The Truth About Horses, Friends, & My Life as a
Coward
The Truth About Horses, Friends, & My Life as a Coward
ISBN
9780761454595
Specifications
6" X 9"; 160 pages; Black-and-white illustrations
Author(s)
Sarah P. Gibson
Illustrator(s)
Glin Dibley
Ages
Ages 8-12
List Price
US$ 15.99
About
the Book So you think you love horses? That’s what
Sophie Groves thought too. But she found out that horses are a heap of trouble.
Her trials began at five years old when her mom brought home Really (a.k.a.
Really Mean), the nastiest pony in Maine. Two horses later, Sophie is still
learning to deal with these crafty creatures, while trying to find friends who
will like her for who she is—not for her horses. Filled with hilarious
horse capers and the real truth about life as a weenie, this laugh-out-loud
story shows why a horse isn’t always a girl’s best
friend.
"I think
she’s sweet," Lori said, hugging Really good-bye. Sharon and I looked
at each other and shrugged. Maybe it was true that if you show horses
you’re the boss, they will obey you. The Carpwells pulled away, waving. I
sighed in the same half relief and half regret I always felt as their visits
ended. They were like a carnival ride, scary yet exhilarating and something you
couldn’t do every day. Absently, I petted Really on the neck, and she
whipped around and chomped my arm. I screamed and ran for the fence with Really
pounding after me, her hot breath searing my back. I dove through the gate to
safety, and Really stopped, looked at me with complete and utter disdain, and
then walked off. Yup, she was boss—and we both knew
it."
Sarah
P. Gibson lives in Chebeague Island, Maine. Learn more about
the author at www.sarahpgibson.com.
Glin
Dibley lives in Huntington Beach, California.
The Truth about Horses,
Friends, & My Life as a Coward
"Sophie narrates
her adventures with self-deprecating humor and genuine emotion as she faces her
fears, confronts a bully, and learns the importance of self-reliance, and her
well-developed character makes this short and sweet tale
memorable." —School
Library Journal, November
2008
"While she
continues to refuse to ride them, Sophie endures several hair-raising pony
adventures on the ground. Finally overcoming her fear, she mounts, only to fall
off in every way
possible." —Kirkus
Reviews, September 15,
2008
"Gibson writes
vividly, with wry, self-effacing humor, about the Ballards’ small
island community in Maine filled with quirky characters, including
Sophie’s larger-than-life relatives. Dibley’s cartoonlike
illustrations extend the humor and action, and the clever chapter titles will
help move readers through the
book." —Booklist,
August 2008
