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Adventures of Dakotaroo
Quicksand - The Mysterious Disappearance of Dakotaroo
The first in Krista Michelle Breen's adventures of Dakotaroo. T.J. Thompson's world is thrown upside down when her beloved Appaloosa pony mysteriously disappears into the fog. T.J. and her fearless friend Adrienne Brooks embark on a puzzling cross country journey in search of Dakotaroo. Aided in their adventure by Adrienne's annoying younger brother Phillip, the girls soon begin to understand the strange destiny of T.J.'s Appaloosa.
- GenresHorses
173 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
About the author
Krista Michelle Breen
13 books17 followersKrista Michelle Breen lives in Rockwood, Ontario, with her two children, Walker and Aniela and her husband Doug. Krista's grade school teachers repeatedly asked her to stop talking about horses, stop writing about horses and to please draw something other than horses. When not thinking about T.J. and Adrienne, Krista spends her time teaching young riders, doing laundry and trying to fit her horse trailer through the drive-thru at Tim Hortons. She is an Equine Canada certified Instructor and a Canadian Pony Club alumni.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 13, 2010
It seems so many young adult books string a series of un-descriptive sentences together, forming a sort of plot where the characters have no depth of emotion through a bunch of conflicts happening to them. Not so here-- this book is written for middle-schoolers, but shows a notable range of emotions and attention to detail that made it an easy, enjoyable read for an adult. The conflict is genuine, and the facts are all there, which make it the best kind of book about horses.
All the riding, the equipment, and the characteristics of the stables and their occupants are on par with reality-- no fantasy bonds between horse and rider, no idealized dream-world where the young women get everything they want in the end. Instead, it shows a genuine portrait of two girls growing up, putting themselves through challenges, and loving their horses.
The factual inaccuracies did appear, I'm afraid, but they were minor. Appaloosas were purportedly bred by the Nez Perce tribe of the northwest. Today, their reservation lands are in Idaho, not Montana, as set in the book. Additionally, the Nez Perce were not a tribe that would've worn the heavy turquoise jewelry of the southwestern tribes, as Breen has a native matriarch wearing. They were, of course, known for their beautiful, fast horses.
The ending to the race is quite dramatic, and overall, I enjoyed the book. Of course, I am an Appaloosa lover myself, so that didn't hurt!
All the riding, the equipment, and the characteristics of the stables and their occupants are on par with reality-- no fantasy bonds between horse and rider, no idealized dream-world where the young women get everything they want in the end. Instead, it shows a genuine portrait of two girls growing up, putting themselves through challenges, and loving their horses.
The factual inaccuracies did appear, I'm afraid, but they were minor. Appaloosas were purportedly bred by the Nez Perce tribe of the northwest. Today, their reservation lands are in Idaho, not Montana, as set in the book. Additionally, the Nez Perce were not a tribe that would've worn the heavy turquoise jewelry of the southwestern tribes, as Breen has a native matriarch wearing. They were, of course, known for their beautiful, fast horses.
The ending to the race is quite dramatic, and overall, I enjoyed the book. Of course, I am an Appaloosa lover myself, so that didn't hurt!
March 2, 2010
Young readers and horse lovers will absolutely love this book! Breen has written a mystery that captivates and engages the reader and keeps you wanting more. I adore T.J., Adrienne, and Mickey. They are such realistic characters that any young teen could relate to them.
It's obvious that Krista Michelle Breen has a passion for writing and horses alike. Most of my knowledge of horses has come from reading Dick Francis's mystery novels. I can see why Breen's books have been called "Dick Francis for kids." I'm looking forward to sharing this book with my nieces.
It's obvious that Krista Michelle Breen has a passion for writing and horses alike. Most of my knowledge of horses has come from reading Dick Francis's mystery novels. I can see why Breen's books have been called "Dick Francis for kids." I'm looking forward to sharing this book with my nieces.
April 19, 2013
Reviewed on April 19th as part of the A to Z Blog Challenge
Most of the times I sit down to write a review of a middle-grader book I have to remind myself, yes, but what would a middle-grader think? This time I had no problem with that. This time when I started reading, I was back as my twelve-year-old self before I turned to the second page. It’s a pony book!
Pony books need a nice owner/rider, an adventure, a challenge, someone doing something that the pony and his/her owner/rider will overcome, and some good friends to help them along the way. This has all of that and more. The first challenge comes when Dakotaroo disappears from her field. I liked the detail of the search including the roping in of all the available pony-riding fraternity apart from the snooty posh ones. I particularly liked our heroine’s, TJ’s, realisation that nobody much cared about her horse Dakotaroo, it was just a chance to gallop in a different place from usual. So real, so true!! I ached for TJ and was really worried about Dakotaroo.
It’s wonderful how geeky brothers can sometimes come to the rescue. And also wonderful how just when the next challenge has been unveiled, and the protagonists and antagonists kind of identified – since it was definitely unclear whether the apparent baddies were really guilty as charged – the reader can be shocked out of his or her expectation of a clichéd dangerous challenge ahead by a further twist in the tale.
It’s complex enough, it’s full of great characters, although the parents are a little hazy, as they should be in a pony book (adults, pah!) and the setting beautifully described. I don’t think you need to be pony mad to enjoy this book. As for me, I had to force myself to put it down, so as to enjoy it better! When can I start the next one?
Most of the times I sit down to write a review of a middle-grader book I have to remind myself, yes, but what would a middle-grader think? This time I had no problem with that. This time when I started reading, I was back as my twelve-year-old self before I turned to the second page. It’s a pony book!
Pony books need a nice owner/rider, an adventure, a challenge, someone doing something that the pony and his/her owner/rider will overcome, and some good friends to help them along the way. This has all of that and more. The first challenge comes when Dakotaroo disappears from her field. I liked the detail of the search including the roping in of all the available pony-riding fraternity apart from the snooty posh ones. I particularly liked our heroine’s, TJ’s, realisation that nobody much cared about her horse Dakotaroo, it was just a chance to gallop in a different place from usual. So real, so true!! I ached for TJ and was really worried about Dakotaroo.
It’s wonderful how geeky brothers can sometimes come to the rescue. And also wonderful how just when the next challenge has been unveiled, and the protagonists and antagonists kind of identified – since it was definitely unclear whether the apparent baddies were really guilty as charged – the reader can be shocked out of his or her expectation of a clichéd dangerous challenge ahead by a further twist in the tale.
It’s complex enough, it’s full of great characters, although the parents are a little hazy, as they should be in a pony book (adults, pah!) and the setting beautifully described. I don’t think you need to be pony mad to enjoy this book. As for me, I had to force myself to put it down, so as to enjoy it better! When can I start the next one?
March 13, 2022
TJ is a 14-year-old girl from Ontario who rides Dakotaroo, an Appaloosa, in riding competitions. She has been training hard for a championship competition that is in a few weeks when suddenly her horse goes missing, seemingly vanishing without a trace. Will TJ find Dakotaroo? What will she do about the championship if she doesn't?
This book had good bones for a story but, I think, suffered from a lack of an editor. There were several typos that were so obvious it broke me out of the story, including one in which the middle part of the sentence had somehow ended up coming after the end of the sentence. I had to read the whole part 3-4 times before I could figure out what had happened. The writing overall suffered a lot from telling the reader things as opposed to showing them, so it often felt choppy and short. The characters were hard to place. While Tj and Adrienne are clearly identified as being 14 and Mickey as being 15, their dialogue and actions flip-flopped from being something typical of a teenager to something I would expect from an adult and thus seemed very out of character. Finally, as to the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the horse (Spoiler alert: ), the resolution was .... poor. The reader is told what happened - maybe, maybe not. The insurance agent in charge of determining whether or not to pay out on the insurance for the horse does finally begin to do his job, but only after he gets mad at a certain situation. He does come across one really good lead which could potentially explain everything - and put some definition to the maybe/maybe not scenario - when it is magicked away by a Deus ex machina that seemed more like the author needed to tie up a storyline that she really didn't want to follow and probably shouldn't have started in the first place.
This would probably be a good book for 8-14 year olds to read, as that seemed to be about the level it was written at, which is why I gave it 3 stars. Anyone else is probably going to be annoyed at it too quickly to want to finish the book. The ONLY reason I finished the book is that I was reading it for a reading challenge and there aren't many middle-grade books that have titles beginning with the letter Q.
This book had good bones for a story but, I think, suffered from a lack of an editor. There were several typos that were so obvious it broke me out of the story, including one in which the middle part of the sentence had somehow ended up coming after the end of the sentence. I had to read the whole part 3-4 times before I could figure out what had happened. The writing overall suffered a lot from telling the reader things as opposed to showing them, so it often felt choppy and short. The characters were hard to place. While Tj and Adrienne are clearly identified as being 14 and Mickey as being 15, their dialogue and actions flip-flopped from being something typical of a teenager to something I would expect from an adult and thus seemed very out of character. Finally, as to the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the horse (Spoiler alert: ), the resolution was .... poor. The reader is told what happened - maybe, maybe not. The insurance agent in charge of determining whether or not to pay out on the insurance for the horse does finally begin to do his job, but only after he gets mad at a certain situation. He does come across one really good lead which could potentially explain everything - and put some definition to the maybe/maybe not scenario - when it is magicked away by a Deus ex machina that seemed more like the author needed to tie up a storyline that she really didn't want to follow and probably shouldn't have started in the first place.
This would probably be a good book for 8-14 year olds to read, as that seemed to be about the level it was written at, which is why I gave it 3 stars. Anyone else is probably going to be annoyed at it too quickly to want to finish the book. The ONLY reason I finished the book is that I was reading it for a reading challenge and there aren't many middle-grade books that have titles beginning with the letter Q.
