Wild Blue: The Story of a Mustang Appaloosa (Breyer Horse Collection Series)

by Annie Wedekind

Overview

Born Free!

Among a patterned herd of wild Appaloosa mustangs running free in the Idaho wilderness lives Blue, a spirited filly the color of rain. Surrounded by her family, including her gentle sister Doe, and protected by her father, the band stallion, Blue lives a life both harsh and beautiful in the rugged terrain of an undiscovered habitat.



That all changes, though, when Blue and Doe are captured by rogue cowboys, setting in motion a chain of events that threatens the very survival of their hidden, secret herd.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312599171
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	06/09/2009
Series:	The Breyer Horse Collection , #1
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	598,513
Product dimensions:	5.52(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.36(d)
Lexile:	NC1080L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Annie Wedekind grew up riding horses in Louisville, Kentucky. Since then, she's been in the saddle in every place she's lived, from Rhode Island to New Orleans, South Africa to New York. Her first novel, A Horse of Her Own, was praised by Kirkus as "possibly the most honest horse book since National Velvet . . . A champion." She is also the author of The Breyer Horse Collection books, including Little Prince, Samirah's Ride, and Mercury's Flight. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.

Read an Excerpt

Blue could just make out the froth of white foam where the water met rock, but this bend appeared calm. Still, she could not gauge how deep or how fast the river ran, nor what was beyond the curve downstream, at least not from her perch on the banks. It would be safer to wait until sunup to attempt the crossing, Blue knew, but she was unnerved by this forbidding land.
The water that flowed around her fetlocks as she took her first tentative step into the Snake was bracingly cold. The mustang had never swum this distance before, Blue steeled herself and plunged forward toward the heart of the river.
By the time the water was to her shoulder, Blue’s hooves were dragged out from under her and she was sucked downstream so forcefully it was as if she had been struck by the eye of a hurricane. She spun 360 degrees, now swept, hindquarters first, by the sickeningly strong current. Struggling to keep her muzzle above the roiling water, the Appaloosa desperately tried to get her legs coordinated beneath her to swim, to struggle, to do anything to stop this mad catapult in the current’s grip.
It was no use; no matter how hard she pumped her legs, she was powerless against the river’s strength. She was turned helplessly around and around, and as she spun, her body collided with rocks and bracken lodged in the riverbed. Nothing seemed able to stop her painful plunge, but still Blue fought desperately. She fought for her life.

Editorial Reviews

A modern-day adventure that reads like an exuberant nature journal, this novel will grip readers from start to finish…Deftly and tenderly, without being overly sentimental, Wedekind describes the subtleties of horse instinct and communication. Horse fans and animal lovers will embrace this book with unbridled enthusiasm. It deserves a place next to Marguerite Henry or even Jack London on young readers' bookshelves.” —School Library Journal

“Sensitive, sophisticated and lyrically written, Wedekind's debut portrays the typical teen struggle for self-awareness in an anything-but-typical fashion. Possibly the most honest horse book since National Velvet, from an equestrian point-of-view, this offering's riding scenes combine accuracy with seat-of-the-pants excitement. A champion.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review on A Horse of Her Own

From the Publisher

Gr 3-5

A modern-day adventure that reads like an exuberant nature journal, this novel will grip readers from start to finish. Named because of her coat, which is "the color of rain, of water over rocks," Blue lives with her family in a remote and rugged swath of Idaho wilderness where humans seldom venture. In fact, the very existence of the herd is only a legend among locals. When two ne'er-do-well cowboys capture Blue and her gentle half sister Doe, the mustangs are taken far from their herd and the freedom they've always known. Missing their family and not knowing anything about human ways (not even recognizing a rope), they encounter a range of human behavior after their first terrible experience. Blue ultimately escapes captivity and connects with a Nez Perce boy and his family, whose ancestors bred Appaloosas. Deftly and tenderly, without being overly sentimental, Wedekind describes the subtleties of horse instinct and communication. Horse fans and animal lovers will embrace this book with unbridled enthusiasm. It deserves a place next to Marguerite Henry or even Jack London on young readers' bookshelves.-Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal