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Storm Horse
When a mystery horse gallops on to a London housing estate in the middle of a storm, it will change four kids' lives for ever ... A heart-warming tale from an author celebrated for her honest, heartfelt and inclusive stories. Perfect for fans of Carlie Sorosiak and Michael Morpurgo.
For Daniel Margate, life is muddled because everything moves: letters, numbers, even classrooms sometimes. Daniel is dyslexic and most of the time, school just doesn't make sense. He's in the bottom reading group at school with other kids who are trying to make sense of it all. There's Akin who can't sit still for more than two minutes and is almost always getting into trouble, sports star Ste is recovering from a car accident that left him learning how to walk again and Molly-May's school uniform never fits and is a regular at the local foodbank.
But when a mystery horse gallops into their lives one stormy evening, it changes everything. Desperate to keep him safe they form the Secret Horse Society and vow to protect this amazing creature. Inspired by stories of the great racehorse Seabiscuit, they name him Jammie Dodger and find they when they work together, nothing seems impossible. Even the Big Read Off at school. They just need to keep their new horse friend a secret.
How hard can it be to hide a horse, anyway?
For Daniel Margate, life is muddled because everything moves: letters, numbers, even classrooms sometimes. Daniel is dyslexic and most of the time, school just doesn't make sense. He's in the bottom reading group at school with other kids who are trying to make sense of it all. There's Akin who can't sit still for more than two minutes and is almost always getting into trouble, sports star Ste is recovering from a car accident that left him learning how to walk again and Molly-May's school uniform never fits and is a regular at the local foodbank.
But when a mystery horse gallops into their lives one stormy evening, it changes everything. Desperate to keep him safe they form the Secret Horse Society and vow to protect this amazing creature. Inspired by stories of the great racehorse Seabiscuit, they name him Jammie Dodger and find they when they work together, nothing seems impossible. Even the Big Read Off at school. They just need to keep their new horse friend a secret.
How hard can it be to hide a horse, anyway?
368 pages, Paperback
First published August 5, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 22, 2021
Storm Horse is a delightful, if fantastical, children's book about a group of London children - all misfits in one way or another - who find, hide and care for an abandoned horse. Main character Daniel, who lives on the Beckham Estate with his mum and little brother, is - like the author, Jane Elson - dyslexic and struggles with reading, numbers and generally finding his way around. What does motivate him to read is the letters inherited from his great-grandfather, Cuthbert H. Brown Jr, who was a child during the American Great Depression and who wrote letters to the legendary racehorse Seabiscuit, a horse who at the time captured the imagination of the nation. Daniel, too, finds himself thoroughly captivated by the story of Seabiscuit and his jockey Red Pollard, but never dreams he could own a horse of his own.
When a combination of circumstances leads to Daniel being one of the people chosen to represent his school on a TV show at two things he is no good at - reading and running - it's a nightmare for him. But with his storm horse - named Jammie Dodger in homage to Seabiscuit - for inspiration and a newfound little group of friends- Akin, Ste, Molly-May and Michael - who all have their own challenges, can Daniel really rise to the occasion?
It's an unlikely (in some ways) but nevertheless uplifting tale of friendship and the courage to face and overcome challenges. (And, of course, horses.)
The poverty faced by Daniel's great-grandfather during the Depression is shamefully echoed by that experienced by some of the modern characters, particularly Molly-May who never has enough to eat.
I would have liked to know a little bit of the backstory regarding how Jammie Dodger came to be wandering about alone - nobody ever having reported him missing - but we never learn why he was apparently abandoned.
A lovely and very readable story, with the "Dear Seabiscuit" parts adding an enjoyable extra dimension. 🐎
April 10, 2024
Storm Horse by Jane Elson is the most charming and powerful contemporary children’s novel. It is perfect for ages ten years and over. I am considerably older and I loved it.
The book surrounds the topic of dyslexia. I knew that people with dyslexia struggled with letters jumping around – but there is so much more to dyslexia than that. It is a daily struggle for many. I now feel that I have more understanding of dyslexia and of the daily difficulties.
I completely ‘lived’ the book as I ‘became’ eleven year old Daniel. The novel is narrated by him and in the first person. I ‘felt’ his highs and lows. My heart broke for him at times, and I applauded his bravery, grit and determination.
We also hear the story of the 1930’s race horse Seabisuit, in the form of letters written by Daniel’s Great Great Grandfather. Seabiscuit also overcame difficulties. He triumphed in adversity and became champion of the people, giving them hope during the 1930’s Depression in America. We learn of the terrible poverty, hunger and living conditions of a generation.
In present day the children in the novel also face poverty and difficulties. Seabiscuit also gives them hope as they learn his story.
We witness the healing power of animals. Since the departure of reading dog Wilbur, the members of silver reading group have struggled. “Reading is not pleasure, it’s torture… Wilbur never judged me when the words jumbled up.” Until now, I had not appreciated just how hard reading could be for some.
