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Dream of Night
Untamable. Damaged. Angry. Once full of promise and life, now lost in the shadows of resentment and detachment, this is Dream of Night's story—and it is also Shiloh’s. One is a thoroughbred racehorse, the other an eleven-year-old foster child. Starved to the bone, Dream of Night is still a very powerful animal, kicking, bucking, screaming to show his strength. Shiloh has been starved in other ways—starved of affection, starved of stability and she lashes out too…with sarcasm. This injured and abused racehorse has a lot in common with punky Shiloh and by chance they both find themselves under the care of Jessalyn DiLima—a last stop for each before the state takes more drastic measures—sending the girl to a “residential facility” and the horse to a vet...for euthanizing.
Jess is giving them a second chance, a last chance—but she fosters animals and children like this for a reason—she’s a little broken, too. And she knows what it’s like to have lost nearly everything she loves. As the horse warms up to the girl and the girl lets her guard down for the horse, the three of them become an unlikely family. They recognize their similarities in order to heal their pasts, but not before one last tragedy threatens to take it all away.
Jess is giving them a second chance, a last chance—but she fosters animals and children like this for a reason—she’s a little broken, too. And she knows what it’s like to have lost nearly everything she loves. As the horse warms up to the girl and the girl lets her guard down for the horse, the three of them become an unlikely family. They recognize their similarities in order to heal their pasts, but not before one last tragedy threatens to take it all away.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2010
30 people are currently reading
1389 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
April 7, 2019
4 Stars
I really enjoyed reading this book a lot. I felt like while I was reading this book I could connect to this book because I am a horse lover and I could connect with everything and understand it really well. I have never read any books by Heather Henson before and I thought I should give this book a try being it is a horse book. I really loved her writing as well. It was so different and unique from what I have or normally read. This book was a good change for what I normally read. I would maybe read this book again. I would recommend this book to nay horse lovers or horse mom's out there.
I really enjoyed reading this book a lot. I felt like while I was reading this book I could connect to this book because I am a horse lover and I could connect with everything and understand it really well. I have never read any books by Heather Henson before and I thought I should give this book a try being it is a horse book. I really loved her writing as well. It was so different and unique from what I have or normally read. This book was a good change for what I normally read. I would maybe read this book again. I would recommend this book to nay horse lovers or horse mom's out there.
February 16, 2016
I LOVE THIS BOOK! It is the best book ever written. Even if you don't love horses read this because it is so great.
April 19, 2017
I recommend this book if you are into horses and it is between a bond of a girl and an abused horse.
August 11, 2012
Sweet, moving story that I think I've unwittingly been waiting to read for years. I wasn't sure about including the horse's POV + his ability to understand language at first, but by the end I really liked the balance of the three. This is the kind of book I wish I'd written. (that said, I had to stop and try not to be sick to my stomach at the idea of someone destroying a vintage Misty of Chincoteague. NO WHY STOP WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME) And can we take a moment to appreciate the cover design here featuring not one but two different photos of the girl and the horse on front and back? Because I was deeply impressed.
July 12, 2010
I am so disappointed, I could cry! This really could have been a fantastic book, but it just fell apart towards the end.
December 11, 2018
This book was very good, the only problem I had was keeping up with everyone's side of view. The book begins with Jess waking up to her friend at her door yelling emergency at 3 in the morning. The horse shelter down the road got a bunch of horses in and Jess took in one that they believed had no chance, a damaged horse. then when Jess returns home she has a new foster child, Shiloh . Jess has been helping damaged kids for a while now, they go to Jess's place for how ever long it takes till they are ready to go to a new permanent home. Shiloh stays with Jess and bonds with the damaged horse over time. Overall this was a great book.
August 22, 2023
Once, Dream of Night was a horse who won big races, and once, Shiloh was a girl who lived with her mom. But both have suffered years of abuse and neglect, both are angry, and both find themselves on a Kentucky farm with Jess. This novel is the story of how these three broken beings connect and find their way out of darkness.
June 1, 2017
Much better than I thought it was going to be! Would recommend for a short easy book to read.
October 11, 2018
I thought this was an amazing book and i loved how everything mad sense in the book and yeah and i really liked how everything played out.
August 9, 2019
A great middle grade novel that I revisit every time I need a nostalgic trip.
November 20, 2021
This book is about an abused horse and a foster child bonding and oddly enough they go to the same house to get taken care of. So if you like horses and reading I would recommend this book
July 13, 2011
Heather Henson, Dream of Night (Atheneum, 2010)
Full disclosure: this book was provided me free of charge by Amazon Vine.
I had to spend some time thinking about this one after I read it. It has its faults, true, and looked at from the standpoint of “this is a book”, without any thought to the author's stylistic motives, it's not as good as Henson's That Book Woman. But I think there's more to it than that, and I think the more there is to it, ultimately, makes a lot of the book's flaws excusable, if not put there to underline Henson's stylistic decisions about the book. Does any of that make any sense at all? Probably not. Bear with me, we'll get there.
Plot: the story revolves around three main characters, two humans and a horse. Dream of Night is the horse, a retired (not officially, one thinks) Thoroughbred who suffered horrific abuse before being part of a group of rescues. He's taken in by Jess, the older of our human participants, a horsewoman with a painful past who has no illusions about the fact that she's getting too old for taking in rescue horses—or rescue children, for that matter, like twelve-year-old Shiloh, for whom Jess' farm is her last chance before the group home. Each chapter has three sections, each narrated by one of the participants, which gives us a well-rounded overview of the situation.
But an overview it is, and this is the book's biggest weakness. Henson takes no time at all to explore the idea of subtlety with her conceit; in fact, it's writ large from the jacket copy on in. She often goes into as little detail as possible, giving the reader just enough to get the basics before moving on to plot advancement. If you're a reader who's big on really getting to know your characters and the space in which they move, you may have some problems with this. But, with that said, I finished the book in one sitting (well, two, I took a break for dinner), and that's the part that got me thinking about Henson's stylistic choices, etc. I think Henson designed this book to be read in a single sitting. And if that's the case, suddenly a lot of the book's shortfalls make sense, at least within that framework. Books with lots of characterization outside the plot, description, etc. are meant to be savored over multiple sessions, put down and mulled over after one hits a particularly well-written passage or what have you. This, on the other hand, shifts all of its characterization to plot advancement (which makes the characterization that IS there pretty impressive, though there are some abrupt shifts in character that could maybe have been better foreshadowed, especially in Shiloh's case), all the description to what three generally-harried characters are going to see, which isn't much. It's a pretty low trick, when it comes right down to it, but given the finished product, it's a trick that works, and works well. It's solid, it's enjoyable, and it's an interesting experiment. *** ½
Full disclosure: this book was provided me free of charge by Amazon Vine.
I had to spend some time thinking about this one after I read it. It has its faults, true, and looked at from the standpoint of “this is a book”, without any thought to the author's stylistic motives, it's not as good as Henson's That Book Woman. But I think there's more to it than that, and I think the more there is to it, ultimately, makes a lot of the book's flaws excusable, if not put there to underline Henson's stylistic decisions about the book. Does any of that make any sense at all? Probably not. Bear with me, we'll get there.
Plot: the story revolves around three main characters, two humans and a horse. Dream of Night is the horse, a retired (not officially, one thinks) Thoroughbred who suffered horrific abuse before being part of a group of rescues. He's taken in by Jess, the older of our human participants, a horsewoman with a painful past who has no illusions about the fact that she's getting too old for taking in rescue horses—or rescue children, for that matter, like twelve-year-old Shiloh, for whom Jess' farm is her last chance before the group home. Each chapter has three sections, each narrated by one of the participants, which gives us a well-rounded overview of the situation.
