Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Willamina Public Library | JF GREGG | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stayton Public Library | JF GREGG | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... West Salem Branch Library | J Gregg, S. | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
The inspiring novel about real life princess and equestrienne Haya of Jordan.
Princess Haya loves her family more than anything--especially her mother who brings light and happiness into King Hussein's house. So when Queen Alia is killed in a tragic accident, Princess Haya is devastated. Knowing how unhappy she is and how much she loves horses, Haya's father, King Hussein, gives her a special present: a foal of her very own. And this foal changes Princess Haya's world completely.
Set in an exotic locale where royalty is real, this story of a determined modern-day princess is both beautiful and awe-inspiring. Perfect for fans of Black Beauty , Misty of Chincoteague and anyone who wonders what it's like to be a real princess.
Praise for THE PRINCESS AND THE FOAL:
"Empowering and vigorous, this is a story sure to please princess fans, horse fans and, yes, even tomboys."-- Kirkus Reviews
" This real princess's story is great and this book provides a positive and powerful story, especially for adolescent girl readers who choose to saddle up for the ride."-- VOYA Magazine
" Horse enthusiasts will devour Gregg's engaging novel about Jordanian Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, inspired by the real-life princess who became an Olympic equestrian....Gregg's greatest strength is in detailing the deep, sensual bond that can form between a human and a horse, but the sympathetic protagonist and a setting rarely seen in middle-grade fiction make this an inspiring read for any reader."-- Publishers Weekly
"In addition to being a great fit for fans of princess or horse stories, this would be a good choice for readers who enjoy stories of brave, scrappy girls who defy convention."-- Booklist
Author Notes
Stacy Gregg is the author of The Girl Who Rode the Wind and The Island of Lost Horses, which made the New Zealand Best Seller List in 2015. She will be featured at the annual Storylines Festival of New Zealand Children's Writers and Illustrators 2015.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-A tale based on the real experiences of a Jordanian princess, this girl and horse story has all the classic elements. Seven-year-old Haya loses her mother to a helicopter accident; her father gives her an orphan foal to raise. The foal grows into a talented mare; the girl grows into a feisty horsewoman even in the face of her severe governess, who thinks girls should only be ladylike. At 12, Haya is sent to a British boarding school, where she thrives-until images of the events of 9/11 on TV throw her into a breakdown. A page later she wakes up back home in Jordan, weak but thrilled to be reunited with her horse. Almost immediately, she determines to join the stable team in a traditional and very high stakes competition involving horses; her training for this event is much condensed as she works hard to develop her raw talent quickly. Of course, this being a fairy tale, she leads her team to victory. Much of the story reads like Walter Farley's The Black Stallion-but her breakdown is jarring, unexplained, and confusing. Told in third person until the crisis of the competition day, the book's format then changes to a letter to her mother, italicized and in first person, a disruption in perspective. The connection to the true story of the real but unfamiliar princess the protagonist is based on doesn't give it more substance.-Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Horse enthusiasts will devour Gregg's engaging novel about Jordanian Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, inspired by the real-life princess who became an Olympic equestrian. The book offers a peek into the everyday life of contemporary royalty--playing in the palace, omnipresent bodyguards, and birthday gifts (for a six-year-old) that include two camels and a motherless Arabian foal--while presenting vivid glimpses of Bedouin culture. Horse-lover Princess Haya lost her mother to a helicopter crash when she was three; caring for the foal brought joy and meaning back into her life, and she went on to become an extraordinary horsewoman at a young age. Gregg (the Pony Club Secrets series) tells her story in simple yet moving language, creating a strong portrait of Princess Haya, who faces challenges both ordinary (making friends at boarding school) and unusual (learning to train a falcon). Gregg's greatest strength is in detailing the deep, sensual bond that can form between a human and a horse, but the sympathetic protagonist and a setting rarely seen in middle-grade fiction make this an inspiring read for any reader. Ages 10--up. Agent: Nancy Miles, Miles Stott Literary Agency. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Princess Haya of Jordan, whose mother died when she was three, raises an orphaned Arabian foal named Bree. After much training, they ride for the Royal Stables in the Jordanian King's Cup. Details of Princess Haya's Bedouin ancestry and her challenges at boarding school in England enliven this sweet, heartening girl-and-horse tale based on the real-life Olympic equestrienne Princess Haya's accomplishments. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
An energizing middle-grade tale inspired by true events. Real-life princess Haya Bint Al Hussein is only 3 when her mother, Queen Alia of Jordan, is killed in a helicopter crash. Grief and a nasty governess (who adds fabulous tension to the story) subsume the princess until her father, King Hussein, gives her a 3-day-old orphaned foal from his stables for her sixth birthday. Haya and the foal, whom she names Breeshort for Bint Al-Reeh, or "Daughter of the Wind"go on to compete, six years later, in Jordan's prestigious King's Cup. The present-tense, third-person narrative (except for two first-person epistolary segments) rivets readers as they learn about the inside world of a 12-year-old-to-be Jordanian princessthat and the horsey element would, by themselves, guarantee an audience. But Gregg goes much further, showing readers a strong-willed but compassionate girl who understands that her royal blood is not about privilege but about caring for others and who discovers her own inner strength in her determination to follow her dream of competing (lessons that stretch far beyond the royal set). It's also a refreshingly active storyHaya is riding and leaping and playing outdoors (when she's not grounded) on nearly every page. Empowering and vigorous, this is a story sure to please princess fans, horse fans and, yes, even tomboys. (Fiction. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Princess Haya of Jordan had a fairy-tale childhood until, at the age of three, her mother died in an accident. Life worsens when her affectionate nanny is replaced by a cold governess. Her loving but distant father is sympathetic to Haya's sadness and gives her an orphaned foal from his stables on her sixth birthday. With something to care for, Haya begins to recover from her grief, but her governess opposes the princess riding horses and mucking stalls, and the ongoing tension comes to a head when Haya enters the King's Cup show-jumping competition, joining a team of adult men. In this tale based on the true story of Jordanian princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Gregg's strong, sparse text effectively conveys the princess' loneliness, confusion, and all-consuming love of her horse, and an epilogue summarizes her many real-life accomplishments. In addition to being a great fit for fans of princess or horse stories, this would be a good choice for readers who enjoy stories of brave, scrappy girls who defy convention.--Harold, Suzanne Copyright 2010 Booklist