Book Review: GABRIEL'S HORSES and GABRIEL'S TRIUMPH
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Hart, Alison. GABRIEL'S HORSES. 2007. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.
2. PLOT SUMMARY:
12-year-old Gabriel lives as a slave on a plantation in Kentucky during the Civil War. While Gabriel's father fights to buy his mother's freedom, Gabriel hopes to use his skill riding horses to win enough money to buy his own freedom, too. But when the plantation owner hires a new horse trainer who is cruel to both slaves and horses alike, he sees his dream dying. Will he have the courage to risk his life by standing up for himself and his horses?
3. REFLECTIONS:
The first two novels of this trilogy are fast-paced, short, and very well researched. Considering the slim size of the books, the author manages to pack in a lot of historical material about slaves, the civil war, and the Kentucky horse racing tradition without slowing down the plot or bogging down the lively characters.
I read each novel in less than six hours (I know this, because I read them during a road trip of about that length!) and the endearing character of Gabriel captured my imagination so much that not only didn't I get car sick, but I couldn't help but tear up at the end of the book! Hart does a wonderful job of creating dialect which is at once of the period and very believable. The conversation between characters flows naturally, and the descriptions of the races were riveting.
GABRIEL'S HORSES and GABRIEL'S TRIUMPH will appeal to all level of readers, both advanced and reluctant, and will have special appeal to young adults who enjoy reading about horses, the Civil War, and African-American history.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Booklist: "The boy's first-person, present-tense narrative brings close the thrilling horse racing––on the plantation, at the race course, and in the war––and the African American history in all its complexity."
School Library Journal: "The author grounds this fast-paced tale in historical fact by providing a nonfiction epilogue. Readers will find this wonderful blend of history and horses appealing."
5. CONNECTIONS
* At Taylor Middle School, 8th grade students study the Civil War in both ELA and Social Studies classes. This novel would be great to read as a class novel or part of a literature circle.
* In the month of February, we celebrate Black History Month, and this series would be a welcome addition to a display of books by and about African-Americans.
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Hart, Alison. GABRIEL'S HORSES. 2007. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.
2. PLOT SUMMARY:
12-year-old Gabriel lives as a slave on a plantation in Kentucky during the Civil War. While Gabriel's father fights to buy his mother's freedom, Gabriel hopes to use his skill riding horses to win enough money to buy his own freedom, too. But when the plantation owner hires a new horse trainer who is cruel to both slaves and horses alike, he sees his dream dying. Will he have the courage to risk his life by standing up for himself and his horses?
3. REFLECTIONS:
The first two novels of this trilogy are fast-paced, short, and very well researched. Considering the slim size of the books, the author manages to pack in a lot of historical material about slaves, the civil war, and the Kentucky horse racing tradition without slowing down the plot or bogging down the lively characters.
I read each novel in less than six hours (I know this, because I read them during a road trip of about that length!) and the endearing character of Gabriel captured my imagination so much that not only didn't I get car sick, but I couldn't help but tear up at the end of the book! Hart does a wonderful job of creating dialect which is at once of the period and very believable. The conversation between characters flows naturally, and the descriptions of the races were riveting.
GABRIEL'S HORSES and GABRIEL'S TRIUMPH will appeal to all level of readers, both advanced and reluctant, and will have special appeal to young adults who enjoy reading about horses, the Civil War, and African-American history.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Booklist: "The boy's first-person, present-tense narrative brings close the thrilling horse racing––on the plantation, at the race course, and in the war––and the African American history in all its complexity."
School Library Journal: "The author grounds this fast-paced tale in historical fact by providing a nonfiction epilogue. Readers will find this wonderful blend of history and horses appealing."
5. CONNECTIONS
* At Taylor Middle School, 8th grade students study the Civil War in both ELA and Social Studies classes. This novel would be great to read as a class novel or part of a literature circle.
* In the month of February, we celebrate Black History Month, and this series would be a welcome addition to a display of books by and about African-Americans.
No comments:
Post a Comment