Kindle Edition Amazon HenschelHAUS Books Category:  Children Publisher: Three Towers Press ISBN-10:  1595987785 Type: Fiction Pages: 299 Copyright: September 1, 2020 ISBN-13: 9781595987785 Price: $6.99 (eBook) Book 2 in the Oak Lane Stable Adventure Series for middle grade/YA readers. Ambitious thirteen-year-old Cassie needs only three things to make her life perfect: to earn enough points to be Children’s Hunter Seat Equitation Champion at the end of the show season, to go to the Sadie Hawkins dance with the new cute kid, Tommy, and to own a second horse to compete in the jumper classes. But someone’s been leaving threatening notes in Cassie’s show trunk, tanking her confidence; there are only two weeks before the dance, but she’s losing her nerve to ask Tommy to go; and her dad made it very clear they could only afford one horse for her. How will Cassie pull it together to make all of her dreams come true? Gray Horse at Oak Lane Stable is Book 2 in the Oak Lane Stable Adventures Series, but can also be read on its own.        Excerpt GRAY HORSE AT OAK LANE STABLE by Kerri Lukasavitz 1. Storm Brewing Stormy March winds whipped freezing rain against the windows of our 8th grade classroom, making tons of ticking noise as it ricocheted off the glass. An icy sheen glazed everything outside. It had snowed pretty heavy this morning, adding, like, 2 inches to what was already on the ground. I thought we’d have a snow day, but they didn’t call off school. The snow had changed to sleet late morning, then to rain when it warmed up before lunch, and was now back to sleet after lunch. I stared toward the windows, chewing my left nails and wondering if I’d make it to the stable later to ride Snowdrops. “Bet we get sent home early,” Scott Hanson said as he got up from his desk, hiked up his too-big jeans, and went over to the windows to watch. He’s been in my class since 5th grade. “Bet that’s where Mrs. Thompson went…to talk to Mr. Edgeman to send us—” “No they won't,” said Tommy O’Connor, the new guy who had started 8th grade with us last fall. He wriggled his long legs out from under his metal desk to join Scott. “It’s got to be worse than this before the principal sends us home. It’s only raining.” “Bet they do,” Scott said as David Schaeffer, James Strupp, Karen Klink, Harvey Strobel, Robert John Lewandowski The Third, and some of my other classmates joined him and Tommy to watch the icy rain bounce off the windows and freeze up the small Wisconsin schoolyard. “Do you think we can still go to the barn?” I asked Allison and Ingrid, my two best horse friends since, like, forever and who sat next to my desk, which was in the row on the farthest side of the classroom across from the windows. “Claire said she’d have time to give me a lesson today when I rode Snowdrops. I need to keep practicing if I’m going to qualify for the Children’s Hunter Seat Equitation Finals.” “I was going to ride Diamond Jack, except my dad said the weatherman predicted freezing rain for this afternoon.” Allison snuck a piece of pink bubble gum into her mouth from a crumpled, opened pack she kept in her left jean’s pocket, even though she knew Mrs. Thomson forbade it during class. “We don’t live that far from the stable. I bet my mom can drive us over. It can’t be that bad outside...”

Such a great book!
Recently I had the pleasure of reading "Gray Horse at Oak Lane Stable" by Kerri Lukasavitz. While I knew the story would focus on a young girl named Cassie and her love of riding, I had no idea that I would be swept completely into Cassie’s entire life.
I began reading the book and learned how focused Cassie was about riding and jumping competitions. Her love and concern for her horse, Snowdrops, permeated throughout the story. There was a description of a sweet bond of understanding between rider and horse that this excerpt sums up beautifully, “I picked up my reins and asked Snowdrops for a canter.” A young rider respectfully asking her horse for a favor.
But Cassie’s life involves more than Snowdrops and riding competitions. She’s a young girl with friend and boyfriend concerns who also has to deal with issues of bullying and jealousy. Lukasavitz’s descriptions of these issues and relationships are spot on and she handles these subjects admirably.
"Gray Horse at Oak Lane Stable" is a wonderful book and that will be devoured by young readers. I highly recommend it to horse lovers as well as classroom teachers and librarians. -Goodreads, starred review

Author knows horses
Long time equestrian and riding instructor, Kerri Lukasavitz, knows her horses and the drama competitors can cause especially when intent on winning horse shows. "Gray Horse at Oak Lane Stable" is for young horse and mystery enthusiasts. Readers will worry along with 8th grader Cassie about the anonymous notes threatening both Cassie and her horse Snowdrops. They’ll root for Cassie and Snowdrops at the hunter/jumper shows. And they’ll enjoy reading about life in the 70’s with the music of favorites like Paul MaCartney reverberating from the record player during Sadie Hawkins dances and while teens play that always anxiety-yielding game, spin the bottle.
This can be read alone or after the first in the series, "Mystery Horse at Oak Lane Stable." -Goodreads, starred review

A cute and enjoyable read
I got the pleasure of being an ARC reader for this sweet YA novel. Set in the 1970s, it's filled with charming nods to the decade, such as specific music, athletes, Olympic events, houses and fashion. The '70s is my favorite 20th century decade, so that made this setting extra appealing. I also got to learn a new song ("Shannon" by Henry Gross), so that was an added bonus!

In addition to the well-developed setting, I really enjoyed Cassie's family (Grandma Leona, in particular), and felt warmed by their interactions. It was also fun to re-experience middle school through the younger characters. Three of my best friends growing up loved horses, so it was interesting to learn all these terms and get a view into what they had experienced. I liked that you don't have to be a horse lover to understand or enjoy this novel. If you have a child (or are feeling nostalgic for a cute horse book), definitely pick up a copy! If you do, a percentage of the book's sales will go to the Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation and the Wisconsin/Washington County Humane Societies. Thank you to Three Towers Press for allowing me to read and leave my honest review! -Amazon, starred reader