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Turning on a Dime
Two girls from two different centuries and the horse that brings them together.
Teenage equestrian Samantha DeVries wants to be the first African American to ride in the Olympics. Her father, a successful trainer, pushes Sam to excel, while Sam’s academic mother tries to instill a sense of heritage in her headstrong daughter who’d rather be riding horses than studying history. But Sam’s beliefs and her carefully constructed world shatter like a jelly jar when she travels through a time portal and lands in the canopy bed of an 1860s Southern belle.
Even more surprised by Sam’s unexpected arrival is Caroline Chandler. She’s a tomboy who wears breeches beneath her crinoline and rides horses bareback, much to the dismay of her critical mother.
But neither girl has time to fret over petticoats and prejudice. The Civil War is raging, and soldiers from both sides are stealing horses. At risk is Pandora, Caroline’s beloved mare. Without her, Sam’s future Olympic horse, Nugget, might not exist in the present.
Neither will Sam if the slave catchers grab her.
Teenage equestrian Samantha DeVries wants to be the first African American to ride in the Olympics. Her father, a successful trainer, pushes Sam to excel, while Sam’s academic mother tries to instill a sense of heritage in her headstrong daughter who’d rather be riding horses than studying history. But Sam’s beliefs and her carefully constructed world shatter like a jelly jar when she travels through a time portal and lands in the canopy bed of an 1860s Southern belle.
Even more surprised by Sam’s unexpected arrival is Caroline Chandler. She’s a tomboy who wears breeches beneath her crinoline and rides horses bareback, much to the dismay of her critical mother.
But neither girl has time to fret over petticoats and prejudice. The Civil War is raging, and soldiers from both sides are stealing horses. At risk is Pandora, Caroline’s beloved mare. Without her, Sam’s future Olympic horse, Nugget, might not exist in the present.
Neither will Sam if the slave catchers grab her.
240 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 14, 2014
Maggie Dana (author of the popular Timber Ridge Riders series) shows a new and exciting side of her writing with TURNING ON A DIME. The novel for young readers alternates chapters between the perspective of Samantha DeVries, who lives a life of horses and relative privilege and may become the first African American to ride in the Olympic Games (Sam is biracial), and Caroline Chandler, who lives a different life of privilege and horses (when she can escape the limits forced on young women of her time to be proper and refined) in Mississippi during the Civil War.
The girls are connected through the lineage of their beloved horses and they find out that they have more in common than they first think when Sam ends up time traveling to Caroline's world. Dana does an excellent job making the premise very believable, taking care of all the details that could trip up other stories of time travel.
Sam couldn't have picked a more difficult time to show up at the Chandler Plantation, as the Northern soldiers have just taken over the house and the Chandlers must travel by horse to New Orleans at a time when slave-catchers and soldiers abound along the way. When Sam gets taken captive, will Caroline be able to save her? And can they both keep from harm Caroline’s beloved horse, Pandora, who is useless to the soldiers since no one but Caroline can ride her?
The love of horses has brought people of different ages, races, and classes together for decades and it does the same thing for the two girls in a powerful way. The novel is a romping, page-turning ride through an important and tragic part of American history. There are many moving, shivers-up-the-spine moments in this book, as well as acts of bravery from the girls, a slave girl named Pearl, and a young soldier. It’s no surprise that Dana gets the horse details right, and she proves she knows the details of the South during the Civil War just as well.
In the end, Sam learns first hand about a period in history when being black was completely different from her own experiences, and Caroline learns that society’s rules, beyond just whether women should ride, need to be continually questioned and evaluated. Both girls also learn what it means to give of yourself and that they are stronger than they ever imagined. Theirs is a friendship that truly stands the test of time!
June 21, 2014
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Age Recommended: 12 and up
A great book about a magic dime that transports the holder to another time. Well-written and characters are well-developed but the ending is very abrupt.
Turning on a Dime
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Samantha is a girl in modern time. She lives in the era of the iPhone and iTunes. Her world is turned upside down when she finds a dime that transports her to another era. There, she meets Caroline.
Caroline is a girl who lives in the South during the Civil War era. She has her own set of problems like being grounded, not being able to ride her horse, and being sent to her father's friend's house for 5 days.
When Caroline meets Sam, they both freak out. Sam isn't supposed to be in this era and she doesn't know how to get back home. While the two of them figure this out, they become good friends. Sam ends up telling Caroline about the future; like how the North wins the battle and how slavery is abolished.
While all of this is happening, Caroline finds out that her house has been taken by the Yankees and that her family has fled from there. Caroline wants to run away from this place to find her parents and Sam agrees to help her. Also, Sam has to pose as Caroline's slave and she learns many things about slave treatment in the South firsthand.
Will Caroline be reunited with her family? Will Sam find her way back home?
I was inspired to by this story to write the following poem:
Freedom
Freedom is a privilege
I learnt that the hard way
The ones that have it
Don't appreciate it
The ones that don't
Long for it
Freedom is a privilege
I learnt that the hard way
Through
Floggings
Beatings
Close-to-death meetings
Freedom is a privilege
That I hope to have someday
--
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Age Recommended: 12 and up
A great book about a magic dime that transports the holder to another time. Well-written and characters are well-developed but the ending is very abrupt.
Turning on a Dime
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Samantha is a girl in modern time. She lives in the era of the iPhone and iTunes. Her world is turned upside down when she finds a dime that transports her to another era. There, she meets Caroline.
Caroline is a girl who lives in the South during the Civil War era. She has her own set of problems like being grounded, not being able to ride her horse, and being sent to her father's friend's house for 5 days.
