The Georges and the Jewels

Gr 5–8—This first book in Smiley's "Horses of Oak Valley Ranch" series introduces listeners to Abby Lovitt and her family, who earn their living training and reselling horses. Daddy names all the mares Jewel, and the geldings George. That way, nobody gets too attached, because none of them are there to stay. Daddy considers a horse ready to sell when "a little girl can ride him," but when Ornery George arrives on the farm, he just may get the best of Abby. To add to the tension, Abby must learn to navigate the social hierarchy of seventh grade, as well as deal with the the fact that her big brother Danny has run away following a serious argument with Daddy. In this wholesome and poignant story, Smiley makes some of the predominant themes from her adult books accessible to young readers. Although listeners will miss Elaine Clayton's lovely pen and ink illustrations that grace the beginning of each chapter in the book, narrator Angela Goethals makes up for it with an utterly genuine performance as the young Abby.