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A Good Horse: Book Two of the Horses of Oak Valley Ranch Hardcover – October 26, 2010

by Jane Smiley (Author)

4.5 136 ratings

Book 2 of 5: The Horses of Oak Valley Ranch

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When eighth grader Abby Lovitt looks out at those pure-gold rolling hills, she knows there’s no place she’d rather be than her family’s ranch—even with all the hard work of tending to nine horses. But some chores are no work at all, like grooming young Jack. At eight months, his rough foal coat has shed out, leaving a smooth, rich silk, like chocolate. As for Black George, such a good horse, it turns out he’s a natural jumper. When he and Abby clear four feet easy as pie, heads start to turn at the ring—buyers’ heads—and Abby knows Daddy won’t turn down a good offer.

Then a letter arrives from a private investigator, and suddenly Abby stands to lose not one horse but two. The letter states that Jack’s mare may have been sold to the Lovitts as stolen goods. A mystery unfolds, more surprising than Abby could ever expect. Will she lose her beloved Jack to his rightful owners?

Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley raises horses of her own, and her affection and expertise shine through in this inviting horse novel for young readers, set in 1960s California horse country and featuring characters from The Georges and the Jewels.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 6-8–Eighth-grader Abby Lovitt loves caring for her family's nine horses. Her favorites are Jack and Black George, though she runs the risk of losing both. Black George is an excellent jumper, and after he and Abby win first place in a contest, he is sold for a considerable profit. The family receives a series of letters from a private investigator indicating that Jack's mother fits the description of a stolen horse, meaning that she might have been sold to them without the true owner's permission. The illustrations of horse equipment add some depth to the story; however, the plot falls flat. The level of depth Smiley uses to describe some details, as when Abby and her friends play the “Adverbs” game, will not engage most readers, and the laborious descriptions of Abby's riding experiences will only appeal to avid horse lovers. The side stories involving Abby's brother moving out because of their strict, puritanical father is confusing and the story of Abby and her friends acting out Julius Caesar might leave readers a bit lost. Instead of adding detail, these elements make for a murky, anticlimactic plot.–Adrienne L. Strock, Maricopa County Library District, AZ . (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Picking up shortly after The Georges and the Jewels (2009), this patient read continues the story of 13-year-old Abby, who finds herself feeling protective of Jack, a colt who might be the offspring of a stolen mare with an impressive pedigree. Smiley writes beautifully about Abby’s dawning awareness of the small sadnesses of life, though the book is so thoroughly obsessed with horse culture that only serious enthusiasts will willingly penetrate the long passages about riding, grooming, training, jumping, etc. But for that contingent, Smiley is a godsend—few other authors can balance dreaminess and realism so deftly. Grades 4-8. --Daniel Kraus

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf Books for Young Readers; Third Printing edition (October 26, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0375862293
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0375862298
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1010L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 6
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.85 x 0.96 x 8.54 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,916,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,237 in Children's Christian Animal Fiction
- #2,564 in Children's Farm Life Books
- #4,867 in Children's Horse Books (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 136 ratings

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Jane Smiley

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Jane Smiley (born September 26, 1949) is an American novelist. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992 for her novel A Thousand Acres (1991). Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and graduated from Community School and from John Burroughs School. She obtained a BA in literature at Vassar College (1971), then earned an MA (1975), MFA (1976), and PhD (1978) from the University of Iowa. While working towards her doctorate, she also spent a year studying in Iceland as a Fulbright Scholar. From 1981 to 1996 she was a Professor of English at Iowa State University, teaching undergraduate and graduate creative writing workshops, and continuing to teach there even after relocating to California.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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4.5 out of 5

136 global ratings

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john doe 1109

Excellent series

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2022

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The 5 books in this jane smiley series are all excellent. She knows horses🌞 i just hope she is writing more to finish up the familys story🤞 thank u.

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2021

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I loved the detail of horses and show jumping included in this story. Took me back to when I was a child.

