Moonrunner by Mark Thomason

Of the 3 titles of new Usborne chapter books I picked up, this is the hands-down winner. It was a solid story with a family that modeled love, respect and teamwork throughout.

Casey Jenner, the young male protagonist moves to Australia from Montana with his mom and dad to work the grandpa’s claim. Casey is bullied by several school boys because one of them has a mean father who wanted to buy the land Casey’s family owns. Casey deals with them via the help of an excellent teacher. Meanwhile, he earns a horse of his own, befriends a wild Stallion (Moonrunner), learns life lessons from his loving family, and learns to accept his new life in Australia.

I thought the cover of the book was slightly more intriguing than the story. It isn’t likely to grip a reluctant reader, but regular or avid readers are likely to enjoy it. Its main character is a young boy, and its plot heavily involves horses, so it has plenty of appeal for both genders. Best of all, except for the fact Casey gets beat up by bullies (he controls himself when tempted to fight back, and not in a sissy but a mature way), there’s nothing in the book to blink at eye at and plenty of solid moral messages and loving family interaction. For example, Casey’s mom likes to tell him, “God only gave us one child, but you’re the pick-of-litter.”

Safety Rating: 3 Flags

Historical Fiction: 1890's; Australia

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