When Caroline meets Sam, they both freak out. Sam isn't supposed to be in this era and she doesn't know how to get back home. While the two of them figure this out, they become good friends. Sam ends up telling Caroline about the future; like how the North wins the battle and how slavery is abolished.
While all of this is happening, Caroline finds out that her house has been taken by the Yankees and that her family has fled from there. Caroline wants to run away from this place to find her parents and Sam agrees to help her. Also, Sam has to pose as Caroline's slave and she learns many things about slave treatment in the South firsthand.
Will Caroline be reunited with her family? Will Sam find her way back home?
I was inspired to by this story to write the following poem:
Freedom
Freedom is a privilege
I learnt that the hard way
The ones that have it
Don't appreciate it
The ones that don't
Long for it
Freedom is a privilege
I learnt that the hard way
Through
Floggings
Beatings
Close-to-death meetings
Freedom is a privilege
That I hope to have someday
--
May 25, 2016
This book was probably one of my favorite books ever! Being the geek that I am, I love the Civil War. That means that this book had a combination of two of my favorite things, history and horses. However, this book also sought me about how important it is to stay in the present and not to get all caught up in the future or past. This is summed up in the quote, "Can life really turn on a dime " (173)? I feel like this is saying that life can change in a moment and that you should never get stuck on one event because you never know whats going to happen. Thats the message that I felt this book gave off, and I agree with it.
February 5, 2018
It is an amazing and interesting book. I love Horses and have a few other horse stories that I have read. But, this story is one of my favourites now and will definitely will read again.
August 15, 2014
Time travel. The Civil War. Multi-cultural. Horses. Romance. There aren't many books that fit such a wide variety of categories--but Turning on a Dime by Maggie Dana does just that.
Samantha DeVries' father is Lucas DeVries, a third-generation American of Dutch descent and master horseman; her mother, Gretchen, is an African American and a history buff who has traced her family's lineage back to 1875.
Caroline Chandler is the daughter of a plantation owner in Mississippi who prefers her brother’s riding breeches to petticoats and pantalettes. But in spite of her tomboyish interests, she has lived within the boundaries of privilege and mid-19th century decorum. Soon after the story begins, Caroline is sent to a neighboring plantation for a dreaded social visit. While there, she learns that her family has fled their farm after Union soldiers commandeered it.
Samantha (Sam) and Caroline’s worlds intersect when Sam visits her father’s friend’s antebellum home to look at horses. Sam picks up what appears to be a dime from her bedroom floor and falls asleep listening to Lady Gaga on her Iphone. When she wakes up, Caroline is staring at her and wondering what a slave is doing sleeping in her bed.
Sam gradually convinces Caroline of who she is, although she admits that she doesn’t know how she got there. Caroline is barely prepared for her guest from the future: she has read about a man who travels to the future and sees horseless carriages and flying machines. But she is even less prepared to see a black girl who speaks, acts, and thinks as independently as Sam does. Fortunately, their mutual love for horses helps ease them over their initial discomforts. Or as Sam says, “No matter who you’re talking to, if they love horses you can get beyond whatever barriers you think are out there...” (p. 45)
Told from both girls’ points of view, the reader watches as Sam and Caroline experience slavery’s painful effects. I particularly enjoyed their “ah ha” moments. When Sam first realizes she must act like a slave in order not to be detected she thinks,
“I am in a nineteenth-century horse barn facing a man with a whip—a mean looking thing with a knotted leather thong—and I can tell he’s dying to use it on me.
“Yes, mister,” I mumble.
He raises the whip. “Go.”
So I shuffle off trying to look as dejected as possible, but inside I am raging with fury. How did my people live like this? (p. 83)
Later, after Sam is mistaken for a runaway slave and is captured, Caroline thinks,
My fists curl into balls. Angry tears stream down my face. All I can think of is Sam huddled on the dirt floor of a slave cabin, being kicked and whipped. Without Papa to curtail him, Zeke Tuner will be brutal. He’ll unleash all his vicious fury on my dearest friend.
How did I not see this before?
Shame joins my angry tears. I’m angry with myself, and I’m ashamed of the world I’ve inhabited all my life without seeing it for what it really is.” (p. 137-8)
The author does a great job of showing the girls overcoming their initial distrust and forming their surprising friendship. In the process, each girl learns about the other girl's seemingly foreign world. Their wit and strengths are tested after Sam is captured; but working together they find a way of escape—and a way for both of them to return to their families.
Maggie Dana’s love for all things equestrian is neatly woven into the narrative and the plot. Although separated by 150 years, from the moment that Sam asks Caroline, “What is your horse’s name?” they have a common bond. From the saddles, tack, to horse quirks and mannerisms, this novel is a great example of an author using what she knows to build a believable, fictional world.
I would recommend this book to girls from 6th-10th grade, as well as to adults who want to use their own life experiences as a springboard into fiction. And while you’re at it, it’s a terrific example of interlacing multiple genres into one novel. Read it. Enjoy it. Learn from it.
Samantha DeVries' father is Lucas DeVries, a third-generation American of Dutch descent and master horseman; her mother, Gretchen, is an African American and a history buff who has traced her family's lineage back to 1875.
Caroline Chandler is the daughter of a plantation owner in Mississippi who prefers her brother’s riding breeches to petticoats and pantalettes. But in spite of her tomboyish interests, she has lived within the boundaries of privilege and mid-19th century decorum. Soon after the story begins, Caroline is sent to a neighboring plantation for a dreaded social visit. While there, she learns that her family has fled their farm after Union soldiers commandeered it.