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EllaBellaV

A Good Horse, not a Great Horse

Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2011

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A Good Horse is a good horse book. It's well-written, and really puts you in the writer's too-tight riding boots. However, I felt that the ending was a little too cliche, and somewhat abrupt. The experiences in the book are believable, and for actual riders hold very true - when you know the height of the jumps, it makes them seem infinitely more difficult! All in all, it was a good, quick read that was well put together, but could've used an extra chapter or two at the end to finish things off.

3 people found this helpful

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GP

I love horses

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2013

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This is a fantastic book for those whoose mothers are ragging on them about not reading enough challengeing literature.
I am obsessed with horses and this is a perfect for girls who are obsessed with horses.
Although it took me a while to figure out when the book took place, once i did this book was even more fabulous.
Most of the time though, you have to kind of figure out and try to understand the whole worlthst Abby lives in, the religious wold and the date and time in history.
I highly recommend this book!

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2021

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Jane Smiley is amazing g! Not all authors can switch audiences easily, but her you ng adult fiction is as delightful as her adult books. Brava !

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Linda R. Harrington

This Book Is So Good It Generated A Thank-You Note from My Granddaughter

Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2013

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One of my granddaughters is a voracious reader who loves horses. I am a voracious reader who loves Jane Smiley novels. I sent this book to my granddaughter (and downloaded a copy to my own computer so I could read what she was about to read). Both of us enjoyed the book and recommend it (and the author). As I said in the caption, this book is so good it generated a thank you note from my granddaughter!

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Tambra D Graham

Arrived without cover.

Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2021

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Great book. But When you pay the extra price for a hardcover book, I’d like the dust jacket (cover) that goes with it. This one arrived without one and did not mention that in the description.

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2014

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I like but don't love this series of books. They were recommended by a friend because I'm into natural horsemanship, but I didn't feel that they represented the topic all that well. It sort of implied that a couple of "tricks" would fix almost any horse in no time. Still, for the youth audience, they are nice books and good reading.

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Jacqueline D'Acre

Wow! Ms. Smiley really knows her horses!

Reviewed in Canada on February 6, 2019

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I am an author and I always write about horses I was bowled over when I read Old Stewball...in this marvellous book. l I used to sing this each time I rode.my great black stallion, retired rscehorse, Clare Grafton.
I sang it as I read.
Love this book,

Pentimenta

Schöne Serie

Reviewed in Germany on May 14, 2015

Verified Purchase

Eigentlich bin ich längst raus aus der "Pony"zeit, und Pferdebücher lese ich schon lange nicht mehr - bis diese Serie daher kam. Ich mag Jane Smileys Bücher für Erwachsene, und als Mädel war ein Pferd mein Traum. Irgendwann hab ich in einem Impuls das erste Buch dieser Serie gekauft. Ich ahnte einfach, ein Pferdebuch von Smiley, das ist kein Schneider-Buch-Niveau. Was diese Bücher von den Pferdebüchern meiner Kinderzeit unterscheidet, sind das Setting, dass für sich selbst schon interessant ist - eine religiöse Familie auf einer Farm in den Sechzigern, die sich hieraus ergebenden Gegensätze zwischen dem Leben der Protagonistin Abby und dem ihrer Klassenkameradinnen (nicht alles dreht sich also um Pferde), glaubwürdig aufgebaute Charaktere, ein komplexes Innenleben der Hauptperson Abby, und das enorme Wissen Smileys über Pferde und die Reiterei. Dank ihr hab ich jetzt, lange nach Beendigung meiner aktiven Reiterzeit, ein paar grundlegende Dinge zumindest in der Theorie kapiert, die mir kein brüllender Reitlehrer vermitteln konnte...

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Gary M. Mason.

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on July 12, 2018

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I thought this book was excellent. I love it

mystarmajestic

Ok for a very young child

Reviewed in Canada on June 13, 2018

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