A contemporary and irresistible story from Patricia Reilly Giff
Lidie lives in Jales, Brazil, where she’s free to ride, to be a... read full description
Lidie lives in Jales, Brazil, where she’s free to ride, to be a... read full description
reviews
Apr 01, 2011
Kristin
rated it: 
This was a nice book. I was never a girl to be very interested in horse stories, but I am a fan of the author's other works, so I decided to give Wild Girl a try. It is a simple story told in a not-very-original way, but I liked it nonetheless.
As a reading teacher for ELL students, I think a number of ELLs will relate to the emotions Lidie has when she comes to the US--the frustration of not being able to understand everything or say what is on your mind, and the irritation of be More...
As a reading teacher for ELL students, I think a number of ELLs will relate to the emotions Lidie has when she comes to the US--the frustration of not being able to understand everything or say what is on your mind, and the irritation of be More...
Apr 19, 2010
Christina
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Mar 24, 2010
Richelle
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Feb 20, 2010
Josiah
rated it: 
Patricia Reilly Giff has a sweet writing style that is all her own, and I love the fact that through the years she has stayed so true to that personal and fulfilling way of writing.
This book tells the parallel stories of Lidie, a Brazilian girl who is sent to America to join her father and brother in New York, and a spirited South American horse named Wild Girl. Lidie's father has come to the new country with the aim of raising horses to compete in racing, and of making Lidie's bro More...
This book tells the parallel stories of Lidie, a Brazilian girl who is sent to America to join her father and brother in New York, and a spirited South American horse named Wild Girl. Lidie's father has come to the new country with the aim of raising horses to compete in racing, and of making Lidie's bro More...
Oct 06, 2009
Kate
rated it:
Finally! A book with a horse on the cover that is actually about horses! I wanted to read this ever since I saw the cover.
The story is about a Brazilian girl, Lidie (aka "Wild Girl"), who is reunited with her father and brother on a horse racing farm in America. She last saw them when she was 7, and her memories of them and their memories of her don't exactly match up. To her dismay, they have painted her room pink with a mural of Snow White and the seven dwarves, even t More...
The story is about a Brazilian girl, Lidie (aka "Wild Girl"), who is reunited with her father and brother on a horse racing farm in America. She last saw them when she was 7, and her memories of them and their memories of her don't exactly match up. To her dismay, they have painted her room pink with a mural of Snow White and the seven dwarves, even t More...
Sep 29, 2011
CM
rated it: 
I was hesitant to get this book. I dislike horse racing, and this is a book about the daughter of a racehorse trainer and a racehorse to-be. She wants to be a jockey. Her brother is a jockey. It takes place on a racing farm. They go to the races. Obviously, this book didn't really scream "take me!"
But I kept seeing good reviews. The book was cheap, and short, and minus the racing bit, the story really did sound interesting! So I gave it a shot. I'm so glad I did. The More...
But I kept seeing good reviews. The book was cheap, and short, and minus the racing bit, the story really did sound interesting! So I gave it a shot. I'm so glad I did. The More...
Aug 27, 2011
Jackie
rated it:
After her beloved mother died, Lidie was left behind in Brazil with Aunt and Uncle while her father and brother, Rafael moved to New York to start a new life. They would send for her when they were settled and employed. After some years, Lidie's pa becomes a trainer at famous horse track and Rafael hopes to be a jockey.
Now Lidie,12, is traveling to New York to meet up with her 'family' after a long absence. Her Pa and Rafael expect a little girl to get off the plane, but Lidie is stro More...
Now Lidie,12, is traveling to New York to meet up with her 'family' after a long absence. Her Pa and Rafael expect a little girl to get off the plane, but Lidie is stro More...
Aug 31, 2009
E.
rated it: 
Lidie hasn’t cried since her father and brother left for America when she was seven. She has learned to be patient, living with her aunt and uncle in Brazil, waiting for the day her father would send for her. When he finally does, it’s not the reunion she expected. Her father and brother, who now work training racehorses, don’t know her like they used to. They think her favorite color is still pink and that she loves Snow White even though she’s now in sixth grade. Worst of all, they don’t
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Jan 17, 2012
Shelley
rated it:
When Lidie arrives in New York to live with her father and brother, her life in Brazil is the only thing she can wish for. She feels like an outsider. Her father is not how she remembered him and she feels her brother and father were expecting a little girl instead of the teen she has become. The only thing she feels attached to is the your filly her father bought named Wild Girl.
Giff's book explains the difficulty of moving to a different country and how it feels to be an outsider. More...
Giff's book explains the difficulty of moving to a different country and how it feels to be an outsider. More...
Jun 16, 2011
Stacy
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Lyddie was left behind in Brazil when her brother and father moved to the U.S. to train horses. Her Tio Paulo knows she is a strong headed girl, a wild girl. When her father finally has saved enough money and has an appropriate home he sends for her and she goes to the U.S. She struggles with language, school, desire to be with her aunt and uncle again and the new family dynamics with her brother and father. She has grown in the five years since they left, but they still view her as a little
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Jul 13, 2011
Paula
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Lidie leaves her home and family in Brazil for a new life with her father and brother in New York. The adjustment to a new home and school is daunting. She does not speak English, and on her first day, she does not know how to ask for the bathroom and has an accident that is humiliating. Lidie's father is a horse trainer, and they both still think Lidie is a little girl rather than the competent twelve year old that she is. Lidie bonds with a horse they call Wild Girl because she remembers her m
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Feb 25, 2010
Parry
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A sweet story about a girl struggling to make a transition after moving from Brazil to New York, where she joins her father and brother on their horse farm after years of separation. Around the same time Lydie arrives at the farm, so does Wild Girl, a young filly who is also none too happy about her recent life changes.
It's a spare, slim little story - a quick read. The horse on the nice looking cover may be what leads girls to pick this book up, and while there's plenty of horse a More...
It's a spare, slim little story - a quick read. The horse on the nice looking cover may be what leads girls to pick this book up, and while there's plenty of horse a More...
Jun 28, 2011
Reviews & Awards
Parallel stories of Lidie, a Brazilian girl’s move to America and a foul born in South Carolina. Lidie and the foul are separated from their mothers and both in on a horse farm in New York. This audio book was gripping and held my attention. The reader’s voice displayed empathy and understanding for the characters. The scene which had me holding my breath was Lidie’s first day of school and she needed to use the bathroom. I felt so sorry for her and I was as embarrasse More...
Parallel stories of Lidie, a Brazilian girl’s move to America and a foul born in South Carolina. Lidie and the foul are separated from their mothers and both in on a horse farm in New York. This audio book was gripping and held my attention. The reader’s voice displayed empathy and understanding for the characters. The scene which had me holding my breath was Lidie’s first day of school and she needed to use the bathroom. I felt so sorry for her and I was as embarrasse More...
Jul 27, 2010
carissa
rated it:
Recommended Ages: grades 4-6
Lidie lives in Jales, Brazil, where she’s free to ride, to be a wild girl, and to dream of going to live with her father and older brother, Rafael, in New York City. Finally Lidie is 12—time to leave Brazil for New York.
Meanwhile, a filly is born and begins her journey to a new home. As Lidie’s story unfolds, so does the filly’s.
Lidie’s father runs a stable at a famous race track, and Rafael is training to be a jockey. As much as th More...
Lidie lives in Jales, Brazil, where she’s free to ride, to be a wild girl, and to dream of going to live with her father and older brother, Rafael, in New York City. Finally Lidie is 12—time to leave Brazil for New York.
Meanwhile, a filly is born and begins her journey to a new home. As Lidie’s story unfolds, so does the filly’s.
Lidie’s father runs a stable at a famous race track, and Rafael is training to be a jockey. As much as th More...
May 14, 2011
Jeannie
rated it:
Okay, my rating is probably a little harsh, but it drives me nuts when writers choose characters from other countries and seemingly do no more research than look up a few foreign words and foods. Aside from that complaint, (or perhaps as a part of that) the main character seems through most of the book to be more bratty than wild, and the outcome is too pat. But hey, I'm not the target audience, and although I haven't anything against horses, stories about them wouldn't necessarily be more fir
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Oct 21, 2010
Nomi
rated it:
I love everything I've ever read by this author. This is a sweet story about a girl immigrating to NY from Brazil to be with her brother and father. Lidie loves horses and has been riding in Jales with her Aunt and Uncle. When she moves in with her father (the horseman) and brother (a jockey) it seems they can only think of her as the little girl they left behind. Lidie has difficulty in school and misses her home. She finds comfort in the horse "Wild Girl" who arrives in NY at the Hor
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Jan 16, 2010
Erin
rated it:
Lidie loves riding horses in Brazil with her aunt and uncle, but she misses her father and brother who moved to the United States five years ago. When she finally goes to live with them in the United States at age 12 where her brother is training to be a jockey at the famous race track her father runs, she realizes they think she is still the little girl they left behind. Each chapter also begins with the viewpoint of a wild filly that Lidie eventually learns to ride, which was one of the weake
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Oct 31, 2010
Nobies57
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Apr 05, 2011
Beth
rated it:
I enjoyed this story of a family learning to overcome (unintentioned) hurts and learning to live together after several years apart. Since her mother died, Lidie has been living with her aunt and uncle in Brazil. Her dad and brother moved almost immediately after the funeral to the US, saying they would send for her when they could. The time has now come. They are remembering the little girl they left behind, while Lidie remembers her feelings of abandonment. After a number of false starts,
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Aug 28, 2010
Brynn
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I liked this story of a girl from Brazil adjusting to a new life in the area surrounding New York City, despite a lack of action to drive the plot. Certainly her story and struggle to adjust to her new life, and to an older brother and father who remember her as a little girl they left 4 years ago is engaging. The story ends up neat and clean and she has a solid personality. The subplot with horses will captivate some readers. My only qualm seems to be that in general there was a lot more re
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Mar 11, 2011
Susan P
rated it:
12-year-old Lidie leaves her native Brazil to come to New York, where her father and older brother have been living and saving to bring her for the last five years. Full of confidence at first, Lidie has a terrible first day at school when her English isn't good enough for her to communicate. And at home, her father and brother still think of her as a little girl who loves Snow White and bunnies. At the same time, a filly named Wild Girl is being purchased and brought to the farm where Lidie
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Jan 11, 2010
Prairie
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For girls who love books about horses, this one is sure to appeal. Lidie is a twelve year old immigrant from Brazil. Her father and brother have been saving money to bring her to the States to live with them. Her father is a race horse trainer and her brother is a jockey in training. She loves horses and misses the life she had when her mother was alive and her family was whole. Despite some bumps along the way, Lidie finds her place in her new home. Slim volume with a slim story. Sweet a
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Dec 30, 2009
Lisa
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For girls who love books about horses, this one is sure to appeal. Lidie is a twelve year old immigrant from Brazil. Her father and brother have been saving money to bring her to the States to live with them. Her father is a race horse trainer and her brother is a jockey in training. She loves horses and misses the life she had when her mother was alive and her family was whole. Despite some bumps along the way, Lidie finds her place in her new home. Slim volume with a slim story. Sweet a
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Nov 30, 2011
Elaine
rated it:
KBA 2012 nominee. Fifth or sixth(?) grade girl character named Lidie. Recently left her home country of Brazil to join her father and brother in New York. Father and brother train and race horses. Her reunion with her family was less than she expected - - they still think of her as a little girl and father doesn't remember important events from Lidie's past. Lidie became an outstanding rider during her years in Brazil but can't share this information with her father and brother. Lidie struggles
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Feb 13, 2010
Kathy (Bermudaonion)
rated it:
After Lidie’s mother dies, her father and brother immigrate from their native Brazil to the US, leaving Lidie behind with her aunt and uncle. Lidie is happy enough with her aunt and uncle, riding her uncle’s horse, but she longs to be reunited with her family.
After years of hard work and scrimping and saving, Lidie’s father and brother, Rafael, send for her to join them in America. Excited, but nervous, Lidie embarks on a new part of her life. She has to face attending school in a More...
After years of hard work and scrimping and saving, Lidie’s father and brother, Rafael, send for her to join them in America. Excited, but nervous, Lidie embarks on a new part of her life. She has to face attending school in a More...
May 29, 2010
Mara
rated it:
Wild Girl should be on the reading lists of every aspiring or established author of horsey fiction.
It's not that it's amazing. It's just a good story, centered on a likable girl with realistic problems that have nothing to do with a horse of her own plot. The horse in question is not the second coming of every wonder horse in fiction. She's just a young filly that doesn't quite know what's expected of her, and is as equally scared as she is curious. Like most horses in the world.
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It's not that it's amazing. It's just a good story, centered on a likable girl with realistic problems that have nothing to do with a horse of her own plot. The horse in question is not the second coming of every wonder horse in fiction. She's just a young filly that doesn't quite know what's expected of her, and is as equally scared as she is curious. Like most horses in the world.
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Dec 03, 2009
Shelley
rated it:
I never went through a horse phase like so many girls, so I wasn't expecting much, not even a nostalgia factor. I liked it well enough, the characters were nicely drawn, and ten year old girls will go mad for it. But it's not an award winner.
(And I come in somewhere between Rory and Andy's read on it - she and the horse had parallel journeys, with bits of crossover, but I don't think the horse helped her much at all. The kids at school, the real potential friends, helped her more th More...
(And I come in somewhere between Rory and Andy's read on it - she and the horse had parallel journeys, with bits of crossover, but I don't think the horse helped her much at all. The kids at school, the real potential friends, helped her more th More...
Feb 07, 2012
Kandyce
rated it:
I really liked this book. Lidie has been left in Mexico by her father and brother so they can find a home for all of them in America. After five years they send the money for Lidie to come to America. Lidie works to help her father and brother realize that after 5 years, she isn't the same girl they left behind. There is also a side story about a colt who has been torn from her environment and is working through some of the same issues that Lidie is working through.
Dec 14, 2009
Linnea
rated it:
Very nice. Not as deep as "The Pictures of Hollis Woods," but a beautifully written story from an unusual perspective -- young girl leaves Brazil to live in New York state with her father and brother who had left her 5 years before. A love horses runs throughout the book. Essentially a "family story," but also about loss, adaptation as an immigrant, and change. Parallel stories in the loss of mothers and removal to a new place of a young filly and Lidie, the protagonist.