Samantha (Sam) and Caroline’s worlds intersect when Sam visits her father’s friend’s antebellum home to look at horses. Sam picks up what appears to be a dime from her bedroom floor and falls asleep listening to Lady Gaga on her Iphone. When she wakes up, Caroline is staring at her and wondering what a slave is doing sleeping in her bed.
Sam gradually convinces Caroline of who she is, although she admits that she doesn’t know how she got there. Caroline is barely prepared for her guest from the future: she has read about a man who travels to the future and sees horseless carriages and flying machines. But she is even less prepared to see a black girl who speaks, acts, and thinks as independently as Sam does. Fortunately, their mutual love for horses helps ease them over their initial discomforts. Or as Sam says, “No matter who you’re talking to, if they love horses you can get beyond whatever barriers you think are out there...” (p. 45)
Told from both girls’ points of view, the reader watches as Sam and Caroline experience slavery’s painful effects. I particularly enjoyed their “ah ha” moments. When Sam first realizes she must act like a slave in order not to be detected she thinks,
“I am in a nineteenth-century horse barn facing a man with a whip—a mean looking thing with a knotted leather thong—and I can tell he’s dying to use it on me.
“Yes, mister,” I mumble.
He raises the whip. “Go.”
So I shuffle off trying to look as dejected as possible, but inside I am raging with fury. How did my people live like this? (p. 83)
Later, after Sam is mistaken for a runaway slave and is captured, Caroline thinks,
My fists curl into balls. Angry tears stream down my face. All I can think of is Sam huddled on the dirt floor of a slave cabin, being kicked and whipped. Without Papa to curtail him, Zeke Tuner will be brutal. He’ll unleash all his vicious fury on my dearest friend.
How did I not see this before?
Shame joins my angry tears. I’m angry with myself, and I’m ashamed of the world I’ve inhabited all my life without seeing it for what it really is.” (p. 137-8)
The author does a great job of showing the girls overcoming their initial distrust and forming their surprising friendship. In the process, each girl learns about the other girl's seemingly foreign world. Their wit and strengths are tested after Sam is captured; but working together they find a way of escape—and a way for both of them to return to their families.
Maggie Dana’s love for all things equestrian is neatly woven into the narrative and the plot. Although separated by 150 years, from the moment that Sam asks Caroline, “What is your horse’s name?” they have a common bond. From the saddles, tack, to horse quirks and mannerisms, this novel is a great example of an author using what she knows to build a believable, fictional world.
I would recommend this book to girls from 6th-10th grade, as well as to adults who want to use their own life experiences as a springboard into fiction. And while you’re at it, it’s a terrific example of interlacing multiple genres into one novel. Read it. Enjoy it. Learn from it.
July 16, 2014
You can see more of my reviews at My Blog
Wow, this is definitely a very unique horse book! There’s a huge mixture of stuff in this novel: time travel, special dimes, slavery, and horses. The topics covered can feel strange while mixed together, but I generally enjoyed it.
Samantha DeVries is the daughter of an Olympic horse rider. She’s been riding her entire life and is aiming to be the first African American to ride horses at the Olympics. When she goes on a trip to Mississippi with her father, she plans on finding out about her horse’s origins. When she gets to Mississippi, she finds an old dime from the 19th century. She takes a nap in a tank top that says Barn Bratz while listening to Lady Gaga and clutching the dime and is transported to 1863.
Caroline Chandler lives in Mississippi while the civil war is going on. She loves horses, especially her horse Pandora. When Sam is transported into her life, things start to change. Sam must avoid being taken away as a slave and Caroline must endure a visit to a family that she does not get along with.
Given the fact that the only other book I have read by Maggie Dana was Keeping Secrets and I disliked it, I really wasn’t expecting much from this novel. I sort of expected it to be like Keeping Secrets: shallow and boring. I was completely wrong. This book was actually quite interesting.
The relationship between Caroline and Sam was great, especially since Caroline’s family owns slaves and Sam is black. There was a period of adjustment for both girls before they fell into a nice friendship. Both girls were likable and relatable.
The horsey elements in this book are alright. It doesn’t go into a lot of detail, aside from Sam’s training session at the beginning of the novel, which doesn’t really affect the rest of the book anyway. There are several important horses in the novel, but none of them seem particularly interesting. I feel that a stronger focus on the individuality and quirks of the “special” horses would allow them to be a more prominent aspect of the novel.
There is a lot of stuff on the Civil War and trying to prevent changing history. It isn’t very complicated, and even someone who knows nothing about American history can understand. I honestly know nothing about the civil war, and I caught on pretty quickly without any further research (I’m Australian, and this stuff isn’t really studied here). There aren’t any gruesome details or any in depth discussions. It’s mostly about dealing with slavery and Sam trying to tell people information that she knows through being from the present day.
Some aspects of the book weren’t really very believable. I didn’t really understand how holding a penny and being in the same room as someone was years ago could transport someone through time, but I guess that an open mind must be kept when reading any book about time travel.
Turning on a Dime was a good read. Perhaps I didn’t love it because I’m just too old for this (ha, I’ll be eighteen by the end of the year; I am getting old!). This book would be more suited to a younger reader with an interest in horses and the civil war. I don’t think that a reader needs to know about horses before this, as there isn’t really anything too complicated in the novel.
An electronic copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, this is definitely a very unique horse book! There’s a huge mixture of stuff in this novel: time travel, special dimes, slavery, and horses. The topics covered can feel strange while mixed together, but I generally enjoyed it.
Samantha DeVries is the daughter of an Olympic horse rider. She’s been riding her entire life and is aiming to be the first African American to ride horses at the Olympics. When she goes on a trip to Mississippi with her father, she plans on finding out about her horse’s origins. When she gets to Mississippi, she finds an old dime from the 19th century. She takes a nap in a tank top that says Barn Bratz while listening to Lady Gaga and clutching the dime and is transported to 1863.
Caroline Chandler lives in Mississippi while the civil war is going on. She loves horses, especially her horse Pandora. When Sam is transported into her life, things start to change. Sam must avoid being taken away as a slave and Caroline must endure a visit to a family that she does not get along with.
Given the fact that the only other book I have read by Maggie Dana was Keeping Secrets and I disliked it, I really wasn’t expecting much from this novel. I sort of expected it to be like Keeping Secrets: shallow and boring. I was completely wrong. This book was actually quite interesting.
The relationship between Caroline and Sam was great, especially since Caroline’s family owns slaves and Sam is black. There was a period of adjustment for both girls before they fell into a nice friendship. Both girls were likable and relatable.
The horsey elements in this book are alright. It doesn’t go into a lot of detail, aside from Sam’s training session at the beginning of the novel, which doesn’t really affect the rest of the book anyway. There are several important horses in the novel, but none of them seem particularly interesting. I feel that a stronger focus on the individuality and quirks of the “special” horses would allow them to be a more prominent aspect of the novel.
There is a lot of stuff on the Civil War and trying to prevent changing history. It isn’t very complicated, and even someone who knows nothing about American history can understand. I honestly know nothing about the civil war, and I caught on pretty quickly without any further research (I’m Australian, and this stuff isn’t really studied here). There aren’t any gruesome details or any in depth discussions. It’s mostly about dealing with slavery and Sam trying to tell people information that she knows through being from the present day.
Some aspects of the book weren’t really very believable. I didn’t really understand how holding a penny and being in the same room as someone was years ago could transport someone through time, but I guess that an open mind must be kept when reading any book about time travel.
Turning on a Dime was a good read. Perhaps I didn’t love it because I’m just too old for this (ha, I’ll be eighteen by the end of the year; I am getting old!). This book would be more suited to a younger reader with an interest in horses and the civil war. I don’t think that a reader needs to know about horses before this, as there isn’t really anything too complicated in the novel.
An electronic copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2014
Positive Points
Ooh, the Kindle copy I had didn't come with a cover, so I just saw it when I searched for a picture for this blog post. Wow, it really conveys what the story is about: two girls from different centuries, both crazy about horses. The interesting element in this story is that Samantha (from the twenty-first century) is African-American. She time-travels to 1863 in Mississippi and meets Caroline, whose family owns slaves. I won't say more about this, but I found it very interesting. The chapters alternate between Samantha and Caroline, so we get both POVs. Very well done.
The author definitely knows a lot about horses, and her love for them shows in this book. I'm not crazy about horses myself, but I enjoyed reading the story and learning a bit more about this graceful animal.
I love time travel stories. This one was cleverly done, and the way the two girls came to trust each other little by little seemed natural. There aren't that many MG novels about the Civil War era. I liked the historical elements in this book: just enough historical details to get the readers situated without overwhelming them.
Negative Points
At times, Caroline's voice didn't sound natural, like she was pondering on things someone from her era wouldn't normally think about. For example: "But here in the South, girls don't have freedom. We're locked into corsets and crinolines, we're not allowed to say what we think, (...)." Would Caroline normally think about those things? Or was this written to inform the modern-day reader about what it's like to live in her time? I kept thinking, Who is she talking to? I also found Caroline's voice and Sam's voice too similar. I wish they had been more distinct.
The time-travel portal was very obvious to the reader (to me, anyway), but Samantha was totally clueless. I found it a bit annoying. I'm curious to see if a young reader would figure it out as easily as I did.
What makes this book unique
Horses and Civil War elements make this time-travel story stand out from the crowd.
Overall Impression
Despite the negative elements I mentioned, I kept reading until the end because I was curious to find out how the two girls would meet, and then how everything would turn out for them. I would have given it three stars, but after seeing the cover, I think I'll add one more star just for that. The cover is amazing!
Ooh, the Kindle copy I had didn't come with a cover, so I just saw it when I searched for a picture for this blog post. Wow, it really conveys what the story is about: two girls from different centuries, both crazy about horses. The interesting element in this story is that Samantha (from the twenty-first century) is African-American. She time-travels to 1863 in Mississippi and meets Caroline, whose family owns slaves. I won't say more about this, but I found it very interesting. The chapters alternate between Samantha and Caroline, so we get both POVs. Very well done.
The author definitely knows a lot about horses, and her love for them shows in this book. I'm not crazy about horses myself, but I enjoyed reading the story and learning a bit more about this graceful animal.
I love time travel stories. This one was cleverly done, and the way the two girls came to trust each other little by little seemed natural. There aren't that many MG novels about the Civil War era. I liked the historical elements in this book: just enough historical details to get the readers situated without overwhelming them.
Negative Points
At times, Caroline's voice didn't sound natural, like she was pondering on things someone from her era wouldn't normally think about. For example: "But here in the South, girls don't have freedom. We're locked into corsets and crinolines, we're not allowed to say what we think, (...)." Would Caroline normally think about those things? Or was this written to inform the modern-day reader about what it's like to live in her time? I kept thinking, Who is she talking to? I also found Caroline's voice and Sam's voice too similar. I wish they had been more distinct.
The time-travel portal was very obvious to the reader (to me, anyway), but Samantha was totally clueless. I found it a bit annoying. I'm curious to see if a young reader would figure it out as easily as I did.
What makes this book unique
Horses and Civil War elements make this time-travel story stand out from the crowd.
Overall Impression
Despite the negative elements I mentioned, I kept reading until the end because I was curious to find out how the two girls would meet, and then how everything would turn out for them. I would have given it three stars, but after seeing the cover, I think I'll add one more star just for that. The cover is amazing!
May 14, 2014
I’m often struck by how much we share with the equestrians of the past. Our tack, our boots, the very way we sit our horses -- whether we ride English or Western, we are very much in contact with our riding roots every day. Horsemanship is horsemanship, and, by the same token, the deep genetic need the truly horse-crazy feel to keep horses close to them probably hasn’t changed much in the past millennia or two, either.
But in Maggie Dana’s powerful new drama, Turning on a Dime, we’re asked to stop and consider what the modern horse-crazy life might look like in another time -- one that isn’t quite so pretty and permissive as today.
Sam might be vying to become the first African-American member of the United States Equestrian Team, but really, race is the last thing on her mind. The horses don’t notice, and neither does she.
Caroline is too busy ducking away from crinolines and corsets to worry about her future role as a Southern Lady. And the war with the North is getting close to home, certainly, but as long as she can sneak out for a gallop on her mare, life is good enough.
They’re one hundred fifty years and a world of prejudice apart. But Sam and Caroline have a lot to learn about one another -- and themselves -- when one turn of a dime throws their lives together, and they learn how deeply their fates are entwined.
What happens when you throw a 21st-century teenager -- who happens to be African-American -- into an 1863 plantation house? Well, you’d think nothing good. Luckily, Caroline has a good heart, and a definite interest in Sam’s 21st-century toys. Every teenage girl wants an iPhone, even if they have no idea what it actually does. (That’s design for you.) And that iPhone will come in handy. Because Sam and Caroline are about to find out that there are more important problems than just getting Sam back to her own time, and sometimes video proof is all a person will believe.
In Turning on a Dime, one truth becomes clear: horsemanship has nothing to do with the date on the calendar, or the roles society has granted us. For those of us who proudly bear the title “horse-crazy,” horses are in our blood, and no silly laws or rules can change that. Our horses come first -- everything else is just details.
from http://www.nataliekreinert.com
But in Maggie Dana’s powerful new drama, Turning on a Dime, we’re asked to stop and consider what the modern horse-crazy life might look like in another time -- one that isn’t quite so pretty and permissive as today.
Sam might be vying to become the first African-American member of the United States Equestrian Team, but really, race is the last thing on her mind. The horses don’t notice, and neither does she.
Caroline is too busy ducking away from crinolines and corsets to worry about her future role as a Southern Lady. And the war with the North is getting close to home, certainly, but as long as she can sneak out for a gallop on her mare, life is good enough.
They’re one hundred fifty years and a world of prejudice apart. But Sam and Caroline have a lot to learn about one another -- and themselves -- when one turn of a dime throws their lives together, and they learn how deeply their fates are entwined.
What happens when you throw a 21st-century teenager -- who happens to be African-American -- into an 1863 plantation house? Well, you’d think nothing good. Luckily, Caroline has a good heart, and a definite interest in Sam’s 21st-century toys. Every teenage girl wants an iPhone, even if they have no idea what it actually does. (That’s design for you.) And that iPhone will come in handy. Because Sam and Caroline are about to find out that there are more important problems than just getting Sam back to her own time, and sometimes video proof is all a person will believe.
In Turning on a Dime, one truth becomes clear: horsemanship has nothing to do with the date on the calendar, or the roles society has granted us. For those of us who proudly bear the title “horse-crazy,” horses are in our blood, and no silly laws or rules can change that. Our horses come first -- everything else is just details.
from http://www.nataliekreinert.com
September 23, 2014
This probably would have made more sense if I were a horse person.
Thank you, Pageworks Press and NetGalley, for this free title to review!
Don't get me wrong, I love horses. But I don't understand how people can have such strong connections with them. I've been looking for a book that would help me understand that. Was Turning on a Dime that book? A little bit.
What I DO understand is that I love lists, so here we go:
Things I liked:
1. The civil war time period. Not enough YA books are set in there. So thank you, Maggie Dana. :)
2. There was only a smidgen of romance. Now I love me a romance, but it's nice to read books that also focus on something else.
3. The cover is GORGEOUS.
What I disliked:
1. Girls never, EVER wore breeches in the 1860s. Ever. Even a tomboy would have been scandalized. And Caroline mentioned wearing a dress without a hoop skirt. Um, if you wore a civil war styled dress without a hoop skirt, there would be so much fabric billowing at your feet you could hardly walk.
2. Everyone accepts the time-traveling concept very well. If a stranger showed up in my bed in clothes I'd never seen before, it would have taken me a long time, if ever, to accept the fact that she came from the future. And while obviously that's not easy to do in a book, Caroline is pretty quick in coming to terms with it.
3. No one talked with an accent. Gideon didn't sound like a Bostonian. Caroline didn't sound like a Mississippian.
4. Are they fifteen or twelve...? Their voices felt very young.
5. Their recklessness.
Overall, this was a good book. But would I buy other books by this author? Probably not.
Thank you, Pageworks Press and NetGalley, for this free title to review!
Don't get me wrong, I love horses. But I don't understand how people can have such strong connections with them. I've been looking for a book that would help me understand that. Was Turning on a Dime that book? A little bit.
What I DO understand is that I love lists, so here we go:
Things I liked:
1. The civil war time period. Not enough YA books are set in there. So thank you, Maggie Dana. :)
2. There was only a smidgen of romance. Now I love me a romance, but it's nice to read books that also focus on something else.
3. The cover is GORGEOUS.
What I disliked:
1. Girls never, EVER wore breeches in the 1860s. Ever. Even a tomboy would have been scandalized. And Caroline mentioned wearing a dress without a hoop skirt. Um, if you wore a civil war styled dress without a hoop skirt, there would be so much fabric billowing at your feet you could hardly walk.
2. Everyone accepts the time-traveling concept very well. If a stranger showed up in my bed in clothes I'd never seen before, it would have taken me a long time, if ever, to accept the fact that she came from the future. And while obviously that's not easy to do in a book, Caroline is pretty quick in coming to terms with it.
3. No one talked with an accent. Gideon didn't sound like a Bostonian. Caroline didn't sound like a Mississippian.
4. Are they fifteen or twelve...? Their voices felt very young.
5. Their recklessness.
Overall, this was a good book. But would I buy other books by this author? Probably not.
November 11, 2014
A fun read for young horse lovers (and the not so young), with two feisty heroines worth rooting for. Like most teenagers (and almost anyone else really), Sam relies on modern technology to make it through the day. So when she ends up 150 years in the past, things take a little getting used too. For Caroline, a girl born in the wrong time, having a girl from the future appear in her room, is like a wish come true.
Sam is hoping to be the first black girl on the US equestrian Team and her dad is her demading trainer who wants his daughter on that team probably more than she does. When they go to an old southern ranch to look at some horses, Sam finds a dirty old dime in one of the house's many rooms. She rubs it clean, takes a nap and wakes up to find that everything is not the same as when she fell asleep.
Caroline likes to wear boys riding breeches and to ride horses like a man, both things that exaperate her parents. After doing these things repeatedly, she is grounded, this punishment takes place at her parent's friends house. She takes her new, out of time friend with her, as her maid. While both girls are there, they bond over their love of horses, but as they are enjoying their new friendship, the realities of the time and the civil war gets ever closer.
There were a few tense moments where I had to stop reading, each instance to do with old fasioned prejudice and cruelty. These instances are not so bad that they would really scare a child, but they do bring to light the hard lifes of black people of the time.
I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to not only horse lovers, but to anyone who enjoys books with unlikely friendships and those about the civil war era.
Natalie @ Natalie Hearts Books
Sam is hoping to be the first black girl on the US equestrian Team and her dad is her demading trainer who wants his daughter on that team probably more than she does. When they go to an old southern ranch to look at some horses, Sam finds a dirty old dime in one of the house's many rooms. She rubs it clean, takes a nap and wakes up to find that everything is not the same as when she fell asleep.
Caroline likes to wear boys riding breeches and to ride horses like a man, both things that exaperate her parents. After doing these things repeatedly, she is grounded, this punishment takes place at her parent's friends house. She takes her new, out of time friend with her, as her maid. While both girls are there, they bond over their love of horses, but as they are enjoying their new friendship, the realities of the time and the civil war gets ever closer.
There were a few tense moments where I had to stop reading, each instance to do with old fasioned prejudice and cruelty. These instances are not so bad that they would really scare a child, but they do bring to light the hard lifes of black people of the time.
I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to not only horse lovers, but to anyone who enjoys books with unlikely friendships and those about the civil war era.
Natalie @ Natalie Hearts Books
June 21, 2014
This is a fun mixture of themes rolled into one enjoyable story. Sam is shooting for the Olympics with her horse, Nugget, which would make her the first African American in this area to make it. When she accompanies her father to a Southern home with history to view several horses, she finds an antique dime and winds up transporting into the past.
Sam is a great, modern girl. She's determined, smart, tends to say what she thinks (not always at the right time) and loves her horse. It was easy to connect with her and feel for her through-out the story. But she isn't the only we're rooting for.
The second main character is Caroline, a Southern girl during the Civil War. She's a land-owner accustom to black slaves working on their land. This was a wonderful opposite to pose against Sam, especially since the two girls aren't so different after all. Not only do they share a love for horses, but both are determined and ready to hold their opinions (ones they form themselves).
This story mostly takes place during the Civil War time and a very realistic setting for that time period. It was interesting to watch Caroline accept Sam as a traveler from the future, and for the two to battle through an historic adventure, while coming to terms with their differences. The friendship the two form and the way the react to the world around them was simply enjoyable to read. It was a great way to learn about the time period, the bonds of friendship, and how important it is to stick up for what is right.
I especially enjoyed the way all the characters connected at the end. (Although I'm still wondering why a woman was so against a certain painting. . .) And really found this to be an easy going story, which grabs from the first page and holds until the very end. I'm even hoping to see these characters again.
Sam is a great, modern girl. She's determined, smart, tends to say what she thinks (not always at the right time) and loves her horse. It was easy to connect with her and feel for her through-out the story. But she isn't the only we're rooting for.
The second main character is Caroline, a Southern girl during the Civil War. She's a land-owner accustom to black slaves working on their land. This was a wonderful opposite to pose against Sam, especially since the two girls aren't so different after all. Not only do they share a love for horses, but both are determined and ready to hold their opinions (ones they form themselves).
This story mostly takes place during the Civil War time and a very realistic setting for that time period. It was interesting to watch Caroline accept Sam as a traveler from the future, and for the two to battle through an historic adventure, while coming to terms with their differences. The friendship the two form and the way the react to the world around them was simply enjoyable to read. It was a great way to learn about the time period, the bonds of friendship, and how important it is to stick up for what is right.
I especially enjoyed the way all the characters connected at the end. (Although I'm still wondering why a woman was so against a certain painting. . .) And really found this to be an easy going story, which grabs from the first page and holds until the very end. I'm even hoping to see these characters again.
June 29, 2016
One of my favorite books as a child was Can I Get There by Candlelight? by Jean Slaughter Doty, which told story of two young girls--one from the past and one from the present--who transcended the barriers of time to form a brief friendship, united by a common love of horses. The idea that horses form a bond between all young girls, regardless of the age in which they live is brought to life once again in Turning on a Dime by Maggie Dana. Only the story of Caroline and Sam has something of a twist—19th century Caroline is a Southern girl living during the Civil War and 21st century Sam is an accomplished rider who thinks little about her biracial heritage. When Sam travels back in time by accident, thanks to a magical dime that comes into her possession, she is forced to confront her history, just like Caroline is forced to confront her prejudices.
I loved the fact that this horse book for tweens and teens took on serious issues and that it does so as part of the plot without seeming didactic. Caroline and Sam are fully realized individuals. The book is always character-driven.
The YA audience will love the way that the book tackles questions kids often have about history—how did people go to the bathroom long ago and what did their underwear look like—while teachers and parents will love the way that it interweaves stories of actual Civil War battles into the girl’s friendship. Although these horsey girls are bright, at the beginning of the book both of them are more interested in riding than social justice but after they get to know one another they begin to better understand how their experiences fit into history.
I loved the fact that this horse book for tweens and teens took on serious issues and that it does so as part of the plot without seeming didactic. Caroline and Sam are fully realized individuals. The book is always character-driven.
The YA audience will love the way that the book tackles questions kids often have about history—how did people go to the bathroom long ago and what did their underwear look like—while teachers and parents will love the way that it interweaves stories of actual Civil War battles into the girl’s friendship. Although these horsey girls are bright, at the beginning of the book both of them are more interested in riding than social justice but after they get to know one another they begin to better understand how their experiences fit into history.
November 14, 2015
Samantha and Caroline are destined to become fast friends, with their mutual love of horses and spunky attitude. Unfortunately they live in different centuries. Caroline is a privileged Southern belle in the midst of the Civil War, and Samantha is a biracial Olympian in training. How on earth do these two meet? A pesky, supernatural dime. Before Samantha knows what's hit her, she's waking up in Caroline's room in 1863 and thrust into the chaos of Union troops laying siege to the slave-holding South.
This isn't a particularly safe spot to have time traveled, but luckily for her Caroline has her wits about her. The two begin a grand adventure to save Caroline's mare, who happens to be distantly related to Samantha's horse, Nugget. Save the mare, save Nugget. They only have to do it through a deeply dangerous war zone populated by slavers.
Maggie Dana's Turning on a Dime doesn't shy away from the issues of the era, and in so doing it adds itself as a refreshing addition to the horse story genre. Comedic time travel shenanigans are thrown in for good measure, so Civil War-era soldiers get a good look at their first iPhone and Samantha is introduced to less than comfortable fashion. All said, Maggie Dana always writes a good middle grade horse book, and this one is no exception.
This isn't a particularly safe spot to have time traveled, but luckily for her Caroline has her wits about her. The two begin a grand adventure to save Caroline's mare, who happens to be distantly related to Samantha's horse, Nugget. Save the mare, save Nugget. They only have to do it through a deeply dangerous war zone populated by slavers.
Maggie Dana's Turning on a Dime doesn't shy away from the issues of the era, and in so doing it adds itself as a refreshing addition to the horse story genre. Comedic time travel shenanigans are thrown in for good measure, so Civil War-era soldiers get a good look at their first iPhone and Samantha is introduced to less than comfortable fashion. All said, Maggie Dana always writes a good middle grade horse book, and this one is no exception.
May 14, 2014
Imagine two spunky girls from different centuries. Imagine that both are horse-girls, with a connection through the bloodlines of their horses. Now picture one of them as a privileged Southern white girl - stuck in fancy gowns when she’d rather be at the barn. The other is a talented Olympic-bound rider, who just happens to be bi-racial. When time travel causes these two girls to meet and instantly bond, they discover that Mississippi in 1863 is not a particularly safe place for their friendship to develop. Not only is the ongoing Civil War taking a horrible toll on both humans and horses, but the social customs involving slavery, as well as human and civil rights, is exceedingly different than it is today.
Ms. Dana has crafted a spirited story, which skillfully weaves the past and the present into the obstacles these two girls face while attempting to save their horses (and themselves) from a disastrous future. It’s a grand adventure story, filled with not only meatier issues but also plenty of humor. A wonderful read for middle-grade readers and older, this book will appeal to horse lovers, those interested in time travel, as well as history buffs. Recommended!
Ms. Dana has crafted a spirited story, which skillfully weaves the past and the present into the obstacles these two girls face while attempting to save their horses (and themselves) from a disastrous future. It’s a grand adventure story, filled with not only meatier issues but also plenty of humor. A wonderful read for middle-grade readers and older, this book will appeal to horse lovers, those interested in time travel, as well as history buffs. Recommended!
July 7, 2015
Interesting combination - horses, time travel and the Civil War. The story is told alternately by two teenage girls who love horses - Samantha, a present day girl whose goal is to be the first African American girl to ride in the Olympics, and Caroline, who lives on a plantation in Mississippi in 1863 where her father breeds horses. Caroline is a tomboy and gets in trouble frequently for not acting ladylike enough and for riding horses in her brothers breeches and getting dirty. When Samantha, whose mother is black and father is white, accidentally travels through time and winds up in Caroline's room, she learns what life was like during the Civil War for black people. She and Caroline become friends and together they try to save Caroline's horse as the Civil War encroaches upon them. The story is fun and intriguing although I think that some of the time elements are a bit off - for example, would someone during the Civil War era have named a fast horse Meteor? All in all though, the book is a fun read for girls who like horses and it features spunky girls and the time travel twist is fun if not realistic. I received this book free to review from Netgalley.
May 14, 2014
Taking on history can be a demanding ask for a MG author--just a whiff of 'teaching' and you can lose your audience. Dana balances her interest in and enthusiasm for the period with an instinctive understanding of what makes any kind of novel for youngsters this age sing--in this case it's all about friendships and how we can override (no pun intended) differences. And differences between the two protagonist are manifold: mixed-race northener and white southener each approaching their strange historical predicament with so much potential for misunderstanding, hatred even. The catalyst for friendship is equine (no surprise given the the author's success with her MG equine series), and horses play a leading role in this timeslip story. There's a real sense of tension, menace even, at times as armies march across the countryside. A smart premise is deftly carried through.
May 15, 2014
Dana steps fearlessly out on a limb with this unusual book set in worlds 150 years apart. It's a delightful read, whether you're a fan of horses--or time travel--or both. There are funny moments, such as Caroline's introduction to bras, i-phones and slang from the future. There are seriously scary moments, too, such as biracial Samantha finding herself in the hands of cruel slave masters--and clueless as to how to get back to the 21st century. However, the girls are curious teenagers with open minds and a common bond--their horses--so anything is possible.
Dana's Timber Ridge Riders series has shown that the author has a knack for creating realistic plots and non-stereotypical characters that readers can identify with. She also knows her horses. Turning on a Dime is her best work yet--and a book not to be missed!
Dana's Timber Ridge Riders series has shown that the author has a knack for creating realistic plots and non-stereotypical characters that readers can identify with. She also knows her horses. Turning on a Dime is her best work yet--and a book not to be missed!
July 30, 2014
Turning on a Dime was a great read--the characters were relatable, the language was rich and descriptive and though it approached a sensitive subject such as slavery, Maggie presented it in a way that realized how horrific it was without being overly graphic. Deep down though, the book is about friendship and what really brings people together. In this case, horses were the common ground for girls of different culture, background and time. It was a very heartfelt novel with a couple of twists that made the novel all the more tender and charming. Especially loved the different approach to the MG/YA horse-lover's genre. I finished the novel in a couple of evenings. Great read. Highly recommend.
July 30, 2014
Turning on a Dime was a great read--the characters were relatable, the language was rich and descriptive and though it approached a sensitive subject such as slavery, Maggie presented it in a way that realized how horrific it was without being overly graphic. Deep down though, the book is about friendship and what really brings people together. In this case, horses were the common ground for girls of different culture, background and time. It was a very heartfelt novel with a couple of twists that made the novel all the more tender and charming. Especially loved the different approach to the MG/YA horse-lover's genre. I finished the novel in a couple of evenings. Great read. Highly recommend.
June 21, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. I love horses and could identify with the bond the girls shared with their horses.
Yes, the story was a bit unrealistic. Everyone accepted time travel easily and without much fuss. Would I cause a fuss if this happened to me? umm.....yeah, big melt down. But it's fiction, it doesn't have to be realistic, just enjoyable to read.
And this book fulfilled that in spades. I loved the escapades and adventures, the friendships, the different time periods, just everything about this book was really well done.
I look forward to reading more books from this author.
Yes, the story was a bit unrealistic. Everyone accepted time travel easily and without much fuss. Would I cause a fuss if this happened to me? umm.....yeah, big melt down. But it's fiction, it doesn't have to be realistic, just enjoyable to read.
And this book fulfilled that in spades. I loved the escapades and adventures, the friendships, the different time periods, just everything about this book was really well done.
I look forward to reading more books from this author.
October 7, 2015
This book was way better than I was expecting. I've sporadically dipped into the YA horse genre, with varying results, but I think all it took was a plot that didn't entirely revolve around horses. this was fun. I really liked how Samantha's race was involved, but she was still really interesting beyond who she was. I mean, the plot wasn't really that sophisticated, and I thought that the relationship between Sam and Caroline could have been developed more- but all in all, this was heaps of fun.
May 12, 2017
This is a top-class time travel book which brings a girl from modern day face to face with her African-American heritage when she travels to the Civil War times.
The young lady she meets is from a land-owning family and they come together over their love for horses. Remounts are being sought by both sides, and the two girls have a desperate struggle to save their beloved horses - and themselves - from the turmoil.
I recommend this to teens looking for an unusual adventure read.
The young lady she meets is from a land-owning family and they come together over their love for horses. Remounts are being sought by both sides, and the two girls have a desperate struggle to save their beloved horses - and themselves - from the turmoil.
I recommend this to teens looking for an unusual adventure read.
May 19, 2014
Awesome!!!
definitely a 5 star book!!!=perfect for horse lovers! Maggie Dana is a fantabulous writer and if you haven't already read her other books you really should!!!
definitely a 5 star book!!!=perfect for horse lovers! Maggie Dana is a fantabulous writer and if you haven't already read her other books you really should!!!
July 20, 2014
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