Riding Lesson

Frances adores horses and is sure she knows everything about them. She is thrilled that her first riding lesson is coming up at her friend Mae's house, and she assumes it can't be that hard.

She shows up wearing a bike helmet and rain boots, and it quickly becomes clear that she has a lot to learn. Barns turn out to be a bit smelly, and brushing a horse and tacking it up takes a long time. Real horses are also much bigger than she pictured, and sitting so high off the ground is a little scary.

The question is whether Frances will be brave enough to ride Snowball on her own, or whether the real thing will be too different from what she imagined. Jennifer K. Mann, who also created The Camping Trip, wrote this lively story for kids who love horses or are about to try something new. It shows that reality doesn't always match our expectations, though it is often even better.