
Reach for this book when your child is grappling with the weight of family responsibility or feeling the strain of a sudden change in family roles due to illness. It is an ideal choice for a child who feels like their own dreams are being sidelined by the needs of those around them, providing a quiet space to process feelings of resentment, duty, and deep love. Set in the early 20th century during the polio epidemic, the story follows Lily as she navigates the difficult reality of her father's illness. While she longs for a horse of her own, she must instead step up to help run the family farm. This 131-page novel is developmentally perfect for 8 to 12-year-olds, offering a realistic look at historical hardship while maintaining a core of hope and resilience. It serves as a gentle bridge for discussing how families pull together during a crisis without losing sight of an individual child's hopes.
Depicts the emotional strain of a parent's life-threatening illness and financial instability.
The book deals directly with life-threatening illness (polio) and the looming threat of death and financial loss. The approach is realistic and secular, focusing on the grit required to survive. The resolution is hopeful but grounded: while not every wish comes true in the way Lily expects, the family remains intact and resilient.
A thoughtful 10-year-old who is currently taking on more responsibility at home or a child who feels 'stuck' in their circumstances and needs to see a peer find agency through hard work and determination.
Read cold. Parents should be prepared to discuss the historical context of polio, including the fear surrounding the disease in the early 1900s and the lack of effective treatments at the time. The physical descriptions of the father's struggle can be vivid for sensitive children. A parent might choose this after seeing their child exhibit 'quiet resentment' over chores or after a family member has been diagnosed with a chronic or acute illness that shifts the household dynamic.
Younger readers (age 8) will focus on the horse-related elements and the basic fear of a parent being sick. Older readers (11-12) will better grasp the nuanced conflict between Lily's personal desires, such as owning a horse, and her duty to the farm.
Unlike many horse stories that focus on the bond between girl and animal, this is a story about the absence of the horse and how that void is filled with the dignity of labor and family loyalty. """
Set in Vermont in the early 1900s, twelve-year-old Lily dreams of owning a horse, but her world is upended when her father contracts polio. As her father fights for his life and the family faces financial ruin, Lily and her mother must take over the grueling labor of the farm. The narrative focuses on Lily's internal struggle between her personal desires and the heavy, often exhausting, demands of family duty.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
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