Plot: Joel Goss, much to his delight, is allowed to "gentle" Little Bud, a tiny foal given to his schoolmaster to cancel a debt. However, the realities of horsemanship mean Bub will work hard for other owners. Nevertheless, Joel is determined to one day own the horse that managed to out-work, out-pull, and out-race every challenger. His dedication eventually allows him to keep the foal he once cared for, and lead to the creation of a breed representing the United States.
Genre: Historical Fiction, Animals, Coming of Age
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Similar Titles: King of the Wind, Black Beauty, Misty of Chincoteague
Personal Thoughts: The book won a Newbury Honor.
Like many of Henry's novels, the story focuses on a horse and how it affected its child caretakers. Unfortunately, it does not relay the actual history of the Morgan breed well. Apparently, the "first" Morgan was a stallion named Figure. Figure's lineage, as implied by the novel, remains debatable. However, he was not a random farm horse. Justin Morgan actually bred horses, including the stallion that eventually took his name. To learn more about the history of the Morgan horse, please view here and here.
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