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One Frosty Christmas
Hannah Storey has lots of friends, but not in River Bend. Teased by the local kids for being a city girl and an amputee, Hannah feels alone and isolated just like the old pony she sees on the way to and from school every day. Hannah vows to save the pony the local kids have cruelly nicknamed "Frostbite" from freezing to death or being sent to slaughter. Will Hannah be able to save the pony? Will the people of River Bend ever accept her?
"One Frosty Christmas" is a classical Christmas story about love, friendship, and the true meaning of Christmas. While it is written for young adults, everyone who loves horses and inspirational stories will enjoy the read.
"One Frosty Christmas" is a classical Christmas story about love, friendship, and the true meaning of Christmas. While it is written for young adults, everyone who loves horses and inspirational stories will enjoy the read.
148 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2003
About the author
Laura Hesse
54 books29 followersLaura is a Vancouver Island based author of a middle grade equestrian series and two cozy mystery series. She is also a screenwriter with several options and awards to her credit.
Hesse grew up a back stage brat in music hall theater and credits her mother with her love of dance and song and her father with her love of reading and writing. When she is not writing, she can be found on a beach somewhere or singing at a local jam.
While her horses have all passed over the rainbow, they appear in many of her stories.
Visit https://RunningLProductions.com for a full bio.
Hesse grew up a back stage brat in music hall theater and credits her mother with her love of dance and song and her father with her love of reading and writing. When she is not writing, she can be found on a beach somewhere or singing at a local jam.
While her horses have all passed over the rainbow, they appear in many of her stories.
Visit https://RunningLProductions.com for a full bio.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 18, 2020
The book started out very slowly for me, but I finally started enjoying it late in the book, and then I read the next two books.
December 20, 2017
A Starving Horse and a Girl Determined to Save Him
One Frosty Christmas is a heart-warming story of a girl who finds herself transplanted away from friends in the city, to a small town where people don’t seem so welcoming. Her determined love for an abused horse, despite great personal danger, soon captures the hearts of the entire town. But, will love for a beaten animal be enough to save a life?
Laura Hesse’s writing is both realistic and enchanting. By the time I finished the story, I was disappointed that it was over. It’s definitely one of those books you don’t want to end. But, more than that, the story gives a glimpse into the life of a child with a prosthetic limb. Without giving a spoiler, the ending is perfect. I would love to see this story made into a movie!
I requested and received a copy of the audiobook free for review purposes. The narration is of excellent quality, so much so that I became totally immersed in the story. Leslie Howard’s voice is not only finely measured for reading aloud, but she reads with expression and brings the characters to life. I noticed that the book is part of the Riverbend Trilogy available on Kindle. Hopefully, the other two books: The Great Pumpkin Ride, and a Filly Called Easter, will be available on Audible soon, with the same Narrator. I recommend this story for all young adult readers who love horses.
One Frosty Christmas is a heart-warming story of a girl who finds herself transplanted away from friends in the city, to a small town where people don’t seem so welcoming. Her determined love for an abused horse, despite great personal danger, soon captures the hearts of the entire town. But, will love for a beaten animal be enough to save a life?
Laura Hesse’s writing is both realistic and enchanting. By the time I finished the story, I was disappointed that it was over. It’s definitely one of those books you don’t want to end. But, more than that, the story gives a glimpse into the life of a child with a prosthetic limb. Without giving a spoiler, the ending is perfect. I would love to see this story made into a movie!
I requested and received a copy of the audiobook free for review purposes. The narration is of excellent quality, so much so that I became totally immersed in the story. Leslie Howard’s voice is not only finely measured for reading aloud, but she reads with expression and brings the characters to life. I noticed that the book is part of the Riverbend Trilogy available on Kindle. Hopefully, the other two books: The Great Pumpkin Ride, and a Filly Called Easter, will be available on Audible soon, with the same Narrator. I recommend this story for all young adult readers who love horses.
December 1, 2018
This is an enjoyable book for children of all ages (and adults too!) and is a perfect read for Christmas.
Hannah is a young girl who lost her leg, along with her beloved Grandmother, in an accident. Her parents have moved to the town of Riverbend, away from the city of Edmonton, because of her father's job. Hannah is struggling to fit in, partly due to her prosthetic leg and partly because she is a city girl.
Every day, the school bus passes a pasture with a bedraggled, neglected pony that Hannah dubs Frosty. Even though Frosty has no ears due to his abuse, Hannah falls in love. She is determined to save Frosty, no matter what it takes. Little does Hannah realize that she will soon have friends who are willing to help her in her task.
The pace was a little bit slow for kids, but it was still a good book with lots of life lessons in it. I could see listening to the book with young kids on a trip or just a commute to school every day. Nearly all young girls love horses and ponies and this would be the perfect book for any horse lover.