January 25, 2013
After reading book three and loving it I had to start from the frist book and work my way to the last book this serise is really good! If your a horse lover like me this is a must read serise :)
The first book starts the serise myster question "Who stold Dakotaroo and why give it to a boy name Mickey Skyhouse to win a race?" It's these question that's stuck in Mickey's head when a little girl name T.J. comes to Montana and claims her horse again after one morning finding her gone with no sighen anywhere of where she could of gone.
After hard sreaching for her horse it's her best friend, Adrienne's, little brother to tell them where she is and is where she meets the boy Mickey and ends up becoming close friends with him after hearing his story of his family and his old horse. From this bond she has made with him forms a big question in her head, so she let him race Dakotaroo in the big race after all even with the chance of a wrong move can cause her dear horse to be hurt?
I gave it five stars just like i did with book three. It's a really catching book that makes you want to figure out who took the horse and keeps you puzzled at the same time making you want to read more.
The first book starts the serise myster question "Who stold Dakotaroo and why give it to a boy name Mickey Skyhouse to win a race?" It's these question that's stuck in Mickey's head when a little girl name T.J. comes to Montana and claims her horse again after one morning finding her gone with no sighen anywhere of where she could of gone.
After hard sreaching for her horse it's her best friend, Adrienne's, little brother to tell them where she is and is where she meets the boy Mickey and ends up becoming close friends with him after hearing his story of his family and his old horse. From this bond she has made with him forms a big question in her head, so she let him race Dakotaroo in the big race after all even with the chance of a wrong move can cause her dear horse to be hurt?
I gave it five stars just like i did with book three. It's a really catching book that makes you want to figure out who took the horse and keeps you puzzled at the same time making you want to read more.
February 17, 2013
The whole Dakotaroo series is wonderful for horse-crazy kids. This is the first book in the series.
When TJ's beloved horse Dakotaroo is stolen, not only must she and her friends track down Dakotaroo's abductor, they must also figure out why she was stolen in the first place. This book divides the action into what seems like almost two separate stories. The first is the story of Dakotaroo's disappearance and how TJ discovers what happened to her (aided by her friend Adrienne's dorky and extremely funny brother Phillip.) The second part is where she meets Mickey Skyhouse and decides to let her horse run in the race to end all races (for Appaloosas anyway) -- the Chief Joseph Memorial--a no-holds-barred competition that separates the weak from the daring.
This story is fast-paced and keeps the reader moving forward, wondering what will happen next. It has a hint of romance, and some strong character development, especially with Adrienne, who is the leading character in another book. It sets the scene for future stories and, most importantly, it has horses and a good, nail-biting race. What young girl doesn't like a good horse story?
I'd recommend the entire Dakotaroo series for any horse-crazy kid, but definitely start with this one first.
When TJ's beloved horse Dakotaroo is stolen, not only must she and her friends track down Dakotaroo's abductor, they must also figure out why she was stolen in the first place. This book divides the action into what seems like almost two separate stories. The first is the story of Dakotaroo's disappearance and how TJ discovers what happened to her (aided by her friend Adrienne's dorky and extremely funny brother Phillip.) The second part is where she meets Mickey Skyhouse and decides to let her horse run in the race to end all races (for Appaloosas anyway) -- the Chief Joseph Memorial--a no-holds-barred competition that separates the weak from the daring.
This story is fast-paced and keeps the reader moving forward, wondering what will happen next. It has a hint of romance, and some strong character development, especially with Adrienne, who is the leading character in another book. It sets the scene for future stories and, most importantly, it has horses and a good, nail-biting race. What young girl doesn't like a good horse story?
I'd recommend the entire Dakotaroo series for any horse-crazy kid, but definitely start with this one first.
April 12, 2010
While reading this book I tried to put myself back into the mind-frame of the young horse-crazy girl I used to be. I know that it is a book that girl would certainly have loved, although the adult in me enjoyed it too! The story was charming, with all sorts of little facts and horse-speak that would have made that little girl smile and nod knowingly. The plot kept me guessing all the way, and I read the book in one day, since I couldn't put it down. Guaranteed to be a hit with young hippophiles (that's horse lovers, for those who don't know).
January 7, 2011
It's a very good book. when iread it i don't want to put it down. I enjoy reading quicksand and i am exiccted to read ther second book hardware i also own . Ilike how it doesn't drag on and that the problem is at the begining . it's never a doll moment with this seris .iwould like to order the third and frouth books but i can't find a website where i can order it can you tell me where i can find a
place to order them online or where i can find them! Thanks Krissy17@live.ca
place to order them online or where i can find them! Thanks Krissy17@live.ca
February 22, 2013
Enjoyed this book very much. A review will follow shortly!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews