About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
When Ambrose is forced to sell his horse because of an injury, he must find a new animal that can handle the rigors of the mountains while packing for his uncleís trail-riding outfit.
To save an old lady's beloved companion from the meat-buyers, Ambrose buys a horse who would be better off in retirement than climbing the treacherous trails of the Rocky Mountains. The horse, Society Girl, almost dies on the trail, and Ambrose realizes she will have to go back to the meat-auction. When Ryan, a misbehaving ten-year-old, takes the horse and disappears into the teeth of a dangerous mountain storm, Ambrose and Janice are forced to work together to find him. Will the young boy and the elderly horse survive a vicious hailstorm? Will Society Girl prove that she has a future? Will Ambrose be able to save the old horse from certain death?
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 12 to 18
- Grade:
- 8 to 12
- Reading age:
- 12 to 18
Awards
- Commended, Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Our Choice
- Commended, Pennsylvania School Librarians Association (PSLA) Top Forty
Editorial Reviews
“Provides readers with a true sense of escape and adventure. Sure to appeal to animal lovers and adventure lovers alike, it presents colourful characters and a unique plot.”
— CM Magazine
“This small volume, beautifully written with vivid imagery and well-developed characters and plot, explains how sometimes what might seem like a bad decision might actually be a good one.”
— Western Horseman
“With just enough horses to appease girls, and just evough adventure to engage boys, Tough Trails delivers strong characters, adventures, and an easy to understand linear plot in just under 100 pages. Nothing in here will offend, either, making this an uncontroversial choice for classrooms. Recommended.”
— NMRLS Book Review Group
"Short and sweet, this is likely to please outdoorsy teens as well as the usual horse-mad girls."
— KLIATT
"The action driven story will have reluctant readers galloping through this title. Sentences are short, grammar is uncomplicated, while the plot provides much material for discussion."
— Resource Links
"Morck's experience with horses and trail-riding in the mountains is most evident...This book is aimed at an audience that is not limited to older adolescents; the gentle but engaging animal-human adventure story will also find a ready audience among middle-school students. Recommended."
— Canadian Book Review Annual