Leslie Howard does a great job with the narration and added a lot to my enjoyment of the book. I was given a copy of this audiobook through Audiobook Boom! and chose to review it.
Hannah is a young girl who lost her leg, along with her beloved Grandmother, in an accident. Her parents have moved to the town of Riverbend, away from the city of Edmonton, because of her father's job. Hannah is struggling to fit in, partly due to her prosthetic leg and partly because she is a city girl.
Every day, the school bus passes a pasture with a bedraggled, neglected pony that Hannah dubs Frosty. Even though Frosty has no ears due to his abuse, Hannah falls in love. She is determined to save Frosty, no matter what it takes. Little does Hannah realize that she will soon have friends who are willing to help her in her task.
The pace was a little bit slow for kids, but it was still a good book with lots of life lessons in it. I could see listening to the book with young kids on a trip or just a commute to school every day. Nearly all young girls love horses and ponies and this would be the perfect book for any horse lover.
Leslie Howard does a great job with the narration and added a lot to my enjoyment of the book. I was given a copy of this audiobook through Audiobook Boom! and chose to review it.
May 6, 2021
In an interview, Laura Hess, the author of over 20 books, said Valentino was her favorite. It is a young adult story about a blind girl stranded on an island in the Northwest with a teen native boy and a horse. I am from southeast Alaska, so I wanted to see how Hess described the region. I found her intimate knowledge of the terrain, flora/fauna, and moods of the weather convincing. The Indian boy is self-reliant, capable, and modest very much in keeping with the Northwest Indian ways. The blind girl is indeed brave and able to survive with the aid of her dog, but I found her a little on the bratty side. I am no kid, but I did enjoy this well-written tale of survival in the wilds of the North. I think young readers would benefit from the story.
January 8, 2018
•audiobook•
A sweet, feel - good, well written book. A young girl’s determination to find a friend in a new small town, where newbies aren’t welcomed. Especially a child who has a disability.
Cynical realism from a bully pushes Hannah to befriend a malnourished horse and want more from life.
Through her courage, she finally finds new friends and acceptance.
The tinge of a romantic angle was too cliche, thus the missing star. It would have been perfect without it.
Youngsters could learn a lot from Hannah through the voice talent of Leslie Howard, combined with the marvelous magical words of Laura Hesse.
A sweet, feel - good, well written book. A young girl’s determination to find a friend in a new small town, where newbies aren’t welcomed. Especially a child who has a disability.
Cynical realism from a bully pushes Hannah to befriend a malnourished horse and want more from life.
Through her courage, she finally finds new friends and acceptance.
The tinge of a romantic angle was too cliche, thus the missing star. It would have been perfect without it.
Youngsters could learn a lot from Hannah through the voice talent of Leslie Howard, combined with the marvelous magical words of Laura Hesse.
December 20, 2017
One Frosty Christmas (Holiday)
: Laura Hesse
An inspirational story of change after a new begining. Tears and heartwrenching moments keep the listener holding on for a happy ending.
The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed. Leslie Howard was a perfect choice for this project!
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
: Laura Hesse
An inspirational story of change after a new begining. Tears and heartwrenching moments keep the listener holding on for a happy ending.
The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed. Leslie Howard was a perfect choice for this project!
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
December 8, 2018
One Frosty Christmas is a sweet story certain to become a favorite with horse loving kids. The main character, a lonely teenage amputee, wins the listener's heart almost as fast as the abused and neglected pony she seeks to rescue. The narrator of the audio book is terrific!
December 12, 2018
This story started off slow but it ended up being a cute heart warming story. I wasn't thrilled with the narrator though.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
December 17, 2018
A sweet, heartwarming story.
January 8, 2020
Sweet horse and girl story, just in time for the Holidays
My Full Review
My Full Review
March 17, 2017
Young Hannah Storey is struggling to come to grips with a move to a new town. She’s a survivor of a car accident and the nightmares haunt her still. She lost her grandmother in the accident. On top of this, she lost half of her leg.
Although she is an amputee, this didn’t bother Hannah. She has a supportive family and caring friends. But the move to River Bend finds her the victim of bullying. Determined not to cry, she works hard to ignore the taunts from local bully Penny Paddington.
Read more at http://equus-blog.com/one-frosty-chri...
Although she is an amputee, this didn’t bother Hannah. She has a supportive family and caring friends. But the move to River Bend finds her the victim of bullying. Determined not to cry, she works hard to ignore the taunts from local bully Penny Paddington.
Read more at http://equus-blog.com/one-frosty-chri...
October 27, 2015
Absolutely loved this short story, made me cry.
November 18, 2018
Comme ci comme ça.🥴
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews