A Giddy Return to the Second-Most Awkward Years of My Life

From the ages of 10 until about 13 I was obsessed with horses. And no, that word is not too strong. I had tons of books about horses that I read over and over again, I'd read all of The Saddle Club and Thoroughbred something or other, I had posters all over my room, and my favorite day of the week was whatever day my riding lessons were on. My obsession was so deep, I was the subject of much ridicule among my older brother and his friends, but he also used to like Korn, so I'd say we're even.

Today's book really brought me back. Wild Girl, by Patricia Reilly Giff, centers around Lidie, a young girl from Brazil who is finally going to move to Long Island, where her father and brother have been living for several years now. Her father trains race horses while her brother is an exercise rider, soon to be jockey. She goes into the move with high expectations, but quickly finds them all dashed. Her father and brother think she's still a little kid, nobody at school understands her, and the home she lives in now is nothing like the loud, wild home she grew up in.

Meanwhile, a young filly named Wild Girl, is going through the growing pains that all young race horses experience, after being separated from her mother and treated with less-than-kindness by her trainers. But then, she is purchased by Lidie's father and comes to live on the same farm as Lidie. There, they strike up a friendship and a deep connection that helps them both heal some aches in their hearts.

Outside of the fact that I would have loved (and analyzed for factual misrepresentations) this book to death as a kid, I thought it was a good book for students who have moved here from another country. Lidie goes through some serious pains that all students who are new to the country have to experience at one point, and I thought Reilly Giff did a really nice job showing how that initial embarrassment feels.

I have to say, I'm pretty pleased I stumbled upon this book in the used books section of the local bookstore. It definitely is a dense enough book to use for guided reading or book club, filled with opportunities for discussion of symbolism and turning points. The use of two different perspectives (Lidie's and Wild Girl's) adds a small layer of complication to understanding, but is easy enough to work out for one's self. I would also like to just leave this book in my classroom library and let some horse crazy reluctant reader (such as myself at ten years old) find this book. I can't find a reading level anywhere for this book, but if I had to guess for myself, I would say it's a Q or R. All in all, another great book by a trustworthy author.