THE STAR HORSE (Once Upon a Horse #3), by Sarah Maslin Nir, Harry N. Abrams, Sept. 17, 2024, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 8-12)
A Norwegian Fjord makes a cross-country journey to become a movie star in The Star Horse, by Sarah Maslin Nir.
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. —Synopsis provided by Harry N. Abrams
The Star Horse is the third book in Sarah Maslin Nir’s Once Upon a Horse series, which features fictional middle-grade novels — The Flying Horse; The Jockey & Her Horse (written with Raymond White Jr.); and now The Star Horse — inspired by real horses and the people who love them.
Told from the alternating points of view of Lori, Marlowe and Billy, The Star Horse is a charming read that is a story of friendship, connections and following your heart. The three tales come together to make the story feel much bigger than it would from a singular source.
Nir’s voice is clear and confident with a unique style that sets it apart. Her characters are interesting and she excels in setting a scene.
Billy is a real horse who did take the stage in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Aida in 2019. And though the rest of The Star Horse is fiction, Nir includes real facts about the Southwest. And it’s because of this that Nir’s books feel authentic.
Though part of a series, The Star Horse is a standalone novel. At less than 175 pages it’s a great length for middle readers who are looking for something engaging that’s not overwhelming. It’s a quick read that will especially appeal to horse lovers.
Copyright © 2024 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
