Beware the Mare [Paperback]

Jessie Haas (Author), Martha Haas (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

The mare Gramp brings home to Lily seems perfect, but Lily still wants to uncover the mystery behind Beware's ominous name. "Convincing and appealing and the descriptions of riding and horsekeeping are detailed enough for young enthusiasts to imagine themselves there....A well-written offering."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-- A better-than-average "girl-gets-horse" story. Lily and her mother live on a farm with Gran and horse-trader Gramp. When he brings home a new mare, he is suspicious of her name, "Beware," and supervises Lily's actions around her. As the two of them investigate how Beware got her name, Gramp communicates useful handling tips and Lily falls in love with her seemingly perfect horse. Beware ends the mystery in a somewhat disappointing scene; she demands to have her itchy belly scratched when blackflies bother her. Told in the third-person, the book will capture young horse lovers with its believable characters and realistic dialogue. Simple vocabulary and short sentences make it accessible for transitional or slow readers. Offer this to those who aren't quite ready for Marguerite Henry's "Misty" books (Macmillan). --Charlene Strickland, formerly at Albuquerque Public Library , NM
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

The mare Gramp brings home seems perfect in every way; neither Lily, an experienced rider who has outgrown her pony, nor Gramp himself, a knowledgeable horse trader when he's not at work at his job on the town roads, can find anything the matter with her. Still, Gramp is cautious, warning Lily that she shouldn't set her heart on a mount that may not work out: there must be some reason she's been named ``Beware.'' Skillfully, Haas (Skipping School, 1992) uses the mystery about what proves to be an unalarming behavioral quirk in an otherwise sweet and exemplary animal to provide enough tension to hold this charming vignette together, offering a slice of rural Vermont life so simply and vividly drawn that it's next thing to being there. Illustrations not seen, but the jacket painting by Lindsay Barrett George is unusually appealing. (Fiction. 6-12) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (October 21, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688149812
• ISBN-13: 978-0688149819
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,155,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars GREAT kid book., June 7, 2000

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Michelle Repecka "Mickie" (Celina TN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beware the Mare (Paperback)

A little short and the type is big. I would recommend it for 3rd grade or below. My 4 grader loved the STORY though. Beware is the NAME of the mare. My horse-crazy girl can't wait to get the next in the series.