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Shelby and the First Ride
Shelby Simone is a horse-crazy kid living in the city with her parents. Despite having the best friends ever at the exclusive Metro School for Girls, she can’t help but feel something is missing from her life.
When her parents break the news to her that they’re moving to a nearby rural community, Shelby is devastated… until her parents promise she can take riding lessons at Old Quarry Lake Farms, one of the best-known riding stables in the state! Shelby only has a month to say goodbye to city life and hello to a new world that includes horses.
After a rough start at Old Quarry Lake, Shelby starts to wonder if horses are really as wonderful as she imagined. As the summer days creep closer and closer to her first day at the Old Quarry Lake school, she worries if the trade-off was worth it.
Join a group of pre-teen girls who build a bond through their love of horses. Together, they tackle situations like moving to a new town, feeling different, and accepting themselves and each other just as they are—while sharing everyday adventures with their horses!
This book is perfect
Girls ages 10-12Teachers in elementary school through sixth gradeParents and grandparents with girls who love horsesAnyone looking to teach children about empathy, friendship, and compassionAny child struggling with body image and moving to a new place“I read this book with my 10-year-old horse lover of a daughter. It was such a sweet, heartwarming story! Would definitely recommend it to anyone with a young daughter!” - Amy Buxman, mom.
“Shelby and the First Ride sucks you in from page one. Immediately you get a sense of who Shelby is and her struggles as an adolescent. When she and her family make a big move, you are transported to their new town and immersed in her first riding lessons. While dealing with being a little different, Shelby soon makes new friends and finds she IS a horse person. A very quick read and I was sad when the book suddenly ended. Looking forward very much to the next book in the series!”- Brittney Menzel, entrepreneur.“I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book, even as a 34-year-old woman. I look forward to my daughter being a little older so that I can present these books to her. The writing was fantastic! It was detailed and vivid, and I could picture the storyline as if I were watching it live. Furthermore, the themes of this book are wonderful for the targeted audience. Self-esteem issues, family matters, saying goodbye to friends, making new friends, and achieving dreams are all things that pre-teen girls are faced with at their age, and I believe this book does a wonderful job at introducing these topics in a meaningful way!”- Shana Micheal, registered nurse, mom.
“The novel I read was an absolute delight from start to finish. The author's writing style is captivating and immersive, effortlessly drawing me into the story. Overall, this novel is a masterful piece of storytelling that thoroughly satisfies the reader's imagination and leaves a lasting impact” - Hannah Butler, writer.
For young readers, pre-teens, tweens, and teens, the Old Quarry Lake Farms Tales are not just warm-hearted stories about girls and their horses, but provide information and insight about horses and the world of riding.This is the first book in the The Old Quarry Lake Farms Tales Series.
When her parents break the news to her that they’re moving to a nearby rural community, Shelby is devastated… until her parents promise she can take riding lessons at Old Quarry Lake Farms, one of the best-known riding stables in the state! Shelby only has a month to say goodbye to city life and hello to a new world that includes horses.
After a rough start at Old Quarry Lake, Shelby starts to wonder if horses are really as wonderful as she imagined. As the summer days creep closer and closer to her first day at the Old Quarry Lake school, she worries if the trade-off was worth it.
Join a group of pre-teen girls who build a bond through their love of horses. Together, they tackle situations like moving to a new town, feeling different, and accepting themselves and each other just as they are—while sharing everyday adventures with their horses!
This book is perfect
Girls ages 10-12Teachers in elementary school through sixth gradeParents and grandparents with girls who love horsesAnyone looking to teach children about empathy, friendship, and compassionAny child struggling with body image and moving to a new place“I read this book with my 10-year-old horse lover of a daughter. It was such a sweet, heartwarming story! Would definitely recommend it to anyone with a young daughter!” - Amy Buxman, mom.
“Shelby and the First Ride sucks you in from page one. Immediately you get a sense of who Shelby is and her struggles as an adolescent. When she and her family make a big move, you are transported to their new town and immersed in her first riding lessons. While dealing with being a little different, Shelby soon makes new friends and finds she IS a horse person. A very quick read and I was sad when the book suddenly ended. Looking forward very much to the next book in the series!”- Brittney Menzel, entrepreneur.“I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book, even as a 34-year-old woman. I look forward to my daughter being a little older so that I can present these books to her. The writing was fantastic! It was detailed and vivid, and I could picture the storyline as if I were watching it live. Furthermore, the themes of this book are wonderful for the targeted audience. Self-esteem issues, family matters, saying goodbye to friends, making new friends, and achieving dreams are all things that pre-teen girls are faced with at their age, and I believe this book does a wonderful job at introducing these topics in a meaningful way!”- Shana Micheal, registered nurse, mom.
