Horses in History Series REVIEW

We received four books in the Mattie Richardson’s Horses in History Series by Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books. These books are perfect if you have kids in your home who are crazy about horses.

About Horses in History

The stories in Mattie Richardson’s Horses in History Series are told from the perspective of a horse. Each book is also set in a unique historical time period, which makes them the perfect fit for horse and history lovers alike.

In Appaloosy, the Appaloosa named Storm faces many changes of fortune in 1877 as he belongs to a brave from the Nez Perce tribe, then through war and chaos on the frontier, Storm finally settles with a white family, and more specifically a girl named Faith.

After settling into a good life with Faith, Storm and the other horses are stolen by horse thieves and cattle rustlers. After escaping, they dream of living free, but then Storm is reminded by the older and wiser horse named Runner that he really does owe loyalty to Faith, who had been so kind and gentle with him.

Storm decides to head home to Faith, but not before proposing to his sweetheart, Savannah. This part got a chuckle out of us.

This book is 125 pages long.

In Dusty’s Trail, we are taken on an adventure in the 1860s and the Pony Express through the eyes of a horse that sees it all – Dusty. Levi leaves home without his Ma’s permission because he loves the idea of riding for the Pony Express with his horse Dusty. And through the story, your child will learn of the dangers that come with being a part of the Pony Express. 67 pages.

Golden Sunrise follows the adventures of a Golden Palomino named Cheyenne during the famous defense of the Alamo. Your child will see famous characters from history emerge in this book, like James Bowie and Davy Crockett. 97 pages.

Day and Night follows the story of two horses who find themselves on either side of the conflict during the Civil War. Mirroring the tearing apart of families that happened in real life, this book will shed light on the heroics of the horses that were heavily relied upon by both sides. 145 pages.

These books are softcover but have a sturdy binding. The pages are good quality and the font is easy to read. There are several illustrations throughout each book.

At the end of each book, author Mattie Richardson includes several pages about the historical setting of the book. This section also includes explanations about the horse breeds that are the main characters.

Even though this historical context appears at the end of the books, I would suggest reading them first with your kids to give them a proper background before they jump into the story.

Recommendations

These books were definitely a bit too much for my 6-year-old. I ended up reading it aloud to her, but it was still a bit over her head.

The reading level is right around ages 8-14, although 8-year-olds who are not strong readers may struggle a bit.

Author Mattie Richardson was only a teenager when she wrote her first book, so if you have aspiring writers in your home, this series could be a great encouragement to them to see a teen writer with published books!

Kids who are crazy about horses or history will be the best candidates for this series. Using these books is a fun way to follow a relatable character through a historical period. You could even coordinate reading these books with your history studies.

Check out the other reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew by clicking the graphic below.