckskin Bandit

Winnie the Horse Gentler #8

by Dandi Daley Mackall

Twelve-year-old Winnie Willis has a way with horses. Along with her dad and sister, Winnie is learning how to live without her mom, who was also a natural horse gentler. As Winnie teaches her horses about uncondi-tional love and trust, God shows Winnie that he can be trusted as well. Readers will be hooked on the series' vivid characters, whose quirky personalities fill Winnie's life with friendship and adventure.

#8: Buckskin Bandit― When a buckskin disappears from the rundown Happy Trails stable, Winnie and her friend Kaylee set out to investigate―and discover that God gives them strength to choose joy over selfishness.

Genres: Horses, Contemporary, Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Middle Grade, Animals

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 29, 2003

About the author

A professional writer for over 20 years, Dandi Daley Mackall has written dozens of articles for popular magazines and published around 500 books for children and adults alike, with sales of over 4 million.

A frequent guest on radio and television talk shows, she lives in rural Ohio with her husband, three children, horses, dogs, & cats. Awards include the Edgar Award for Best YA Mystery, the Helen Keating Ott Award for Contributions to Children's Literature; Distinguished Alumni Award from Mizzou; ALA Best Book; Christian Children's Book of the Year, Amelia Bloom, Mom's Choice Awards. Her YA novel, My Boyfriends' Dogs, is now a Hallmark movie.

Reviews

[Becca Avila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last and final book in the Winnie series. It has been a great adventure. By the way I have reviewed all the way from book 1-8, the adventure has final stopped. This is my last review on ‘Winnie the Horse Gentler’ series.

Miss. Mackall says that she doesn’t plan to write any more Winnie books. That makes me a little sad. But she has involved Catman and Winnie in another book series.

I just want to tell Miss. Mackall thanks for writing this series it has helped me understand horses better. It has also helped me understand God more. Thank you, Miss. Mackal you have a gift.

God Bless you
-Becca (ba758369@gmail.com)

[Elivia Kanatiquelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rescuing horses is one of the noblest professions!
Love this series so much, and will definitely read again!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last book in the series. Didnt read it yet. lol

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars

Synopsis:

Prophanity/Language: None

Romance/Sex: None

Faith: Very strong

Adventure/Action: There is an actual bad guy that they need to rescue a horse from...

Other: A bitter sweet story.

One last time Winnie must rescue a horse in danger as she learns more of God, her family, and her friends.

This was an epic ending to the series! I actually felt like crying for Winnie sometimes and I felt so bad for her. But the way things worked out in the end, and the lesson that she learned were so good. The one inconsistencie that I saw was where it said M was in the same grade as Catman, grade eight. But in Bold Beauty with the debate all the kids needed to be in seventh grade. Catman was always in grade eight.
All the characters were amazing in this book, although I did role my eyes at the fact that Winnie could tell that there were more horses at her home than normal...I'm not discounting that that can't happen, it just struck me as odd.

Favorites/Thoughts:
My favorite part is where Winnie relizes that she has been 'leaf-blocked'
Favorite quote: Catman and M hadn’t spoken, at least not out loud. But I had a feeling they were saying volumes to each other, exchanging expressions at racehorse speed.
I wish this series would go on, but this is the perfect place to stop if it must be stopped.
Five star rating, perfect for middle-grade readers. Going on my favorites shelf.

[Emory Ivie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winifred Willis is a young teen, and she has a gift - she can communicate with horses. After her mom passed away, Winnie uses everything she learned to help horses in need, and not by breaking them - but by gentling them. In this exciting, 8-book series, Winnie gets to help all kinds of different horses with all kinds of different problems, and through her struggle to make friends and convincing her dad not to move again, she will finally discover her true place in this world.

I loved this Christian-based series. Through the author's descriptive writing, she places you right in Winnie's shoes. This page-turner is perfect for girls ages 9 to 13, and not only is the storyline entertaining, but Mackall teaches the reader all about horses and good training techniques. Learn how to communicate with your own horse (or a neighboring farm's horse if you don't have one) in this great read!

[Amy Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series. Buckskin Bandit was the first one I read as a kid, and it's the first one I re-read as an adult. I'm not sure if I ever actually finished the whole series. Each book is written in a way that can be enjoyed out of sequence. The characters sort of remind me of the community of Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls, and I think it's adorable how each kid in the book is obsessed with their favorite animal (except for Summer, who is obsessed with herself). This is an excellent child friendly read from the Christian youth section of the library that exemplifies kindness, a fruit of the spirit. An excellent choice for your child as they recover from the trauma of reading the Left Behind kid's series that will not undermine your indoctrination process like that heathen Pony Pal's series. Amen.

[Cali · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Winnie The Horse Gentler series has been a favorite of mine since middle school! Love the way this author reminds us of the little moments in life where God reveals himself through his creation in nature, family, and friends. Such an easy book to relate to no matter how old you are!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Winnie gentles the horses she meets. She always seems to know what to do on each individual horse, and the way she gentled and saved this horse, Buckskin Bandit, was just amazing.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

See the first book in the series for a full review.

[Ananiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books so much,please keep writing them

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these books when I was younger, and when I went back and re-read them, enjoyed them just as much. I appreciate how much Winnie grows in each book, yet that no one grows too unbelievably much.

Thank you Dandi Daley Mackall for eight great books!

[Trinity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mysterious, cute, and fun to read.