The escape

THE CHERISHED BOND between humans and horses is celebrated in many beloved children's books, from "National Velvet" to "War Horse." But when the real connection is already palpable, why do writers take their horse stories deeply into the realm of the imaginary? Two new books for middle-grade readers use different approaches to the equestrian genre to explore these fantasies. "A Hundred Horses," by Sarah Lean, tells the story of Nell, a melancholy English girl living alone with her mother, who works long hours to support them. "My life is a list of mostly boring or pointless activities that I didn't choose," she sighs, "with a car drive and waiting in between." Nell's mother has purged the house of all visible traces of Nell's father, who moved to Las Vegas seven years ago. When Nell is told she is to spend two weeks at her Aunt Liv's home in the country, she bristles. She doesn't want to stay in a strange house with two babyish cousins. While packing, she discovers one remaining relic of her father, a broken toy carousel in an old suitcase. Nell smuggles the carousel to her aunt's, but a mysterious rider galloping down a village lane nearly tramples her and the suitcase is stolen. In her efforts to recover the carousel, Nell meets Angel, a strange girl with a secret rapport with the village animals. As Nell gets to know Angel, she also unravels two competing myths she hears about a herd of 100 horses, said to be either magical or a bad omen. Will the 99 horses that belong to the village's Keldacombe Farm really be sold at auction? The more Nell tries to separate myth from reality, the more those distinctions blur - a princess enters the story, as does an angel with wings. Lean's imagination runs wild, but her descriptions of a girl who rediscovers hope and wholeness remain firmly rooted in truth. Kathryn Lasky's "Horses of the Dawn" shares a similar level of fantasy in a very different setting. Lasky, a prolific children's author whose awards include the Newbery Honor, tells of the arrival of European horses in the New World in the 16th century. Following in the tradition of Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty," the story is told from the horses' perspective, principally that of a filly, Estrella, who is born on a ship bound for Mexico and leads a herd to what would become the American West. Sometimes the fantasy goes too far. The horses talk to one another - and deer and macaws - in ways that can seem preposterous. ("By my withers!" is a common equine exclamation of disgust.) Estrella eats a peyote-like plant and has a hallucinatory conversation with a coyote she believes is her deceased mother. The herd encounters human sacrifice and scenes of terrible violence that may upset middle-grade readers. Yet there are moments of beauty in both books that feel true. When Nell helps to return the herd to Keldacombe Farm, the scene of the horses galloping back to their fields strikes the reader as wondrous. In such moments, make-believe becomes inspiring rather than far-fetched. On the ship, Estrella questions her dam about the meaning of her name. In the dark hold, she is unable to understand what a star is until she finally catches a glimpse of one reflected in her water bucket. "Mamita!" she exclaims in a rare moment of joy in captivity. "I am drinking a star!" JILLIAN DUNHAM, a writer and editor, is a farmer instructor at the United States Pony Clubs.

In the opening volume of her new series Horses of the Dawn, Lasky (author of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole books) reimagines the history of the reintroduction of horses to North America by Spanish conquistadors through the eyes of the horses they brought with them. Estrella, a plucky foal unexpectedly born on board a Spanish ship bound for the New World, is strong, brave, and wise beyond her years. She, along with three others, survives being tossed overboard into shark-infested waters by swimming to the Yucatan Peninsula. Thus begins her quest to find the land of the sweet grass only she can smell. The new herd faces dangers from animals and men alike. Lasky's delicate writing strikes a balance between exciting adventure story and family saga, and it's sprinkled with real historical events such as the retreat of Cortes from the Aztec capital Teotihuacan. Readers will root for Estrella and eagerly await the next installment in what is sure to be a popular series.--Szwarek, Magan Copyright 2014 Booklist

Inspired by Hernando Cortes's 1519 reintroduction of horses to the New World for the first time in several thousand years, this inventive novel launches the Horses of the Dawn series. Lasky (the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series) tells the story through the perspective of Estrella, a filly determined to find her bloodline's ancient home in the New World. Born on a ship sailed by Spaniards on a gold-seeking mission to Mexico, Estrella, her dam (mother), and several other horses are thrown overboard to lighten the vessel. As her mother sinks after a shark attack, a flash in her eyes reveals to Estrella her destiny to follow the scent of sweet grass and the image of a tiny, sprinting horse to lead her herd to freedom. A resonant mystical undercurrent marks the quest, which involves occasionally bloody clashes with animal predators and unscrupulous humans. Lasky successfully fuses fantasy and fact as she gives her equine characters credible emotional depth and underscores the tensions and disparity between Old and New World sensibilities. It's a haunting story of loss, self-discovery, survival, and homecoming. Ages 8-12. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.