Twelve-year-old Kylie Hannigan loves her life on the family horse ranch in Montana. She spends her days riding with her best friend Joey, helping her mom train horses, and barrel racing her favorite mare, Kiwi. Everything feels steady and right-until the summer her mom starts changing. First her mom sleeps all the time, leaving Kylie to handle the chores, the horses, and the ranch on her own. Then her mom swings the other direction, staying up all night cooking, cleaning, and expecting Kylie to keep up. The mom Kylie knew seems to be slipping away, and Kylie has no idea how to bring her back.
As school starts and her mom's behavior spirals between exhaustion and frantic energy, Kylie tries to hide the truth from everyone-including Joey. She can't focus on barrel racing, can't keep up with homework, and can't stop worrying about what her mom will do next. The only place Kylie still feels like herself is with the horses, especially the strange new one no one seems willing to train. But as the pressure builds and the secrets pile up, Kylie has to face a question she never imagined: can she hold her family together, or will everything she loves slip out of her hands?
About the Author :
Cinda Bauman lives in Central Illinois with her husband and dogs. During her high school years, she took every art class offered along with every child development class. After a class where she spent part of the day at a daycare, child development won out over art. Years of story time led to a love of children's picture-books, which made her wish she had stuck with art. Flash forward to today, and she still loves children's books! After researching and much study; learning about writing and illustrating children's books, she joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and found her passion. Besides writing children's picture books and middle-grade novels, Cinda also creates with cut paper sculptures and paints in oil and acrylic. She loves iris flowers and the color purple. Shuffle and Fetch are the first two books of the Hope and Horses series for middle-grade readers. Gallop is the third book in the series.
Review :
"We've read each page at least once, and yet have decided this book cannot possibly be stored away. It will be enjoyed again and again by children of all ages. When the book arrived in the post, something magical happened. We opened the packaging and Eudora (3) said to Delphine (6) 'Look what mommy got for me!' and she was excited how the book looked. I like to say in my head 'score 1 for mom' when that happens! The next afternoon was rainy, and the children asked if we could start reading...and as a horse loving family, we were drawn into the unpredictable story of Kylie's life on her Montana horse ranch. This delightful book has sparked many conversations and has provided hours of joy and bonding - absolutely 5 stars as far as our family is concerned!"
Crystal Otto, WOW! Women on Writing blog tour manager
"This faith-based middle grade novel is the first book in the Hope and Horses series and tackles the important subject of mental illness. Kylie is confused by her mom's behaviour. One week she's sleeping all day, then the next she's staying up all night and spending money she doesn't have on things she doesn't need. All while this is going on, poor Kylie is forced to take over her mother's duties at home and training the horses on the farm. What I enjoyed most about this book is how it showed that even when Kylie thought she was alone (even her faith in God had been tested), she wasn't. She just didn't know how to ask for help--a common occurrence when people are dealing with their own mental health or the mental health of someone close to them. It's so difficult when someone you know isn't acting like themselves. This book shines a light on the importance of speaking up and having candid discussions about mental illness."
Michelle Cornish, Author and Illustrator, Freeing the Butterfly
"Loved. Loved. Loved this book...Kylie learns about mental illness and how to cope when her mom has problems. She learns that you need a team and what better captain than God."
Lisa Mohr, parent
"I didn't want to put this book down and finished it in two sittings."
Sue Bradford Edwards, writing instructor and author of over 600 children's books
""It was fabulous! I really loved it. It really held my interest. I read the whole book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. The action was just right to keep me turning pages."
Clyde Gabriel, children's writer
