Gift Horse [Hardcover]

Betty Levin (Author), Jos. A. Smith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

An unlikely wish comes true--in a big way. When Matt realizes his dream of owning a horse, he discovers that keeping a horse in a suburban community is filled with obstacles. Here is another on-target novel by the author of Starshine and Sunglow. B&W illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-Matt's dream of owning a real horse seems about to come true when his eccentric Uncle Oliver promises to send him one. Forty long pages later, with no real notice to the boy or his parents, a Norwegian Fjord horse and four bales of hay are delivered to his house. With help from his brother, sister, and best friend, Matt attempts to keep the horse happy and healthy in the converted barn/garage behind their house. Then they try to convince their parents that this is feasible in a modern neighborhood. Problems with zoning laws come to a head at the local pet show, when Matt is also forced to confront his horse's need for room to roam. A slow and awkward beginning, with an overwhelming number of undeveloped characters and extraneous events, distract readers from the overall plot. A rather abrupt ending, in which Matt finally realizes and resignedly accepts that his gift horse was only temporary, is a little harsh. This novel is not outstanding among the many stories of this genre where ignorant child gets horse, and both child and horse are fortunate not to be injured.
Christina Linz, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-6. "If you could have just one thing, what would it be?" Matt's wealthy great-uncle poses this question, and Matt, without hesitation, asks for a horse. So Matt and his best friend, Jerry, begin preparing a stall for the horse that Uncle Oliver promises, and eventually Loki, a Norwegian fjord horse, with striped legs and a mane that sticks straight up in the air, arrives. Loki is a hit with the neighbors, who want to buy its manure, and the kids, who want to ride on its back, but Matt's parents insist he can't keep the horse. The boys, with the help of Matt's older brother and sister, begin to devise a scheme to keep Loki. Youngsters will be thoroughly entertained by this charming story, and Levin also manages to weave in tidbits of information on rare and endangered animals throughout the plot. Illustrations by Jos. A. Smith not seen in galley. Lauren Peterson

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (October 31, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688146988
• ISBN-13: 978-0688146986
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,844,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good, realistic horsie book., October 13, 2000

By 

Jennifer R Short (Gaithersburg, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gift Horse (Hardcover)

This book is a nice little story about a horse-crazy boy who has to deal with the fact that his family has no way to buy or keep a horse. He keeps his hopes up, and to the dismay of his parents, his eccentric uncle has a Fjord pony delivered to his house. This is the story of how the boy, his friends and his two siblings work to keep the horse. It is fairly modern, pretty realistic, and could actually happen today. It is nicely written and a good read.

5.0 out of 5 stars How Do You Like Horses???..., May 8, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Gift Horse (Hardcover)

Gift Horse
By Betty Levin

Have you ever wished for a horse? Well, in this book a boy named Matt has his wish come true! Matt asks his uncle Oliver for a horse and he gets a horse! But where will Matt put him? There are so many questions, so Matt and his siblings enter a contest. Will Matt win? Also, Matt needs to think, and fast! Matt's parents call a horse owner about Matt's horse! What will he do? Read Gift Horse by Betty Levin to find out!

I like this book because I love horses. Also it made me jealous because Matt gets a horse.

I think the main idea /lesson is that you should never give up on yourself, because if you give up on yourself you might never have the chance to achieve your goals.