The Georges and the Jewels (Nobody's Horse)

✍ Scribed by Smiley, Jane

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 238 KB
• Category: Fiction
• ISBN: 0375862277

✦ Synopsis

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—A quiet novel about the relationships surrounding 12-year-old Abby on her family's rural horse ranch in 1960s California. Due to her parents' strict religious views (no TV or rock music), Abby often feels like an outcast in her small seventh-grade class and she is often subjected to ridicule by the popular girls. She finds solace in working with the horses (there are numerous detailed scenes of riding, jumping, and grooming) with the exception of Ornery George. To avoid attachment and to ready the animals for sale, her father names all their horses George or Jewel. Meanwhile, the family is dealing with the estrangement of 16-year-old Danny, who left home after an argument. Abby's voice tends to be far more intuitive and insightful than one would expect of her age, especially as she discerns the nuances and tensions in her parents' relationship. The occasional anachronistic word or phrase such as ''wandering around the strip mall'' (a term generally not in use until the 1980s) tend to distract. Ultimately, the subtle shifts in attitude that occur may be appreciated by adults but lost on the young readers for whom the book is intended. Intricate pen-and-ink drawings of horse equipment at the beginning of each chapter give the book an old-fashioned feel.—Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library END

Review

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, July 20, 2009:''A lyrical meditation on horses, families, and the vicissitudes of peer relationships among girls.''

Review, Booklist, September 15, 2009:''[A] quiet, psychologically attuned youth debut.''

Review, The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), October 3, 2009:'''The Georges and the Jewels' is filled with fascinating details about the care and training of horses, and Abby is a refreshing heroine in today's snark-filled times.''

Review, Chicago Sun-Times, October 18, 2009:''Smiley’s intricate and sophisticated knowledge of horses shines throughout this book, making it a guaranteed winner for horse-loving youngsters.''

Review, LATimes.com, September 27, 2009:''I have never admired [Smiley's] writing as much as I do in the first of what promises to be a series of books for children...'The Georges and the Jewels' can easily take its place on the shelf along with the great horse stories of childhood.''

Review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, October 2009:''Readers...will be happy to mount up and ride along.''

From the Hardcover edition.