Gabriel's Horses [Hardcover]

Alison Hart (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

In the first book of this engrossing middle-grade trilogy set during the Civil War, a young Kentucky slave dares to pursue his dream of becoming a jockey.

The year is 1864 and twelve-year-old Gabriel hopes to one day become a famous jockey. Although he is a the son of a free black father and a slave mother-making him a slave as well-he loves to help his father, one of the best horse trainers in Kentucky, care for the thoroughbred racehorses on Master Giles's farm.

But the violence of war disrupts the familiar routine of daily life on the farm. One-Arm Dan Parmer and his band of Confederate raiders are threatening area farms and stealing horses. When Gabriel's father enlists in a Colored Battalion to help the Union Army and earn enough money to purchase freedom for his wife and son, Gabriel is both proud and worried. But the absence of his father brings the arrival of Mr. Newcastle, a white horse trainer with harsh, cruel methods for handling horses...and people.

Now it is up to Gabriel to protect the horses he loves from Mr. Newcastle and keep them safely out of the clutches of One-Arm Dan and his men.

Author Alison Hart mines the complex relationships between white and black, slave and master, Unionist and Confederate, and old and young in this gripping work of historical fiction. Young readers will experience the danger and drama of a time when war split the country and human beings were segregated into the owners and the owned based on the color of their skin. Background historical material and photos are included.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—A story set in Kentucky horse country during the Civil War. Gabriel, 12, is a slave but dreams of becoming a famous jockey. His father, a free man married to a slave, is a trainer for Master Giles's stable of Thoroughbreds. When the man enlists in the Union Army to earn the money to buy his wife's freedom, Gabriel must adjust to a cruel new trainer. Although the war's impact in Kentucky is less dire than in other Southern states, marauding bands of Confederate raiders terrorize residents, seeking horses, food, and anything else they can steal. One Arm Dan's bunch raids Master Giles's farm, not for food, but for the horses that Gabriel is determined to protect. Outnumbered, his only choice is to take eight of the animals and run. Master Giles, a kind man, rewards the boy's cunning and bravery by granting him his freedom and a paid job as his top jockey. Characters talk about the many faces of freedom, from actual emancipation, to being allowed to learn reading and writing, to realizing the dream of working at what you love. More subtle signs of liberation are seen in the black freemen who call Giles "Mister" and the slaves who address him as "Master." The author grounds this fast-paced tale in historical fact by providing a nonfiction epilogue. Readers will find this wonderful blend of history and horses appealing.—Ann Robinson, Moultonborough Academy Library.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

On a Kentucky plantation during the Civil War, slave Gabriel Alexander, 12, cares for his master's Thoroughbred racehorses and dreams of being a great jockey, just like his dad. After Pa enlists with the Yankees, the boy also yearns to be a soldier and fight for freedom. At the core of this stirring historical novel is the question of what freedom means. Runaway slaves and freemen join the Yankee army only to dig ditches and collect firewood for white soldiers. The boy's first-person, present-tense narrative brings close the thrilling horse racing––on the plantation, at the race course, and in the war––and the African American history in all its complexity. In this first entry in the planned Racing to Freedom trilogy, the cast is huge, with dozens of names on every page––family, plantation workers, horses––and it would be helpful if the next two books included a list of characters for readers' reference. Extensive historical notes and a bibliography close. Rochman, Hazel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 161 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Pub Ltd (J) (April 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561453986
• ISBN-13: 978-1561453986
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,009,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alison Hart has been writing since she was seven years old when she wrote, illustrated and self-published The Wild Dog. (A book she still shows young readers to prove that it's never too early to be an author.) Today she is an adjunct college instructor teaching reading and writing as well as the author of over twenty mysteries and historical suspense novels for children and teens, including Gabriel's Horses, which has been nominated for over eight state awards. "I honed my craft writing Nancy Drew mysteries and quickly developed a love of strong characters who are thrown into suspenseful situations; in other words, I love writing books that keep young readers glued to the pages."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My daughter LOVED it, May 13, 2007

By 

J. Sheehy "Momofthree" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gabriel's Horses (Hardcover)

My daughter loves horses and oves this book. She is anxiously waiting for the second part of the trilogy. There are very few times that she finds a book she can not put down but this was a winner. I would love to find more books like this but for the 13-15 age group.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book!, October 1, 2007

By 

Patricia Anderson (wesley chapel, fl United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gabriel's Horses (Hardcover)

I am a social studies teacher in Florida and I'll admit it--I did not know anything about horse-racing during the Civil War. This book was very informative, fun to read, and well written. I applaud Ms. Hart for writing a book that middle school children can understand AND learn about history from! I couldn't put it down and found myself telling my classes about it. If you love horses, horse stories, history, or reading about the fight for freedom, you'll enjoy this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, April 10, 2007

By 

Virginia Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gabriel's Horses (Hardcover)

An exciting and moving story about a little known piece of American history, that of enslaved people - young as well as old - working as jockeys in Kentucky around the time of the Civil War. Schools and libraries would do well to get copies of this book, as the research, details, and storytelling are flawless. Young readers will find this book to have everything they hope for - real characters, interesting settings, and an adventure that refuses to be put down. It's great to know that this is to be a triology; there are two more novels to come!