Horse Diaries
Series · 16
books · 1761-2019
Books in series
#1
Elska
2009
Iceland, circa AD 1000
Elska is a silver dapple Icelandic filly. She spends summers frisking about the countryside and winters in the farmyard, where the girl human Amma takes special care of her. But when a powerful neighbor notices Elska, her contented life suddenly changes. Here is Elska’s story . . . in her own words.
#2
Bell's Star
2009
Vermont, 1850s
Bell’s Star is a brown Morgan colt with a white star and two white stockings. He was bred for hard work, yet he longs to run free with his human friend, Katie, on his back. But when Star helps rescue a runaway slave girl, his ideas about freedom may change forever. Here is Star’s story . . . in his own words.
With exciting and knowledgeable text and lovely black-and-white art throughout—both by real horse owners—Horse Diaries are the perfect fit for all lovers of horses and history!
#3
Koda
2009
For anyone who has ever dreamed of hearing a horse’s story . . .
Independence, Missouri, 1846
Koda is a bay quarter horse with a white blaze. He loves to explore the countryside and run free with his human friend Jasmine nearby. But after Koda sets out with Jasmine’s family on a long and dusty wagon train journey on the Oregon Trail, he finds out what is truly important to him. Here is Koda’s story . . . in his own words.
With moving and knowledgeable text and lovely black-and-white art throughout—both by real horse people—this is the perfect fit for all lovers of horses and history!
#4
Maestoso Petra
2010
Vienna, Austria, 1938
Maestoso Petra is a world-famous Lipizzaner stallion. He has spent years in the Spanish Riding School, training to perform the complex airs above the ground that only Lipizzaner can accomplish. But when World War II breaks out in Europe, he learns to think less about performing and more about survival. Here is Maestoso Petra’s story . . . in his own words.
#5
Golden Sun
2010
For anyone who has ever dreamed of hearing a horse’s story...
Oregon, 1790
Golden Sun is a chestnut snowflake Appaloosa. In summer, he treks through the mountains with his rider, a Nez Perce boy named Little Turtle, as he gathers healing plants. But when Little Turtle’s best friend falls ill, Golden Sun discovers his true calling. Here is Golden Sun’s story...in his own words.
With moving and knowledgeable text and lovely black and white art throughout—by a mother-daughter team of horse experts—this is the perfect fit for all lovers of horses and history!
#6
Yatimah
2011
For all lovers of horses and history, it's the next book in the popular Horse Diaries series. Born in the Arabian Desert in the ninth century, Yatimah is a black Arabian filly whose name means "orphan." She enjoys her life at the oasis, with sheep to tease, other foals to race, and the daughter of her Bedouin owner to take care of her. But when the colt who is her foster brother is stolen in a raid, Yatimah realizes her true birthright. Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's own point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about Arabian horses and Bedouin culture.
#7
Risky Chance
2011
For all lovers of horses and history, it's the next book in the popular Horse Diaries series. Born in California at the start of the Great Depression, Risky Chance is a gray thoroughbred who was born to race. Life at the track and being spoiled by his jockey's young daughter, Marie, is all Chance could ask for. He loves nothing more than running fast and winning. But after an accident, Chance discovers a side of horse racing that has little to do with glory.
Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's own point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about thoroughbreds, horse racing, and the Great Depression.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
#8
Black Cloud
2012
Born in Northern Nevada in 1950, Black Cloud is a black-and-white mustang colt. He loves roaming free with the rest of his herd, playing with the other foals, and learning the ways of wild horses. But when humans intrude on this wandering life, Black Cloud's world is changed forever. Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's own point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about mustangs and the history of the laws protecting them.
#9
Tennessee Rose
2012
Alabama, 1856. Tennessee Rose is a dark bay Tennessee Walking Horse with a rose-shaped marking on her forehead. She loves dashing around the plantation in the running walk that her breed is famous for, then coming back to her comfortable stall and her friend Levi, the slave boy who is her groom. But as the Civil War approaches, Rosie begins to question plantation life. Is slavery fair? Could Levi be free? Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about Tennessee Walking Horses and the Civil War.
#10
Darcy
2013
Ireland, 1917. Darcy is a light gray Connemara pony with silver dapples. She's fast and tough, whether she's pulling a load of peat from the bog or riding around the rugged countryside with Shannon McKenna, her human family's eldest daughter. But when Mrs. McKenna needs a doctor, Darcy discovers a skill that will change her and her family's life forever. Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about Connemara ponies and Irish history.
#12
Luna
2015
For all lovers of horses and history, the beloved Horse Diaries series is heading to the circus!
A beautiful Friesian horse and the younger sister of a circus star develop a heartwarming friendship in this sweet and lively story told straight from the horse’s mouth.
The Netherlands, 1855
Luna is a black Friesian mare with one small white crescent- moon marking on her forehead. She lives a quiet life on a farm . . . until the circus comes to town! Luna bonds with a girl named May, who dreams of starring in the show, just like her older sister. And together, Luna and May just might be able to shine. Here is Luna’s story . . . in her own words.
#14
Calvino
2017
For all lovers of horses and history! This latest book in the Horse Diaries series features an Andalusian horse in romantic sixteenth-century Spain.
Southern Spain, 1570s
Calvino is a dapple-gray Andalusian stallion. He grew up driving cattle in the mountains, but soon he catches the eye of King Philip II’s horse master. Now Calvino and his young rider, Rico, must learn the complicated moves of doma clásica riding. Calvino doesn’t understand the use of this prancing—until he and Rico are chosen to represent the king in a deadly bullfight that will put all his skills to the test. Here is Calvino’s story . . . in his own words.
Praise for Elska (Horse Diaries #1):
“A must for horse lovers, the cozy and exciting adventure will draw a wide audience.” — Booklist
#15
Horse Diaries #11
Jingle Bells
2014
A heartwarming Clydesdale chapter book for the holiday season! For all lovers of horses, history, and the holidays, here’s a very special Horse Diaries book.
Wisconsin, 1915. Jingle Bells is a strong Clydesdale gelding. He enjoys his work on the farm, pulling the hay wagon in the summer and a sleigh in the winter, and he loves his human friend, Kari. But when Kari’s older brother comes home for Christmas with a new Model T Ford, will the family still need Jingle Bells?
#15
Lily
2018
For all lovers of horses and history! In the latest book in the Horse Diaries series, meet Lily, a strawberry roan Welsh pony with a competitive heart!SOUTH WALES, 1939: Lily, a strawberry roan Welsh pony, loves Pony Club! She and her rider, Gwen, compete in and win lots of events, including Lily's favorite—jumping! Then Bridget joins the Pony Club. The English girl was sent from London to escape the bombings brought on by war. Gwen tries to be friends, but Bridget is sour and mean. Even worse, Bridget and her horse, Bron, make the perfect jump look easy. Now Gwen and Lily have some real competition...
#16
Cinders
1761
In this Horse Diaries–meets–Dog Diaries Special Crossover Edition, a horse with a bad reputation meets his match in a no-nonsense fire dog and the biggest, hottest flames Chicago has ever seen! In the 1800s, firefighters needed horses to pull the fire trucks. But horses spook easily and run away from fire—so they needed fire dogs. Cinders is a dappled gray horse with a bad reputation. When he first arrives at the firehouse, he refuses to even enter his stall. But a kind man, his daughter, and a smart dalmatian named Sparky convince him he’s made to be a firehouse horse. Will he learn to brave the flames in time to stand up to the biggest, fiercest, most frightening fire the city has ever faced? Get the dog’s side of the story! Read Dog Diaries Special Sparky.
#16
Penny
2019
For all lovers of horses and history! In the latest book in the Horse Diaries series, meet Penny, a blue-eyed palomino paint mare who grows up in the Wild West of California during the Gold Rush!CALIFORNIA, 1850. Penny is a blue-eyed palomino paint mare with a taste for adventure! She and a boy named Jesse search for gold in the hills of Northern California. After striking it rich and then losing everything, Jesse and Penny join the Pony Express. The job is a tough one, but Penny loves a challenge! Here is Penny's story . . . in her own words.Love horses and history? Don't miss the stories of Elska, Bell's Star, Calvino, Lily, and more in the Horse Diaries series!
Authors
Alison Hart
Author · 33 books
Alison Hart is a pseudonym for writer Alice Leonhardt A Virginia author of over twenty mysteries and historical fiction novels for children and teens, loves “writing books that keep young readers glued to the pages.” At the age of seven she wrote, illustrated and self-published The Wild Dog, a book which she shows to readers to make the point that it is never too early to be an author.
Catherine Hapka
Author · 109 books
Catherine (Cathy) Hapka has written more than one hundred books for children and adults, as a ghostwriter for series as well as original titles, including the Romantic Comedies Something Borrowed, The Twelve Date of Christmas, and Love on Cue. She lives in Pennsylvania.
Whitney Sanderson
Author · 7 books
Whitney Sanderson grew up riding horses as a member of a 4-H club and competing in local jumping and dressage shows. She has written several books in the Horse Diaries chapter book series. She is also the author of Horse Rescue: Treasure, based on her time volunteering at an equine rescue farm. She lives in Massachusetts. (source: Amazon)
Kate Klimo
Author · 27 books
Kate Klimo spent her early years amidst the cornfields of Iowa where the winters were prodigious. Often, when the snows flash-thawed in the spring, she would find her backyard filled with the flapping, resurrected bodies of fish her ice-fishing father had stored in the snowdrifts. Thus sprang into her young head the unshakable notion that, all winter long, fish escaped from the rivers and magically swum through the snow banks of Mount Vernon, Iowa. When she moved to the little town of Sea Cliff, on Long Island Sound, she met her best friend Justine in the Stenson Memorial Library at the main desk, where they often checked out the same fantasy writers. Together, they read C.S. Lewis, E. Nesbit, Edward Eager, and George MacDonald and embarked on a tireless search for portals to magical worlds, extending from abandoned Victorian mansions to the decrepit local five-and-dime to the sandy cliffs sweeping down to the Sound. With her propensity for magical thinking and long-standing love of fantasy, does it come as any surprise that Kate grew up to be in the book business? But after over 25 years of heading up Random House Children’s Books, with the publication of The Dragon in the Sock Drawer in March 2008, Kate began to ease over to the author’s side of the desk. Now a full-time author, in addition to numerous one-off titles, she has written the middle-grade series The Dragon Keepers series and the Dog Diaries as well the Centauriad for young adults. Under the pen name Bonnie Worth, she has penned over a dozen books in the best-selling Cat in the Hat Learning Library. She lives in New Paltz, New York with her husband and two horses.
