From Pulitzer Prize–nominated New York Times reporter Sarah Maslin Nir, the author of the memoir Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman in Love with an Animal, comes the third book in her Once Upon a Horse series of middle-grade novels inspired by real horses and the people who love them Lights . . . Camera . . . Giddyap? Billy is a Norwegian Fjord horse—short as horses go, but with the natural star power of a Hollywood celebrity. Lori Allegria is a horse-loving seventh grader as awkward as she is tall for her age, who finds refuge from her shyness on her family farm with her best friend: Billy, the Fjord. Their peace is shattered when Billy is “discovered” by Marlowe Narang, superstar kid actor, and given the opportunity of a horsey lifetime—to star in a film! And with that, the chance for Lori and her mom to save their struggling stables. Lori tearfully agrees to send her horse to a new life across the country on the set of Marlowe’s newest Hollywood production, a Western set in a real ghost town. But Billy’s star turn is cut short when a mountain lion stalks the desert set and sends him fleeing into the Mojave. When word gets back to Lori, she runs away too—to find her Billy! Lost in the endless desert, as horse and girl make their way to each other, Lori and Billy both find they are not alone. Joined in their search by a cast of characters including wild donkeys, a sassy teenage cowgirl, a plucky service dog, and even the world’s biggest kid actor himself, The Star Horse is a story about finding your herd—human and horse—and along the way, finding your voice. Once Upon a Horse series The Flying Horse (#1) The Jockey & Her Horse (#2), written with Raymond White Jr. The Star Horse (#3)

Lisa love being a member of the Saddle Club. But lately, Stevie and Carole haven't had time for her or their friendship. And if she can'tconvince her friends that their club is just as important, she may have to find new members to replace them. . . .

A girl who longs for her own horse is given the chance to care for a troubled, damaged horse, who needs her as much as she needs him. Fourteen-year-old Jane Ryan has always dreamed of having a horse of her own—but so long as she gets to ride her favorite school horse, Beau, at Sunny Acres farm, she's content. And this is the summer she means to try out for the advanced riding class. But just as camp begins, Jane receives heartbreaking news about Beau. She loses, not just her favorite horse, but also her chance to ride in the end-of-summer competition. When her trainer asks for her help with an out-of-control chestnut warmblood, Lancelot, a newcomer to the barn, she has no choice but to say yes. There's another new addition to the farm: Ben Reyes, the grandson of the barn's manager. As Jane struggles to go on without Beau, and to make Lancelot the great horse she believes him to be, her feelings for Ben, her relationships with the privileged group of girls she rides with, and her painful, joyous road to self-discovery all lead to a heart-pounding conclusion that is truly a new beginning. Only Jane's faith in Lancelot, and her own rediscovered skill and strength, can see her through the hard journey toward a horse of her own.

Several children who live on a ranch in Montana spend the summer playing with a gentle old horse which had been left in their yard.