But an overview it is, and this is the book's biggest weakness. Henson takes no time at all to explore the idea of subtlety with her conceit; in fact, it's writ large from the jacket copy on in. She often goes into as little detail as possible, giving the reader just enough to get the basics before moving on to plot advancement. If you're a reader who's big on really getting to know your characters and the space in which they move, you may have some problems with this. But, with that said, I finished the book in one sitting (well, two, I took a break for dinner), and that's the part that got me thinking about Henson's stylistic choices, etc. I think Henson designed this book to be read in a single sitting. And if that's the case, suddenly a lot of the book's shortfalls make sense, at least within that framework. Books with lots of characterization outside the plot, description, etc. are meant to be savored over multiple sessions, put down and mulled over after one hits a particularly well-written passage or what have you. This, on the other hand, shifts all of its characterization to plot advancement (which makes the characterization that IS there pretty impressive, though there are some abrupt shifts in character that could maybe have been better foreshadowed, especially in Shiloh's case), all the description to what three generally-harried characters are going to see, which isn't much. It's a pretty low trick, when it comes right down to it, but given the finished product, it's a trick that works, and works well. It's solid, it's enjoyable, and it's an interesting experiment. *** ½
September 18, 2012
The book "Dream of Night" by Heather Henson was published in May of 2010. It is a fiction book that was inspired by some of the experiences of the author. The categories in this book consist of animals-horses, abuse and neglect, as well as foster care. Henson’s main inspiration in writing this story was finding out that her neighbor rescued ex-race horses in which an ex-race horse is very significant in this book. She wanted to write a realistic story that would inform people about the unfortunate life many ex-race horses face. "Dream of Night" is not the first book Heather wrote however, it is the only book like this one she wrote. In "Dream of Night" Shiloh is a 12 year old foster child who is constantly changing homes and has a hard time connecting with and trusting anyone. She gets moved to a new foster home, where an older women, Jessalyn lives. Jessalyn rescues horses and gets them back to normal. The same time Shiloh arrives, Jessalyn also takes in a horse that is just a pile of bones. She calls him Night, short for Dream of Night as that was his racing name. After retiring he was abused and neglected and like Shiloh carries a lot of anger, and does not trust anyone. The author in a way tells three stories in one, as she tells the story in the perspective of Shiloh, Jessalyn and Dream of Night, switching back and forth between all three in a way that makes sense. The way she switches the view reminds me of the book "Paint the Wind" by Pam Munoz Ryan. The author in that book also switches views between the horse and the girl character. In a way they are alike. In "Dream of Night" struggles and surprising twists occur throughout the story. This book affected me in an informative way. It made me realize the reality of a lot of ex-race horses and how the struggles of a horse and a girl can be very similar despite the obvious difference between the two. The reality of it caught my attention, and the way the book was written. I was never bored in the book; the author kept my attention. I really like Jessalyn because she has a strong, caring heart and is very dedicated. She works hard and doesn’t give up. She sets a great example and added a lot to the story. Overall I liked the book. The point the author wanted to get across was a success. It was informative but also intriguing to read. I would recommend this book to someone is looking for a realistic story about struggles some people or animals face, or has a strong passion for horses especially Thoroughbreds.
February 22, 2022
What a wonderful, poetic journey. I love the multiple perspectives. We get inside the minds of not only our two main human characters but also that of the horse that brings them together. Henson tells the story of a troubled foster child, her foster mother, and a fostered thoroughbred with tenderness and gritty reality. Kentucky horse country is brought to vivid life, even the ugly parts, and readers are sure to be touched by the way the characters interact: no stereotypes here. Just very real people in very real pain. I wish ever child could read this book.
January 22, 2014
I picked up a copy of this book from my local used book store, and decided to read it as I needed something light and quick.
SYNOPSIS: Untamable. Damaged. Angry. Once full of promise and life, now a fiery knot of resentment and detachment. This is the story of Dream of Night, an injured and abused racehorse. It's also the story of Shiloh, a sarcastic eleven-year-old foster child. By chance, Dream of Night and Shiloh both find themselves under the care of Jessalyn DiLima. Just in time; it's a last chance for them both.
Jess fosters animals and kids like Dream of Night and Shiloh for a reason; she's a little broken, too. And as the three of them become an unlikely family, they recognize their similarities in order to heal their pasts;but not before one last tragedy threatens to take everything away.
THOUGHTS: This was a really enjoyable book, despite a really strange beginning. It took me a few chapters to actually get into this book. I found it confusing that the book was written from three different points of view, instead of just one. The writing style did definitely take a bit to get used to. However, once my brain was wrapped around the concept and writing style, the book flowed quickly.
While the ending was REALLY predictable, it was still cute and well written. It was interesting to see the author writing from Night's point of view, instead of just a human's point of view. What I did find a little annoying was that there is very little "fluff" - the author tells just the basics, and that's it. There is no back story, no depth to the characters and no flowing descriptions. Really, there was very little within the book that didn't need to be there. The chapters were very short, so this book would be great for someone like my step son, who has trouble reading and gets intimidated by long books and long chapters.
This book is very clearly directed to the middle school/elementary school student, aged 8-12. However, for the adult, this book still has a lot to offer, especially for animal rights activists or those who have experienced child abuse.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5 stars, only because the writing style was so very different from what I usually read, and thus I had some difficulty adjusting to it. Overall, I would recommend this book to any horse lover, particularly young girls.
SYNOPSIS: Untamable. Damaged. Angry. Once full of promise and life, now a fiery knot of resentment and detachment. This is the story of Dream of Night, an injured and abused racehorse. It's also the story of Shiloh, a sarcastic eleven-year-old foster child. By chance, Dream of Night and Shiloh both find themselves under the care of Jessalyn DiLima. Just in time; it's a last chance for them both.
Jess fosters animals and kids like Dream of Night and Shiloh for a reason; she's a little broken, too. And as the three of them become an unlikely family, they recognize their similarities in order to heal their pasts;but not before one last tragedy threatens to take everything away.
THOUGHTS: This was a really enjoyable book, despite a really strange beginning. It took me a few chapters to actually get into this book. I found it confusing that the book was written from three different points of view, instead of just one. The writing style did definitely take a bit to get used to. However, once my brain was wrapped around the concept and writing style, the book flowed quickly.
While the ending was REALLY predictable, it was still cute and well written. It was interesting to see the author writing from Night's point of view, instead of just a human's point of view. What I did find a little annoying was that there is very little "fluff" - the author tells just the basics, and that's it. There is no back story, no depth to the characters and no flowing descriptions. Really, there was very little within the book that didn't need to be there. The chapters were very short, so this book would be great for someone like my step son, who has trouble reading and gets intimidated by long books and long chapters.
This book is very clearly directed to the middle school/elementary school student, aged 8-12. However, for the adult, this book still has a lot to offer, especially for animal rights activists or those who have experienced child abuse.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5 stars, only because the writing style was so very different from what I usually read, and thus I had some difficulty adjusting to it. Overall, I would recommend this book to any horse lover, particularly young girls.
November 12, 2012
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
Dream of Night was a thoroughbred horse with memories of his racing days in his head. He hates man because all man has done to him has been neglect him, starve him, and beat him with the chains.
Shiloh has been bounced from one foster family to another. She's at her last stop before the locked doors of the reformatory.
Jessalynn lives simply, rescuing horses and living on her old farm. She has taken in foster children in the past, but she's getting too old and has agreed to take just this one last case.
When Shiloh arrives, Jessalynn knows that there are secrets and horrors in the child's past and she will need to take it slow. Shiloh is full of anger and does everything she can to get Jessalynn to react. But nothing Shiloh does seems to get a rise out of the old woman.
Jessalynn hopes that by going slowly, she can draw Shiloh out. But it turns out that the wild black horse in the field is what finally gets to Shiloh. Dream of Night doesn't attack when Shiloh ventures to his fence. And, slowly, the two of them form a bond, learning to trust again.
What a wonderful novel! Told in alternating voices with Jessalynn, Shiloh, and Dream, the reader experiences what each of the characters are encountering. I loved getting to look inside Dream's thoughts; I could imagine the horse thinking exactly those things. Shiloh is portrayed as any troubled teenager would be...cautious, caustic, and distrusting. But it's Jessalynn's simple, relaxed manner that brings the entire story together.
Dream of Night was a thoroughbred horse with memories of his racing days in his head. He hates man because all man has done to him has been neglect him, starve him, and beat him with the chains.
Shiloh has been bounced from one foster family to another. She's at her last stop before the locked doors of the reformatory.
