Unicorns Don't Give Sleigh Rides (The Adventures of The Bailey School Kids Series #28) »

There are some pretty weird grown-ups living in Bailey City.

When Liza takes a spill at the local stables and hurts her knee, she could swear a magical creature comes to her rescue. Her friends don't believe her, but Liza is sure that it was no ordinary horse pulling that sleigh. Could Mr. Withers, the man who runs the stables, really be keeping a unicorn?

Children's Literature

Liza and her friends Melody, Eddie and Howie are headed to the Bailey City Stables to take care of the pony Liza rides. Liza is limping because of a fall she took slipping on ice the evening before. She tells her friends she was rescued by a unicorn pulling a sleigh, but they don't believe her. Still, they begin to discover little miracles, like poinsettias growing through the snow beside the barn. As Liza points out, poinsettias are tropical plants and would freeze in snowy country. She also mentions the myth that magical flowers grow where a unicorn walks. Eddie gets mad at his friends because they tease him, which he hates—not that he minds teasing others. He stays outside when the others go into the barn, and he discovers a snowy white horse that leads him to an abandoned barn. There, he finds a kitten which he takes back to his friends. Liza insists the horse Eddie saw is magic. Eddie says he's going to prove her wrong. The next day, the group takes a sleigh ride. They find poinsettias growing by the abandoned barn. Liza is sure the plants are there to lead them to something. Sure enough, they find an abandoned puppy. Eddie's plan to prove Liza wrong backfires, and Howie's plan to search all the stalls for the unicorn nets them the job of cleaning out the stalls. Then, Liza comes up with the idea of Mr. Withers, the stables owner, donating the abandoned barn to the city for an animal shelter. The book is from "The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids" series. It's a nice read with a good message about caring for others. Reviewer: Sarah Maury Swan