Jane F. Kendall

Mildly interesting story of a Lipizzaner stallion "in his own words" . I found it not particularly absorbing - the presentation never caught me. The information - what happened, during and after WWII, to the Lipizzaners and the Spanish Riding School, plus the breeding and training regime for the horses - was interesting. Cute bit about a woman (girl) secretly riding Maestoso Petra when his assigned rider is injured. This is not historical, but amusing. I'm glad I read the book, but have no interest in reading it again.… (más)

This was a wonderful little book! Maestoso Petra is a Lipizzaner stallion born in Piber, then taken to Vienna to train at the famous Spanish Riding School with other famous Lipizzaners. He bonds with his trainer and rider, and the little girl named Liesl, who brings him special treats. He lives like royalty until World War II breaks out and everything suddenly changes. It's unsafe for both humans and horses alike in Vienna, so they head west, and don't return to Vienna for ten whole years. During the war it's frightening and everything is uncertain, but wonderful American soldiers eventually come to rescue them. Meastoso Petra is briefly reunited with his mother, Mama Petra, which I thought was wonderful. Liesl secretly rides him in the reopening of the Winter Riding Hall in front of hundreds of very important people, which I was also very happy about. This was a good book, but I think it could have been better if there had been more time spent explaining Maestoso Petra's training at the Spanish Riding School. He talks about learning all these complicated moves that only Lipizzaners can do, but very little about *how* he learned them.… (más)

PSC REVIEW: The 9th book in the Horse Diaries series is set in the Civil War south. Tennessee Rose is a Tennessee Walker. One of her favorite people is Levi, a slave groom. She becomes the master’s horse, taking him into Civil War battles, Circumstances led her back into Levi’s care as the reader finds out what freedom means to a former slave as well as a horse. Rose tells her own story in a very gentle way. Although I question some of the antebellum details like the school that has been built for the slaves on the plantation, this old-fashioned story is a good choice for young horse lovers. Certainly, as a Marguerite Henry lover, I would have devoured these books as well. A little historical fiction mixed in with horse information is nice. In this case, the reader discovers what the fifth gait of the Tennessee Walker is and why it is such a special riding horse. As we implement the Common Core stressing informational text into our curriculum, I particularly like the appendix giving more information about the Tennessee Walker and the Civil War.… (más)