Dante: Horses of the Maury River Stables - Softcover

Amateau, Gigi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0763687545 ISBN 13: 9780763687540

Publisher: Candlewick, 2016

Synopsis

Handsome but headstrong, a retired racehorse finds a second chance in this affecting, fast-paced novel told straight from the horse’s mouth.

When Dante’s Inferno is born early, on a February night, there are already great expectations for him. He may be the grandson of the greatest racehorse in modern times, but Dante’s start proves a rough one, both in life and on the track. When Dante fails as a racehorse, he ends up at a Thoroughbred rescue facility run by rehabilitating prisoners before being adopted as a project horse at the Maury River Stables. It’s not easy for Dante to make friends—horse or human—but slowly horses Daisy and Napoleon let him into the fold, and a student named Ashley begins to work with him to learn dressage and jumping in hopes that he’ll find redemption as an eventing horse. Can Dante put his fears aside and succeed on the cross-country course? Narrated from Dante’s point of view, this is a story that animal lovers will cherish.

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From School Library Journal:

Gr 4–7—Dante's Inferno comes from a long line of strong and fast thoroughbreds. Expectations are high that he will prove to be just as adept on the racetrack. But while Dante has speed, he has difficulty trusting humans and other horses and quickly earns a reputation for being troublesome. Despite the best efforts of his mother and the few humans he has bonded with, Dante seems destined to be a disappointment. He continues to be shipped around to new places and eventually ends up at Maury River Stables, a horse-riding school where he forms a fragile bond with human Ashley. Will the bond ever be strong enough for Dante to see success? The plot is long on horse-show terminology but short on action. Readers may have trouble getting into the story due to its slow pacing. Give this to horse enthusiasts only.—Beth Cuddy, Seward Elementary School, Auburn, NY

About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0763687545
• ISBN 13: 9780763687540
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320