A real and raw story of tragedy and resilience, Trillion Lau

Dog Tucker
Kathryn Drinkwater
Scholastic
Pub. 2009

April 29, 2022

Dog Tucker is a feel-good novel – author K. Drinkwater will pull your heartstrings as you watch young Devlin grow. He has had a tough run in life so far, and the story begins with the 13-year-old fighting against his bullies at school. But when he saves a horse from ending up as dog tucker, he leaves his rebellion against everything and everyone in the past. Instead, Devlin becomes a devoted family member who helps his loved ones escape his mother’s horrible partners.

In the past, he struggled at school and acted out because his family rejected him. Read more

April, 2022 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: foster home, hardship, horses, K. Drinkwater, resilience, rural No comments yet

A story about special and timeless connections, Grace Fonoti

The Island of Lost Horses
Stacy Gregg
HarperCollins
Pub. 2014

April 19, 2022

Stacy Gregg’s The Island of Lost Horses has everything a keen reader could want: suspense, drama, and best of all, horses. It is about a girl named Beatriz who loves horses but has never actually ridden one. She lives on a floating boat with her mum, who studies jellyfish.

When they find an island with horses, Beatriz knows that something is different. Something is calling her to the island, drawing her in. She decides to go investigate more, and to her surprise, finds a sole inhabitant. Read more

April, 2022 Melissa Review archive, Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: Europe, historical fiction, horses, Stacy Gregg