School is not an easy place. There are bullies to face, corridors to negotiate and staff to please. The P.E. teacher is particularly harsh to Daniel but the T.A. shows him care and attention. Offering help and encouragement. “Dyslexics have a gift. A different way of doing things and looking at the world… Dyslexics are extraordinary people.”
A chance encounter with a white horse, changes Daniel’s life. School is still hard but now he has hope and a purpose. Daniel also has a kind heart that chooses team members wisely when asked to do so. He has empathy with the struggles of others and wants to spread hope.
Storm Horse is a very emotional book especially when Daniel finally feels that he has friends. The camaraderie, love and care of the young group is incredibly moving and heartwarming.
Storm Horse is a book that everyone should read. It should be part of the English National Curriculum if it is not already. This is a book that should be in every year seven and eight classroom. It should be read as a class to highlight to all children the struggles that some face.
Thank you Jane Elson for writing such a powerful book.
I will leave you with my favourite very powerful quote:
“It’s easy to keep doing the things you are good at. It takes courage to do the things that you find hard.”
The book surrounds the topic of dyslexia. I knew that people with dyslexia struggled with letters jumping around – but there is so much more to dyslexia than that. It is a daily struggle for many. I now feel that I have more understanding of dyslexia and of the daily difficulties.
I completely ‘lived’ the book as I ‘became’ eleven year old Daniel. The novel is narrated by him and in the first person. I ‘felt’ his highs and lows. My heart broke for him at times, and I applauded his bravery, grit and determination.
We also hear the story of the 1930’s race horse Seabisuit, in the form of letters written by Daniel’s Great Great Grandfather. Seabiscuit also overcame difficulties. He triumphed in adversity and became champion of the people, giving them hope during the 1930’s Depression in America. We learn of the terrible poverty, hunger and living conditions of a generation.
In present day the children in the novel also face poverty and difficulties. Seabiscuit also gives them hope as they learn his story.
We witness the healing power of animals. Since the departure of reading dog Wilbur, the members of silver reading group have struggled. “Reading is not pleasure, it’s torture… Wilbur never judged me when the words jumbled up.” Until now, I had not appreciated just how hard reading could be for some.
School is not an easy place. There are bullies to face, corridors to negotiate and staff to please. The P.E. teacher is particularly harsh to Daniel but the T.A. shows him care and attention. Offering help and encouragement. “Dyslexics have a gift. A different way of doing things and looking at the world… Dyslexics are extraordinary people.”
A chance encounter with a white horse, changes Daniel’s life. School is still hard but now he has hope and a purpose. Daniel also has a kind heart that chooses team members wisely when asked to do so. He has empathy with the struggles of others and wants to spread hope.
Storm Horse is a very emotional book especially when Daniel finally feels that he has friends. The camaraderie, love and care of the young group is incredibly moving and heartwarming.
Storm Horse is a book that everyone should read. It should be part of the English National Curriculum if it is not already. This is a book that should be in every year seven and eight classroom. It should be read as a class to highlight to all children the struggles that some face.
Thank you Jane Elson for writing such a powerful book.
I will leave you with my favourite very powerful quote:
“It’s easy to keep doing the things you are good at. It takes courage to do the things that you find hard.”
November 11, 2021
Wow this book is really brilliant. Me and my 9 year old daughter took turns reading this book and she loved it that much instead of going to bed 30 mins early to read she was asking to go an hour and a half thats really saying just how good this book was she says its the best book she has ever read. It is such a wonderful tale. Following the story of a boy who is dyslexic and is in the lowest silver reading group who is chosen to lead a reading challenge team and he befriend a horse found roaming a London town woods. The way it is wrote is amazing both using a story but incorporating letters never sent to the great Seabiscuit. Passed down through generations about a family living in a car during the great American depression of the 1930's . My daughter and I loved how it was both a history book and a story book. This book is fantastic for all ages to enjoy both young and old. You could learn so much from reading this story without even knowing it. It is superbly wrote and engages the reader. This book incorporates important subjects such as bullying and reluctance to read as well as building confidence. The ending is magnificent without giving anything away.
So much praise goes to the author and publishing team for producing this spectacular book for children all over the world to really enjoy and help with issues and build more confidence.
So much praise goes to the author and publishing team for producing this spectacular book for children all over the world to really enjoy and help with issues and build more confidence.
September 16, 2021
An uplifting story about the magic of animals, determination, friendship and recognising your gifts. A mysterious white horse shows up one day and helps Daniel, who's dyslexic, to overcome his reading and movement challenges - and also helps Daniel's friends along the way. The horse becomes a symbol of hope, akin to the great horse Seabiscuit in the 1930s. If you love rescue animals and horses you will love this book. Daniel and his friends, with help from their horse, show school bullies and public alike what they are capable of and I'm sure it will inspire many a reader! I LOVED the ending too.
January 22, 2022
3.5 stars.
An uplifting tale of a dyslexic boy, who struggles to fit in, who finds a mysterious horse on his London housing estate and tries to protect it with a small group of other misfits.
