Pie in the Sky

August 1, 2012
Smiley continues the equine adventures of Abby Lovett (True Blue, 2011, etc.). When Abby, now 14 and a high school freshman, takes her beloved horse True Blue to a local horse show, she's shocked by how poorly they perform over fences. A clinic immediately following, with a nationally known rider, goes no better: While he seems to like Abby's riding, he has nothing nice to say about Blue and is, in fact, so rude toward Abby's group that one girl, Sophia, gets off her horse and refuses to ride again. Period. Abby gets a chance to school Sophia's lovely horse Pie in the Sky, which helps her understand why Blue is having trouble. A completely different sort of clinic, with a "natural horseman" (a la Buck Brannaman, the inspiration for The Horse Whisperer), gets Abby, Sophia and Blue back on the road to success. Smiley's writing is, as always, nearly flawless. Her evocation of the horse world of northern California in the 1960s is pitch-perfect, and Abby remains a complex and sympathetic character. But this story carries less weight than its three predecessors. Readers will believe from the start that Abby will sort out Blue's issues, and Sophia's problems are not particularly compelling. Without a strong problem, the story lacks tension and the resolution, force. Despite this shortcoming, another interesting read for horse lovers and Abby Lovett fans. (Fiction. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2012

Gr 5-8-Abby Lovitt, first introduced in A Good Horse (Knopf, 2010) returns. The teenage daughter of a respected horse trader, Abby can't remember not riding. She loves her beautiful but green horse, True Blue, but is stuck at an impasse training him. Her time is constrained even more when she is tapped to ride Pie in the Sky, a prize jumper whose owner, Sophia, no longer wants to ride. While working with Pie, Abby realizes how much she loves riding and how important it is to her to do something she's passionate about. Sophia recovers her desire to ride after seeing Abby having so much fun on Pie. Abby also learns lessons about pride and the importance of family and friends. Her relationships with her family are well drawn, but her friends are one-dimensional and often introduced without explanation. The northern California setting and late-1960s time frame seem tacked on-they are not important to the story. Abby does much thinking and internal reasoning, making this a very character-centered novel. The book contains many details for horse-crazy readers, and the intended audience will probably be familiar with the specialized equestrian vocabulary frequently used. Purchase for fans of the first book.-Lisa Crandall, Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2013
Abby's new horse Blue plows through his jumps, so Abby is asked to school discouraged classmate Sophia's mount, Pie in the Sky. Can Abby get Sophia riding again, Pie in the Sky to mind her, and Blue to jump? As in Smiley's previous three volumes, Abby's believable voice and a finely tuned sense of place make this a standout for horse-book fans.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2012
Her first time showing on her horse Blue, Abby (The Georges and the Jewels, rev. 11/09; A Good Horse, rev. 11/10; True Blue, rev. 11/11) hopes to make a good impression. Instead, Blue plows through his jumps and ends up on the bank beside the judging stand, eye-to-eye with the influential judge Peter Finneran. At a clinic later that week, Finneran advises Abby to smack Blue smartly with the crop if he's about to refuse a jump. But when Abby tries it, it just makes Blue more frantic. Meanwhile, Finneran's brusque style discourages Abby's classmate, Sophia, from riding at all, and Abby is asked to school Sophia's high-priced mount, Pie in the Sky, while the other girl regains her confidence. Can Abby figure out how to get Sophia riding again, Pie in the Sky to mind her, and Blue to stop refusing his jumps? As in previous volumes, Abby's believable, engaging voice and her low-key demeanor, along with Smiley's finely tuned sense of place, make the story a standout for horse-book fans (although the details of advanced jumping may elude less technical readers). What's exciting in this book (and accessible to any level horse-lover) is Abby's in-depth analysis of the animals' behavior and her step-up to even greater achievements in "horse-whispering" -- actions that will deeply gratify anyone who's ever wished to become one with a horse. anita l. burkam

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)