Jessalynn lives simply, rescuing horses and living on her old farm. She has taken in foster children in the past, but she's getting too old and has agreed to take just this one last case.
When Shiloh arrives, Jessalynn knows that there are secrets and horrors in the child's past and she will need to take it slow. Shiloh is full of anger and does everything she can to get Jessalynn to react. But nothing Shiloh does seems to get a rise out of the old woman.
Jessalynn hopes that by going slowly, she can draw Shiloh out. But it turns out that the wild black horse in the field is what finally gets to Shiloh. Dream of Night doesn't attack when Shiloh ventures to his fence. And, slowly, the two of them form a bond, learning to trust again.
What a wonderful novel! Told in alternating voices with Jessalynn, Shiloh, and Dream, the reader experiences what each of the characters are encountering. I loved getting to look inside Dream's thoughts; I could imagine the horse thinking exactly those things. Shiloh is portrayed as any troubled teenager would be...cautious, caustic, and distrusting. But it's Jessalynn's simple, relaxed manner that brings the entire story together.
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January 13, 2014In the book Dream of Night by Heather Henson, a girl with a troubled past and a trouble and abused horse are rescued by an older woman who rescues horses and fosters children. Shiloh had a rough past her mother had to give Shiloh up to an orphanage so she could get back on her feet. Her mothers boyfriend abused Shiloh and her mom so every night Shiloh would have nightmares. Dream of Night was a very famous race horse in his earlier days, but after receiving an injury to his leg he could not run as fast anymore and was transferred from stable to stable with less food, water, and never a clean stall. Due to both of there trouble past they create a strong bond.
I thought that this book was quite boring and a little repetitive everyday Shiloh would be asked by the woman if she wanted to come out to the barn, Shiloh would always answer no. I did like how the author wrote each characters point of view it made the book more interesting. The type of person that I would recommend this book to would be someone who likes to read about characters past and problems. It also should be for someone who enjoys reading about horses because Night is a main character. Overall this book wasn't that bad it intrigued me with its twist and turns, I would probably recommend it to my horse savvy friends.
I thought that this book was quite boring and a little repetitive everyday Shiloh would be asked by the woman if she wanted to come out to the barn, Shiloh would always answer no. I did like how the author wrote each characters point of view it made the book more interesting. The type of person that I would recommend this book to would be someone who likes to read about characters past and problems. It also should be for someone who enjoys reading about horses because Night is a main character. Overall this book wasn't that bad it intrigued me with its twist and turns, I would probably recommend it to my horse savvy friends.
October 16, 2010
I was thoroughly entranced with this book about an abused girl and an abused horse, both bearing scars of their past lives. I read it in practically one sitting. The only other book from author Heather Henson that I've read is her picture book - THAT BOOK WOMAN - (which I also loved) and I believe Henson writes with the soul of a picture book writer - spare and lean and very attuned to sounds. I wasn't at all sure of the style at first, as the chapters jumped at me quickly from three different viewpoints, but I quickly adapted and became engrossed in the story. I thought the relationship between Shiloh, a foster child, and Jessalyn, an aging horsewoman rang true and was particularly well done. (And I loved Jessalynn.) Of course, I'd read anything about a horse, and Night's story, and the theme of the healing power of horses is wonderful, also. I liked the fact that the story didn't take you exactly where you thought it might. A very good read.
May 22, 2011
Dream of Night
This is a sad and haunting DCF nominated book. Heather Henson writes, often graphically, about abuse of animals and children. It broke my heart. Thankfully, I realized that a book about abuse written for middle school children had to have a happy ending, so I was willing to continue reading until the end. But it was painful reading Dream of Night. I admit to having tears a few times. I am glad that the abused girl and horse are well and healing in the end, but their story weighs heavily on my heart. I am glad that I read this book — however I would not have read it voluntarily. I knew it was going to hurt. I recommend that you read it.
This is a sad and haunting DCF nominated book. Heather Henson writes, often graphically, about abuse of animals and children. It broke my heart. Thankfully, I realized that a book about abuse written for middle school children had to have a happy ending, so I was willing to continue reading until the end. But it was painful reading Dream of Night. I admit to having tears a few times. I am glad that the abused girl and horse are well and healing in the end, but their story weighs heavily on my heart. I am glad that I read this book — however I would not have read it voluntarily. I knew it was going to hurt. I recommend that you read it.
