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A Place For Sofia
Sofia Ruiz adores her horse, Sundance, a gift from Gramma Lisa who has cared for her during her mother's absence. Weeks before her eleventh birthday, Sofia's mother unexpectedly returns, demanding she pack and leave Sundance behind.
Anxious, lonely, and determined to reunite with Sundance, Sofia searches for a way to return to Gramma Lisa. After meeting the neighbor's miniature horses, Sofia is invited to join the Mini Whinnies Horse Club. As her horse and human friendships grow, Sofia wrestles with where she belongs. Will she ever see Sundance again?
A heart-warming story to inspire horse lovers of all ages.
Anxious, lonely, and determined to reunite with Sundance, Sofia searches for a way to return to Gramma Lisa. After meeting the neighbor's miniature horses, Sofia is invited to join the Mini Whinnies Horse Club. As her horse and human friendships grow, Sofia wrestles with where she belongs. Will she ever see Sundance again?
A heart-warming story to inspire horse lovers of all ages.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 21, 2020
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 18, 2020
Poor Sofia. Her life was wonderful, living with her Gramma Lisa (her maternal grandmother) on her farm instead of being shuffled among her mother's relatives that she barely knew whenever her mother fell on hard times. Sofia loves her Gramma Lisa and has her own horse, Sundance. Everything is fine until her mother swoops in suddenly one day and takes Sofia from the one place she considered home for a whole year only to be placed with Grampy (maternal great-grandfather), yet another relative she doesn't know, while her mother runs off to England with a new boyfriend for the summer months, forcing 10-year-old Sofia to start over alone in a new place again. Despite meeting the neighbor Stephanie, her daughter, Grace, their two mini horses, and the twins Olivia and Ryan, Sofia wants to go back to Gramma Lisa and her beloved Sundance, to her old home, except her mother forbids it and won't tell her why. Sofia is forced to create a new life for herself, even if it's only for a short time ...
"A Place for Sofia," Laura Holt-Haslam's first novel in a series of two (second one "Sofia & Sundance"), is beautifully done. Holt-Haslam's story arc starts right from the beginning, builds throughout the whole book, and takes the reader to the very end - a necessary component in a novel written for middle grade readers. All of her characters are believable, unique, and grow throughout the story, helping young readers identify with them and the challenges they face - Sofia triumphs and fails many times, making the story real. I especially enjoyed her inclusion of Sofia's new friend, Olivia, a spunky girl who is physically challenged and must use crutches or a wheelchair to get around. But instead of feeling left out or sorry for herself, Holt-Haslam creates her with spunk and a "can do" attitude when working around the mini horses or even managing life from day to day. What is especially wonderful about the novel is Holt-Haslam's inclusion of many horse care and handling tips that are explained well and woven nicely throughout the story. It's obvious that the author is a long-time and knowledgeable equestrian. It's a wonderful book for the young or young-at-heart horse lover. I'm now ready to move onto book two, "Sofia & Sundance." I'm interested in seeing how the story will continue.
"A Place for Sofia," Laura Holt-Haslam's first novel in a series of two (second one "Sofia & Sundance"), is beautifully done. Holt-Haslam's story arc starts right from the beginning, builds throughout the whole book, and takes the reader to the very end - a necessary component in a novel written for middle grade readers. All of her characters are believable, unique, and grow throughout the story, helping young readers identify with them and the challenges they face - Sofia triumphs and fails many times, making the story real. I especially enjoyed her inclusion of Sofia's new friend, Olivia, a spunky girl who is physically challenged and must use crutches or a wheelchair to get around. But instead of feeling left out or sorry for herself, Holt-Haslam creates her with spunk and a "can do" attitude when working around the mini horses or even managing life from day to day. What is especially wonderful about the novel is Holt-Haslam's inclusion of many horse care and handling tips that are explained well and woven nicely throughout the story. It's obvious that the author is a long-time and knowledgeable equestrian. It's a wonderful book for the young or young-at-heart horse lover. I'm now ready to move onto book two, "Sofia & Sundance." I'm interested in seeing how the story will continue.
June 4, 2021
A Place for Sofia by Laura Holt-Haslam is a wonderful story about an eleven year old girl, Sofia, who loves horses. Her Gramma Lisa gave Sofia a horse named Sundance. Sofia has been living with her Gramma when her mother returns and quickly moves Sofia to another town to live with her grandfather. While Sofia is there for the summer, she discovers that there are miniature horses not far from her. During the summer, Sofia becomes involved in a "mini whinnies" club with two friends that she met at church.
This is a sweet story about a young girl who is growing up and trying to make sense of her mother's absence while being moved around from place to place. The story tells of her love of horses, her friendships and her being upset and confused with her mother's actions. I enjoyed reading about the horses and the horse show that Sofia and her friends participated in during the summer and how things worked out because of Sofia's personality and inner strength.
I received an advance reader copy of this book and I always review every book that I read.
This is a sweet story about a young girl who is growing up and trying to make sense of her mother's absence while being moved around from place to place. The story tells of her love of horses, her friendships and her being upset and confused with her mother's actions. I enjoyed reading about the horses and the horse show that Sofia and her friends participated in during the summer and how things worked out because of Sofia's personality and inner strength.
I received an advance reader copy of this book and I always review every book that I read.
November 3, 2020
A Place For Sofia is a heart warming story about one of the sweetest girls you will ever read about. Sofia's big heart and enthusiasm in the face of adversity are inspiring.
Along with an engaging storyline, equestrian facts are sprinkled throughout, creating interest for horse enthusiasts and novices alike. If you enjoy horse stories or are looking for an uplifting book about a strong female character as she copes with challenging topics, I recommend A Place For Sofia to you.
Along with an engaging storyline, equestrian facts are sprinkled throughout, creating interest for horse enthusiasts and novices alike. If you enjoy horse stories or are looking for an uplifting book about a strong female character as she copes with challenging topics, I recommend A Place For Sofia to you.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews