In 1960s California, horse-loving Abby clashes with her domineering father, who has inflexible rules about training the animals-and about everything else. The first children's novel by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Thousand Acres.
Summary Seventh-grader Abby Lovitt grows up on her family’s California horse ranch in the 1960s, learning to train the horses her father sells and trying to reconcile her strict religious upbringing with her own ideas about life.
Topics Horses. Ranch life. Family life. California. Horse training. Having a controlling father. Estranged families. Being accused of stealing. Apologies. Gaining confidence.
SRC Level 7.600000
SRC Points 16.000000
Lexile 970L
Trim Size 5 1/2" x 8 1/4"
JLG Span Fall
Language English
Publication date 2009-09-07
JLG Release Date Oct 2009
Minimum grade 5
Maximum grade 7
Reading level Elementary, Middle
Format Print
Middle Grade Fiction Plus (Grades 5-7)
Middle Grade Fiction Plus
Middle Grade Fiction Plus (Grades 5-7)
For Grades 5-7
This collection features fiction titles selected for upper elementary and early middle school readers who are ready for engaging, well-crafted stories that reflect their everyday lives and interests. Selections span contemporary and realistic fiction, as well as approachable genre titles, offering accessible narratives with emotional depth, humor, and heart—designed to encourage independent reading and sustained engagement.