Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Horsecamp by Nicole Helget and Nate LeBoutillier –PUBLIC ONLY


Helget, Nicole and LeBoutillier, Nate Horsecamp 304 pgs. EgmontUSA, 2012. $11.78.  (Rating: Language: PG-13 (Swear Count: 4), Violence: G, Sexual: PG-13)
When their family falls apart 12 year old Percy, his sister Penny, and their little brother are sent to Horse Camp. Which is really just a cover up for staying at their Uncles Stretch’s sort of run down farm. He isn't great with kids, they aren't great with farm life. But all of the kids learn to cope. Percy bonds like an older boy who loves basketball, Penny learns to ease up on her religion, and Stretch even learns to let go of the past.
I am torn about being super pissed that there was a TON of religion in this book which was unmentioned on the jacket flap (my own bad for not practicing what I preach about reading a few pages as a sample) and sort of liking this book. But overall, I really disliked slogging through all the preachy stuff. I appreciate that it was an important and later interesting part of the plot, but I was so not in the mood for being immersed in it. This is the kind of book adults love to pick out for kids, lots of life lessons and reality. But I don’t think students would like this book. Its starts out with some major chore slogging...if the character is bored, I think it’s a given that the reader will be too! There is just enough literal sex talk (vs. allusions to) to make this book inappropriate for a school library.
MS –PUBLIC ONLY Reviewer: Stephanie School Librarian & Author.

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