There are a couple of plot points which I really struggled to believe (Daniel would NEVER have been put in the position he was to represent the school on a TV show doing something which he lacked so much confidence in) but if you ignore those then the story rocks along and I found myself really rooting for Daniel!
An uplifting tale of a dyslexic boy, who struggles to fit in, who finds a mysterious horse on his London housing estate and tries to protect it with a small group of other misfits.
There are a couple of plot points which I really struggled to believe (Daniel would NEVER have been put in the position he was to represent the school on a TV show doing something which he lacked so much confidence in) but if you ignore those then the story rocks along and I found myself really rooting for Daniel!
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October 17, 2021Meet Daniel, boy living in London, who has dyslexia and finds school hard and concentrating all day. The school bullies think it funny to enter Daniel into a Reading Contest in front of the whole school and it will be filmed for a local TV news channel too!! Find out how Daniel uses his ingenuity and out of the box thinking to out smart the bullies and find great friendships, courage, and the belief in himself he never knew he had.
November 30, 2021
A book with a beautiful message that is all the more meaningful because it portrays how class makes all the difference when it comes to the neurodivergent experience in school and life. I'm sure this book has and will help a lot of children not only feel seen and understood but adults fight harder to help them.
Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for this copy.
Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for this copy.
May 1, 2022
TW: bullying, homelessness and lack of food, internalised ableism
I really enjoyed this easy read of a book, especially it's duel focus on dyslexia and horses (including history of the great depression and Seabiscuit). Loved the side characters too.
I really enjoyed this easy read of a book, especially it's duel focus on dyslexia and horses (including history of the great depression and Seabiscuit). Loved the side characters too.
June 30, 2022
A fantastic book - weaving in the present day at a secondary school in London and America during the Great Depression. We find out about the legendary Seabiscuit and how he and Red Pollard brought hope to a nation.
August 30, 2022
Quite a fun book for a young audience. Quite slow aswell though.
May 5, 2023
Storm horse 🐴 was a great Book 📖 to read I Enjoyed it
November 12, 2021
I was lucky enough to be part of the blog tour for this a couple of months ago, and Jane sent me one of the loveliest thank you messages I’ve ever received from an author, so when I started planning this post, this book just absolutely had to be part of it. It’s about a boy named Daniel, who is dyslexic, and what happens when he finds a mysterious horse and teams up with some people from his reading group (who are being forced to go up against the top reading group at school for a televised contest) to protect this amazing animal. Daniel is a wonderful character with so much heart and bravery, and I loved him with my whole heart. I will root for the underdogs till the cows come home, and this book was no exception. I just wanted Daniel and his new friends who are part of the Biscuits (named after the famous racehorse Seabiscuit, who was never supposed to win) tto succeed so badly. His friends all felt like such distinct characters too, and I wanted them to succeed every bit as much as I did Daniel; every single character in this book just felt like a three dimensional person and it was almost like I truly knew them. I loved the storyline with the Horse too, and of course all the information about Seabiscuit. I think it’s important to note that the book is also an OwnVoices exploration of dyslexia, which was another really interesting element for me. This is just a gorgeous, uplifting story about triumph against the odds, and how history and historical figures can continue to inspire people in the present.
September 2, 2021
The setting is a basic North London housing estate, and a grey horse gets lost and runs to a pet shelter, scenting the hay. When he is found by a young boy volunteer, life changes for the kids in the 'help with reading class' as they form the Secret Horse Society.
The life in a deprived area means the kids can't trust anyone not to take away what they love - bullies or people in authority don't regard their feelings. We see the few misfits, with dyslexia or other issues, coming together as a team. Meanwhile, some complications arise as the school mistakenly puts one kid in for a race and a readathon, when he doesn't seem good at either. I thought that was very unlikely. Schools want to look good compared to other schools, and they would not wish to embarrass and distress a poor performer.
The horse's name is Jammie Dodger and he loves company. What more do you need to know. I think there are too many names for kids of ten to keep track of, and they will probably skim over some of the characters at first reading, but there is plenty to deserve re-reading.
I read an e-ARC from Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
The life in a deprived area means the kids can't trust anyone not to take away what they love - bullies or people in authority don't regard their feelings. We see the few misfits, with dyslexia or other issues, coming together as a team. Meanwhile, some complications arise as the school mistakenly puts one kid in for a race and a readathon, when he doesn't seem good at either. I thought that was very unlikely. Schools want to look good compared to other schools, and they would not wish to embarrass and distress a poor performer.
The horse's name is Jammie Dodger and he loves company. What more do you need to know. I think there are too many names for kids of ten to keep track of, and they will probably skim over some of the characters at first reading, but there is plenty to deserve re-reading.
I read an e-ARC from Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
April 15, 2023
It's nice to have a book where the main character is dyslexic. I love the idea of a reading horse. This has a feel good ending too. My only niggle is clumsiness and coloured overlays are not because of dyslexia. They're not general conditions... but on the whole an enjoyable book. Set in fantasy reality.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews