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It's a dude ranch mystery!

The Sleepover Friends are ready for some wild west adventure when they go on vacation at a dude ranch in Arizona with Stephanie's grandmother. But then Kate starts acting strange. . . like making excuses not to get involved with all the fun activities at the ranch. And she's not the only mystery person around. What is it about fellow guest Keith Foley? He's so unfriendly! He never smiles, either. So why is Kate always defending him?

Stephanie, Patti, and Lauren can't believe it! Does Kate have a crush on Keith?

87 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1989

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About the author

Susan Saunders

158 books38 followers

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5 stars
11 (16%)
4 stars
19 (29%)
3 stars
29 (44%)
2 stars
5 (7%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Leane.
539 reviews34 followers
May 19, 2021
I've been meaning to say it, but I can't stand Stephanie.
Profile Image for Ashley.
1,763 reviews33 followers
September 10, 2022
I'm sure I've read this one, though I forgot most of the things that happened in this book. But, between this and my current obsession with Red Dead Redemption 2, I totally want to go on a Dude Ranch vacation and ride some horses.
Profile Image for Leigh.
1,196 reviews
July 9, 2025
I think I remember this one but I read a few other books about horses, the Timber Ridge series or whatever it was called in the 80s/90s so maybe I didn't. Stephanie's grandma invites the girls to join her on a ranch in Arizona. Since it's probably March break the weather is lousy and they eagerly agree to go where it's warmer and snow free. Except Lauren who is terrified of flying. They arrive and there is a boy their age there, Keith. Not long after they arrive Kate begins acting weird and getting headaches and leaving them behind. Stephanie who is boy crazy assumes that Kate has a crush on and is visiting Keith and this leads to them fighting. Kate and Keith ended up sharing their embarrassing secrets with each other and eventually everything comes out in the end. Both secrets seem dumb as an adult but yes kids truly do worry about those things. There's even a hint of romance for Stephanie's grandma. Get it nana!
Profile Image for emily ☁️.
267 reviews
November 29, 2022
This book is cute. I really enjoyed the storyline and the group learning about Kate and why she was acting like this. This is my first Sleepover Friends book and its #16 so they didn't give much information about the characters so I was a little lost as to who was who, but that's on me.
For a middle grade reader book, it was good and very enjoyable. Would definitely recommend...probably to the targeted audience but if your older and want to read it do it. I finished this book in about an hour.
Profile Image for Tiffany Spencer.
2,006 reviews19 followers
June 29, 2019
Kate’s Crush
Plot: Stephanie’s aunt takes her and the Sleepover Friends to a dude ranch. There they meet a family who has a son named Keith whose incredibly rude to them and doesn’t speak. During horse riding lessons Kate gets a “headache” and says she wants to go back to the house. The Sleepover Friends find this suspicious because Kate never gets headaches. She’s “the perfect” one after all. They jump to the conclusion that Kate is secretly into Keith and is sneaking off so she can see him. They find her coat in the lobby next to a book he was reading. It turns out Kate’s just been scared to admit she’s scared of horses and have been practicing being near them at tonight. She has been talking to Keith but she agreed not to tell his secret if she didn’t tell his. He has braces. Before they leave he and Patti exchange numbers.

Rating: 5 A horse is a kind of weird thing to fear, but then again fears aren’t always logical. I’ve never ridden a horse but I can understand Kate’s fear of *that*. Riding a horse looks VERY unstable. There’s nothing to grab on to (other than the reins) if it gets out of control and bucks you off to the ground. NO THANKS!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews

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