April 6, 2012
I liked this book it was very interesting and it had a lot of situations in the book that were very intence. the plot in the story started with one girl who has been in foster care for a couple of years. Through out the story she meets a wonderful four legged friends and that is where there special times and journies begin. A lonley girl and a damaged horse. The main characters in this book are Shilo, Jessalynn, and Night. Shilo is the foster girl also the one on the front of the book cover, who goes to live at a new foster home with a woman named Jessalynn. Jessalynn has a farm and rescues crazy retired race horses. Shilo has to get use to this because she isn't use to living on a farm being around animals, or having hard chores to do around the house and the facility. This book is crazed with detail and intence situations if you like books with all sorts of detail and clear flowing information that can create pictures in your mind then this is the book for you. Check it out.
November 2, 2014
I think someone would want to read this because it was a little sad but was good because it was about a horse and a girl that came over and kept hearing noises and didn't know what it was so she walked over towards the noise and it was a horse that kept making different noises and she thought it was nice so she puts her hand by him and the horse yells and hits the gate. jess and Shiloh get a long together good because they both know a lot about horses and were kinda close to one another so they helped each other with trying to help with the horse. Nita was also close with them and they all helped together to do different things. The biggest relation ship in the book was when jess and Nita heard noises and went over there but there was no boyfriend and girlfriend relationships. I would recommend this book to someone if they loved horses or they like sad stories this would be a good book for them but also has a good ending. this book was a good book wouldn't mind to read it again.
October 12, 2010
Dream of Night is about a foster kid named Shiloh. This woman named Jessalyn voulenteered to foster her. Shiloh hates her because she thinks she is so stupid. Jessalyn owns some horses. She has promised to nurse a ex-racehorse back to health. The horses name is Dream of Night. This horse won't let anybody touch him except for Shiloh. I love this book because of the way it is written. I think that is very unique.This is unique because instead of one point of view there is three including Dream of Night's. Another reason I like this book is because I love how Jessalyn is so kind to take the time out of her day to help this horse recover from all the wounds his last owner gave him. The last reason I love this book is because there is a really touching moment when the horse does something outstanding for Shiloh. However I'm not going to ruin it for you.
October 31, 2010
Let me start by saying this was a wonderful book. It reminded me of two other books I love, "A Child Called It" and Pictures of Hollis Woods." In this book we have Shiloh, an abused child who has been sent from foster home to another and has built a tough shell around herself. The we have Dream of Night a former race horse who has also been passed from one owner to another where he was abused and neglected. Enter, Jess DiLima. She has experience working with both abused and neglected animals and children. She is ready to throw in the towel when Dream of Night and Shiloh both end up at her farm. With love, patience and time maybe the walls built for protection will come down and love and trust can begin to grow. This book was borrowed from my local library but is one I will be adding to my classroom shelves and recommending to our school's media specialist.
April 16, 2014
It can be hard to cover the issue of abuse and foster children without getting into some pretty nasty stuff. Henson does a good job of implying what went on and backing it with only a few graphic details rather than descend to the depths in her description. She chooses not to name the bad words Shiloh uses either. Because of this, the book is more accessible to a wider audience. There are lots of opportunities for readers to do work - holes left by Henson that won't be filled in for awhile. It's a fast read - the multiple narrator format and the doling out of details like breadcrumbs makes the pages turn quickly. The ending is a bit surprising, but the ultimate resolution is not.
I'll openly admit that I do not know enough about the foster care system to judge Henson on accuracy or plausibility there.
I'll openly admit that I do not know enough about the foster care system to judge Henson on accuracy or plausibility there.
March 5, 2012
Heather Henson weaves together the story of a tough foster kid and an abused racehorse. Dream of Night, a thoroughbred racing horse, was abused and is left trusting no one. Shiloh wants nothing more than to return to her mother and baby sister, though she hopes that her mother's abusive boyfriend is out of the picture. Jessamyn, an older woman who seems to specialize in saving tough cases, reaches out to both and patiently offers safety.
Recommended for grades 4 - 6, horse lovers especially will love this book. I know that some teachers and librarians are concerned about the abuse described in the story; while sensitive readers may be upset by the descriptions, I personally feel that it is an appropriate book for older elementary readers.
Recommended for grades 4 - 6, horse lovers especially will love this book. I know that some teachers and librarians are concerned about the abuse described in the story; while sensitive readers may be upset by the descriptions, I personally feel that it is an appropriate book for older elementary readers.
June 5, 2012
Foster child Shiloh is sent to stay with Jessalyn. It's her last stop of many - the social worker is actually just waiting for a spot at the local institution to open up before placing her there. Jess takes in horses that have been abused and rescued. The same day that Shiloh is supposed to arrive, she rescues a former race horse named Dream of Night. His career is long over, and he has since been starved and beaten to the point where no one can get near him. Shiloh has never been around horses before, but something in this animal touches her and vice versa. In alternating chapters, we see the viewpoints of Night, Shiloh and Jess. Can they come together and form their own unusual family?
May 16, 2011
This book may not have very many pages, but it is still is an excellent read. Henson Brought some very realistic material into this novel.
Shiloh is a very hot tempered foster girl. She has been to so many foster fmailies that she can bearly remember them all. Jessalynn is an older lady who is known for fostering tempered horses and children. So when she fosters Night of Dream, she thinks it would be perfect since it matches with her new foster child that was coming.
Through out the book Henson is able to write the story through three perspectives, which is quite amazing and well done.
What will Jessalynn do with these two fosters who don't know how to trust anymore?
Shiloh is a very hot tempered foster girl. She has been to so many foster fmailies that she can bearly remember them all. Jessalynn is an older lady who is known for fostering tempered horses and children. So when she fosters Night of Dream, she thinks it would be perfect since it matches with her new foster child that was coming.
Through out the book Henson is able to write the story through three perspectives, which is quite amazing and well done.
What will Jessalynn do with these two fosters who don't know how to trust anymore?
July 31, 2012
Henson's novel is spare, beautiful, achingly sad, and yet seems highly appropriate (if intense!) and appealing for a middle schooler. I, for one, loved it.
The story is told from three perspectives:
Shiloh, the angry and hurt foster child who has built walls around herself to keep the pain (and others) out.
Jessalyn, the foster parent (to horses and children) who isn't sure she has the energy to handle her new charges.
And "Dream of Night," Night for short, the abused former race horse who is angrier than even Shiloh.
Together, these three slowly find their way to a new arrangement where they all might be better off.
The story is told from three perspectives:
Shiloh, the angry and hurt foster child who has built walls around herself to keep the pain (and others) out.
Jessalyn, the foster parent (to horses and children) who isn't sure she has the energy to handle her new charges.
And "Dream of Night," Night for short, the abused former race horse who is angrier than even Shiloh.
Together, these three slowly find their way to a new arrangement where they all might be better off.
July 7, 2017
"Dream of Night" is so beautifully written, that my tears fought my wishes. A young lady struggles finding her place in her torn world. She finds it in a horse. I won't spoil it, but what I *will* say is that you have not read anything like it. You will come to terms with that fact after learning that she is writing a new book (Rejoice!). Need a taste of sad,happy, and discovery all at once? This is your book.
ReAD iT,
Angelina Equus
ReAD iT,
Angelina Equus
March 12, 2012
Shiloh, a foster child, who only wants her mother back, has her last chance with a foster parent before being sent to a residential center. Night, an ex-racehorse, once a champion, has his last chance living with a human before being sent to the vet to be put down. Both have memories of the past that haunt them. Both were sent to live with Jess.
Reasons why I like this book-
Reason 1- I could imagine what was happening.
Reason 2- It has horses.
Reason 3- I couldn't stop reading.
Reason 4- I learner something new.
Reasons why I like this book-
Reason 1- I could imagine what was happening.
Reason 2- It has horses.
Reason 3- I couldn't stop reading.
Reason 4- I learner something new.
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