“The novel I read was an absolute delight from start to finish. The author's writing style is captivating and immersive, effortlessly drawing me into the story. Overall, this novel is a masterful piece of storytelling that thoroughly satisfies the reader's imagination and leaves a lasting impact” - Hannah Butler, writer.
For young readers, pre-teens, tweens, and teens, the Old Quarry Lake Farms Tales are not just warm-hearted stories about girls and their horses, but provide information and insight about horses and the world of riding.This is the first book in the The Old Quarry Lake Farms Tales Series.
53 pages, Paperback
Published November 10, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 30, 2024
This was a darling story aimed at the horse-loving tween set. I would say it is better geared toward the 9yo side than the 12yo, unless you have a more reluctant reader.
In this book, Shelby faces things like moving to a new town, trying new things, facing insecurities, and finding a place where she belongs.
About 40% of the end of the book is dedicated to horse terms, so the reader who does not know much about horses can get a crash course, which I actually think is a great idea.
I received this book free from a Goodsreads giveaway, which did not influence my review.
In this book, Shelby faces things like moving to a new town, trying new things, facing insecurities, and finding a place where she belongs.
About 40% of the end of the book is dedicated to horse terms, so the reader who does not know much about horses can get a crash course, which I actually think is a great idea.
I received this book free from a Goodsreads giveaway, which did not influence my review.
December 6, 2023
This was a great book, and I look forward to reading more in the series. Shelby isn't what you probably picture when you think of a stereotypical horse-girl, and I think that makes her the perfect protagonist. She's kind of nerdy, and doesn't quite fit in. She struggles a lot with being herself and how she looks, which is an experience a lot of tween kids experience. The story is a fun read, and I won't give spoilers, but I really like the way everything turned out in the end.
June 17, 2024
Cute
I must admit, I am a full-grown woman reading this book. I was lucky enough to win it through a goodreads contest. All throughout my youth, I read horsey book series: Pony Pals, Heartland, Thoroughbred, ect. This book was short and sweet. Contains a lot of equine education and touches on a lot of topics relevant to young ladies. I would keep it on the shelf right next to Pony Pals!
I must admit, I am a full-grown woman reading this book. I was lucky enough to win it through a goodreads contest. All throughout my youth, I read horsey book series: Pony Pals, Heartland, Thoroughbred, ect. This book was short and sweet. Contains a lot of equine education and touches on a lot of topics relevant to young ladies. I would keep it on the shelf right next to Pony Pals!
June 19, 2024
I won this book through Goodreads giveaway. Super cute read about a little girl who loves horses, who finally has her dream come true. Also, talks about some situations that littles might face while growing up. Definitely recommend.
April 30, 2024
Delightful story about a 6th grader who loves horses finally learning to ride. At the end there is a glossary that goes through horse terms - very informative!
November 23, 2024
It wasa cute read
It seemed unfinished but a cute short read. I think it's book one in a series i may read more with the grandkids.
It seemed unfinished but a cute short read. I think it's book one in a series i may read more with the grandkids.
January 30, 2024
Shelby and the First Ride is about a city girl named Shelby Simone who moves to a small town with her anthropologist parents so that they can be closer to work. While she’s upset about leaving her friends, Shelby is ecstatic to learn that she will be taking horseback riding lessons in her new town. But things don’t go according to plan as years of reading about horses doesn’t automatically translate to suddenly knowing how to interact with horses. And the other girls at the stables don’t give her a very warm welcome. But it all works out as Shelby cements herself as the newest horseback rider at Old Quarry Lake.
Shelby and the First Ride is a cute fish out of water tale that will appeal to misfit girls who are interested in horses or small town life in general. Shelby is a nerdy but enthusiastic kid who is constantly conflicted about these new experiences. This is a very quick read which also prevents it from fully fleshing out its story and characters. But what is there is a good start to The Old Quarry Lake Farms Tales series.
You can read my full review here: https://laurasbooksandblogs.com/shelb...
Shelby and the First Ride is a cute fish out of water tale that will appeal to misfit girls who are interested in horses or small town life in general. Shelby is a nerdy but enthusiastic kid who is constantly conflicted about these new experiences. This is a very quick read which also prevents it from fully fleshing out its story and characters. But what is there is a good start to The Old Quarry Lake Farms Tales series.
You can read my full review here: https://laurasbooksandblogs.com/shelb...
December 4, 2023
This children's book describes a girl's first experience horseback riding. Shelby and her parents move from the city to the country and Shelby gets to fulfill her goal of learning to ride. Along the way she makes new friends, experiences new things, and learns a little about herself too. Would recommend to girls who like horses.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews