What do you think?
Rate this book
A Summer of Horses
Looking forward to a summer on the horse farm, ten-year-old Faith fears it will be a long vacation when she discovers that she is afraid of horses and that her sister is a talented rider
151 pages, Library Binding
First published June 17, 1989
34 people want to read
About the author
Carol Fenner
24 books5 followersCarol Elizabeth Fenner (1929–2002) was an American children's writer.
Fenner's book Gorilla Gorilla won a Christopher Award and The Skates of Uncle Richard won honors from the Coretta Scott King Award. In addition, she was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 1996 for Yolonda's Genius. Just prior to her death, Yolonda's Genius was optioned by a major studio for possible production of a movie for television.
Fenner's book Gorilla Gorilla won a Christopher Award and The Skates of Uncle Richard won honors from the Coretta Scott King Award. In addition, she was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 1996 for Yolonda's Genius. Just prior to her death, Yolonda's Genius was optioned by a major studio for possible production of a movie for television.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 16, 2009
A Summer of Horses was one of my favorite books when I was younger. What little girl didn't like horses? Faith is one of those little girls. She loves animals! And now, she and her older sister, Gem, get to spend an entire summer on a horse farm with their mother's old college friend, Beth.
But... on the girls' first day on the farm, Faith gets a little too close to the horses out in the pasture. She's almost caught it what she thinks is a stampede... (the horses were really just showing off - which is what Beth told her). Now she's terrified of the huge, graceful creatures. Later that night (to Faith's horror) Beth informs the girls that they'll be having their first riding lesson in the morning!
Faith is of course terrified and then, to make matters worse - Gem is a fantastic rider! She doesn't even LIKE animals as much as Faith does and here she is victorious where Faith is supposed to be.
After time, Faith grows to like the horses (but she still doesn't want to ride them). She helps out by grooming the animals before lessons, tacking them up, etc. In the end, Faith even finds herself back on a horse after all (and this time without the terror from before).
Its a good story and I as much now as I did then. Maybe someday I'll actually get to ride another horse...
But... on the girls' first day on the farm, Faith gets a little too close to the horses out in the pasture. She's almost caught it what she thinks is a stampede... (the horses were really just showing off - which is what Beth told her). Now she's terrified of the huge, graceful creatures. Later that night (to Faith's horror) Beth informs the girls that they'll be having their first riding lesson in the morning!
Faith is of course terrified and then, to make matters worse - Gem is a fantastic rider! She doesn't even LIKE animals as much as Faith does and here she is victorious where Faith is supposed to be.
After time, Faith grows to like the horses (but she still doesn't want to ride them). She helps out by grooming the animals before lessons, tacking them up, etc. In the end, Faith even finds herself back on a horse after all (and this time without the terror from before).
Its a good story and I as much now as I did then. Maybe someday I'll actually get to ride another horse...
September 10, 2012
Here is a wonderful little horse book for the 8 to 12 year-old girl who loves horses or who is dealing with confidence issues, life changes, or sibling challenges.
Faith has prided herself on being the Animal Whisperer--the one who has an innate connection with all animals--especially horses, though she has never really been around horses. But when she and her older sister, Gem, spend a summer on Aunt Beth's farm, Faith realizes that she is afraid of horses! Meanwhile, Gem, who cares only for boys and make-up, seems to ride and handle them as fearlessly and naturally as Faith has always dreamed she would.
The fear sucks away all Faith's self-confidence, but there will be many different challenges for her (Beth meets a handsome cowboy who seems to be a perfect match for Beth, but Beth doesn't seem to care; Beth's financial difficulties force her to sell some horses--and Faith finds all of this very difficult to understand and work out, on top of her confidence and horse problems!) that will drive her to face, head-on, the most frightening horse on Beth's farm: Thunder--who is the embodiment of all her fears, worries, and jealousies.
Really quite well-written for its genre. The over-arching themes make the horsey-ness just a vehicle.
Faith has prided herself on being the Animal Whisperer--the one who has an innate connection with all animals--especially horses, though she has never really been around horses. But when she and her older sister, Gem, spend a summer on Aunt Beth's farm, Faith realizes that she is afraid of horses! Meanwhile, Gem, who cares only for boys and make-up, seems to ride and handle them as fearlessly and naturally as Faith has always dreamed she would.
The fear sucks away all Faith's self-confidence, but there will be many different challenges for her (Beth meets a handsome cowboy who seems to be a perfect match for Beth, but Beth doesn't seem to care; Beth's financial difficulties force her to sell some horses--and Faith finds all of this very difficult to understand and work out, on top of her confidence and horse problems!) that will drive her to face, head-on, the most frightening horse on Beth's farm: Thunder--who is the embodiment of all her fears, worries, and jealousies.
Really quite well-written for its genre. The over-arching themes make the horsey-ness just a vehicle.
February 4, 2017
There was a lot going on in this little book, so much so that I wonder if this was supposed to be the first book of a series that somehow didn't pan out. This was yet another of those horse books in the collection I foolishly got rid of (and am gradually gathering again.) I last read this in the late 1990s and yet I still remember a good bit of it.
When I first read this book, I was impatient with the narrator since she suddenly discovered her mild hippophobia. It seemed silly to me that someone could love horses from afar and then quake in their boots when presented with the real thing. As I got older, I found that this happens every day (if not with horses, than with something else.)
When I first read this book, I was impatient with the narrator since she suddenly discovered her mild hippophobia. It seemed silly to me that someone could love horses from afar and then quake in their boots when presented with the real thing. As I got older, I found that this happens every day (if not with horses, than with something else.)
July 29, 2013
Enjoyable though not great horse book about Faith, a girl who's afraid of horses throughout the novel and yet still loves them in theory. It's my first time reading about a heroine who has the same problem I have and identification's always a plus. Sadly, the side plot that involves romance between secondary characters is really shallow (saccharine descriptions, events and dialogue). Not an author I'll seek again but a very quick horse fix!
October 8, 2011
It is about this girl who had a special connection with animals and when she goes to this farm she is afraid of the hoses. But her sister who hates animals loves horses when she gets there. At the end of the story she likes them again.
January 3, 2014
The bits about gripping the horse with your legs made me cringe! Do people still teach that these days? I hope not.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews