The Night Ride (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781534480773)

The Black Stallion meets Tamora Pierce in this adventure-filled middle grade novel about a young stable girl who discovers a secret that endangers her beloved horse and threatens her future.

Sonnia loves horses more than anything. She works at her family's struggling pony ride business but dreams of the beautiful steeds in the royal stables, especially Ricochet, who she's been slowly saving money to buy--even though she knows people from her impoverished neighborhood are rarely so lucky.

Then Ricochet is moved to the racetrack across town, and Sonnia lands a job there. Now, she can see Ricochet every day and earn enough money to buy him in no time--all while helping her family with her new wages She even joins the junior racing cadre to train to become a jockey. But then she uncovers their secret pastime: competing in the Night Ride, a dangerous and highly illegal race in the darkest hours before dawn. Every race puts the horses at risk.

Sonnia wants to protect the horses she's grown to care for, but she's only a kid from the poor side of town--considered expendable, just like the horses. If she just keeps her head down, soon she can buy Ricochet and get him out of there--and keep supporting her family. But would she be able to live with herself?

Author: J. Anderson Coats
ISBN-10: 1534480773
ISBN-13: 9781534480773
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Language: English
Published: 10/12/2021
Pages: 224
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.71lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.79w x 0.88d

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.2
Point Value: 8
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 515411 / Night Ride


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 09/15/2021
Publishers Weekly 10/11/2021
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2022 pg. 109
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2022 - Superior,Well Above Average