Colt

by Nancy Springer Narrated by Ed Sala

Overview

Colt Vittorio wants nothing more than to be a normal kid, however, spina bifida confines him to a wheelchair. When he learns horseback riding through a handicapped outreach program, he begins to feel like any other kid. Colt feels tall, strong and powerful, even though any fall-even a hard gallop-may kill him. Through the pleasure of the speed, height and grace that only a horse can give, Colt begins to mature, pushing his body further than he ever thought it could go and becoming more to his new step-family and the world in general than a "crippled kid." Edgar Award-winning author Nancy Springer has created a moving story of a young boy's struggle to be an ordinary kid. Colt won the Joan Fassler Memorial Book Award from the Association for the Care of Children's Health.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-- Colt's story is launched with his trademark whine, ``I don't want to!'' Handicapped with spina bifida, he resents how adults totally control him. He fearfully resists therapeutic horseback riding, but a few minutes on an Appaloosa named Liverwurst changes his life. The contrary Colt is a complex character, ruled by conflicting moods of anxiety, curiosity, and embarrassment about his condition. He feels helpless physically and emotionally when his mother remarries a man with two children. Riding gives him freedom and the opportunity to master a skill. He savors his newfound independence and fights to continue the risky sport, proving his mettle when he rescues his new stepbrother following an accident. In a matter-of-fact style, Springer transforms Colt from a grouchy victim to a likable boy. Despite a debilitating situation, he gains a passion for living. Readers will be affected by his triumphs and failures, changing their initial sympathy for Colt to admiration. Recommend this uplifting story to those who want ``another'' after Jodie's Journey (HarperCollins, 1990) by Colin Thiele. --Charlene Strickland, formerly at Albuquerque Public Library , NM

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169612509
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	06/06/2008
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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