Vienna, Austria, 1938 Maestoso Petra is a world-famous Lipizzaner stallion. He has spent years in the Spanish Riding School, training to perform the complex airs above the ground that only Lipizzaner can accomplish. But when World War II breaks out in Europe, he learns to think less about performing and more about survival. Here is Maestoso Petra’s story . . . in his own words.

Maestoso Petra, a Lipizzaner stallion, trains to perform in the Spanish Riding School and is hidden away during the German occupation of Austria in World War II. Includes facts about Lipizzaner horses and the world-famous Spanish Riding School.

Iceland, circa AD 1000 Elska is a silver dapple Icelandic filly. She spends summers frisking about the countryside and winters in the farmyard, where the girl human Amma takes special care of her. But when a powerful neighbor notices Elska, her contented life suddenly changes. Here is Elska’s story . . . in her own words.

For anyone who has ever dreamed of hearing a horse’s story . . . Independence, Missouri, 1846 Koda is a bay quarter horse with a white blaze. He loves to explore the countryside and run free with his human friend Jasmine nearby. But after Koda sets out with Jasmine’s family on a long and dusty wagon train journey on the Oregon Trail, he finds out what is truly important to him. Here is Koda’s story . . . in his own words. With moving and knowledgeable text and lovely black-and-white art throughout—both by real horse people—this is the perfect fit for all lovers of horses and history!

A heartwarming Clydesdale chapter book for the holiday season! For all lovers of horses, history, and the holidays, here’s a very special Horse Diaries book. Wisconsin, 1915. Jingle Bells is a strong Clydesdale gelding. He enjoys his work on the farm, pulling the hay wagon in the summer and a sleigh in the winter, and he loves his human friend, Kari. But when Kari’s older brother comes home for Christmas with a new Model T Ford, will the family still need Jingle Bells?

Thirteen-year-old foster kid Jasmine Schuler is immediately drawn to the scrawny, broken-looking brown gelding huddled in the corner of an auction house stall. Feeling a kinship with the lonely animal, Jas convinces her new foster mom, who rescues and rehabilitates abused horses on her Virginia farm, to buy him. Slowly, the horse Jas names Shadow begins to blossom and even to thrive. But when Jas uncovers a startling clue to Shadow's true identity, she becomes entangled in a mystery which could have serious consequences for the two of them. Both the heartwarming story of a young girl's love for her horse and an intriguing mystery, this inspiring middle-grade novel will appeal to horse lovers and mystery fans alike.

For all lovers of horses and history! In the latest book in the Horse Diaries series, meet Lily, a strawberry roan Welsh pony with a competitive heart! SOUTH WALES, 1939: Lily, a strawberry roan Welsh pony, loves Pony Club! She and her rider, Gwen, compete in and win lots of events, including Lily's favorite--jumping! Then Bridget joins the Pony Club. The English girl was sent from London to escape the bombings brought on by war. Gwen tries to be friends, but Bridget is sour and mean. Even worse, Bridget and her horse, Bron, make the perfect jump look easy. Now Gwen and Lily have some real competition. . . .

For all lovers of horses and history! In the latest book in the Horse Diaries series, meet Penny, a blue-eyed palomino paint mare who grows up in the Wild West of California during the Gold Rush! CALIFORNIA, 1850. Penny is a blue-eyed palomino paint mare with a taste for adventure! She and a boy named Jesse search for gold in the hills of Northern California. After striking it rich and then losing everything, Jesse and Penny join the Pony Express. The job is a tough one, but Penny loves a challenge! Here is Penny's story . . . in her own words. Love horses and history? Don't miss the stories of Elska, Bell's Star, Calvino, Lily, and more in the Horse Diaries series!

Alabama, 1856. Tennessee Rose is a dark bay Tennessee Walking Horse with a rose-shaped marking on her forehead. She loves dashing around the plantation in the running walk that her breed is famous for, then coming back to her comfortable stall and her friend Levi, the enslaved boy who is her groom. But as the Civil War approaches, Rosie begins to question plantation life. Is slavery fair? Could Levi be free? Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about Tennessee Walking Horses and the Civil War.

Ireland, 1917. Darcy is a light gray Connemara pony with silver dapples. She's fast and tough, whether she's pulling a load of peat from the bog or riding around the rugged countryside with Shannon McKenna, her human family's eldest daughter. But when Mrs. McKenna needs a doctor, Darcy discovers a skill that will change her and her family's life forever. Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about Connemara ponies and Irish history.