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Wild Girl

(2009, Fiction - Family Life)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Horse tale with more depth and a strong girl lead.

Themes in this book include:   family relationships, honesty, loss

Why We Rated This on for Ages 9 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Readers will learn about horse racing and Brazilian culture.

  • Messages:

    Themes of courage, resilency, family bonds, and kindness to animals.

  • Role models:

    Not really a wild or difficult girl by any standard, the main character, Livie, shows courage and resiliency when she travels alone. Although she runs away from the school the first day, she asks for help. Livie's respectful efforts to communicate with her somewhat distant father are reciprocated and rewarded; her patience and empathy for people and animals show results.The adult characters are overwhelmingly positive role models.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    A horse falls during a race; a young horse is taken away from its mother when it is sold. A mention that Livie's mother died when she was 7 years old.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Wild Girl

Parents need to know that a few sad moments won’t ruin this book for girls who love horse stories. Livie's mother died when she was 7; a horse falls during a race; a young horse is taken away from its mother when it is sold. Moments of growth become moments of grace; when Livie runs away from school her first day, she knows how to best ask for help, and a scary situation resolves reassuringly without encouraging similar behavior.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about what it might be like to move here from another country.

  • If you moved away from here, what would you miss most, and what would you take with you?
  • What was the bravest thing that Livie did?
  • How would you and your classmates react if a new student had the same accident that Livie did?
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