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Don't tell my students that I finished this book ahead of our read aloud schedule. But it's a good thing I did. If you needed tissues for The Honest Truth, get two packs for this one. I'm sure I'll still cry reading aloud the last few chapters, but at least I might be able to do it without sobbing now.
Reading this book aloud right after finishing The Honest Truth has been magical. My students have made so many comparisons between the two books, and you should have heard the collective gasp when ...more
Reading this book aloud right after finishing The Honest Truth has been magical. My students have made so many comparisons between the two books, and you should have heard the collective gasp when ...more

Another sad one, folks. There has to be a novel published in 2016 that isn't about death and/or other bummers, right? I did really (I mean really, really) like this one. But I'm still and ever weary of this theme.
Set in the late 19th century, this is historical fiction at its most exciting. Our 12-year-old hero Joseph is tragically orphaned and alone in rural Washington State. He goes on a quest with one goal: to get his horse, Sarah, back. She's all he has left in the world. Along the way, Jos ...more
Set in the late 19th century, this is historical fiction at its most exciting. Our 12-year-old hero Joseph is tragically orphaned and alone in rural Washington State. He goes on a quest with one goal: to get his horse, Sarah, back. She's all he has left in the world. Along the way, Jos ...more

This book toyed so dramatically with my emotions that I almost resented it at times! It is an emotional roller coaster and very very sentimental. Despite getting one's heart pummeled, it is a story definitely worth your time, particularly on audio.
I'm definitely going to give this to the families who come into the library and ask me for "quality" literature, like "the kind I read when I was a kid." ...more
I'm definitely going to give this to the families who come into the library and ask me for "quality" literature, like "the kind I read when I was a kid." ...more

This is a typical kind of Dan Gemeinhart story: a protagonist who has suffered some terrible life circumstances, trying to do an impossible task. This time, it's Joseph, a nine year old orphan. His guardian sold Joseph beloved horse, and Joseph is determined to get the horse back. Joseph faced one life threatening event after another on his quest, making the story a bit hard to believe.
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I loved The Honest truth and Some Kind of Courage. I'm not usually an adventure book fan but both these books are fantastic and hard to put down.
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Considering I'm not interested in horses, or animals in general, and Westerns don't have any particular appeal for me, I thought this was pretty good. The emotion of the storyline is central, and the search for the thing that represents home and family was nicely done. Recommended for fans of adventure/survival/horse stories.
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Excellent Historical Fiction and coming of age book.
Bluebonnet 17-18
Bluebonnet 17-18

Jun 07, 2015
Dan
marked it as to-read

Nov 26, 2015
Kate Hastings
marked it as to-read

Apr 05, 2016
Jenny
marked it as to-read

Apr 07, 2016
Kris Springer
marked it as to-read


Aug 25, 2016
Sara
marked it as to-read

Nov 15, 2016
Beth
marked it as to-read


Jan 19, 2017
Alison
added it

Jun 17, 2019
Beth Given
marked it as to-read

Jan 23, 2020
Meagan
marked it as to-read