Riding Lessons (an Ellen & Ned Book)

Gr 3-5—Pulitzer Prize-winning author Smiley pens the first book in a new series set in the 60s about a fourth-grade girl who loves riding and horses. Ned is a retired racehorse who Ellen meets at her riding lesson and they instantly have a magical connection; she can see and hear him even when they are far apart. Ellen soon finds out that she was adopted and that her parents are adopting another baby girl. Ellen is precocious and has to work on following rules and not speaking out of turn. She learns discipline through the riding lessons with her instructor and by observing other girls in her class. Ellen and Ned help each other navigate their surroundings through their telepathic communication. VERDICT A quiet work of historical fiction for horse lovers. A secondary purchase.—Sarah Wilsman, Bainbridge Library, Chagrin Falls, OH