Pony Summer — Olga Cossi

Pony Summer is a preteen chapter book for every girl who struggles with self-esteem issues because she is overweight. Kelly always felt badly about her body image. But when two horses moved into an empty field behind her house, life took on new meaning. She eagerly gets involved with helping the owners take care of the horses. Kelly starts out with a simple job of keeping the horses' water full but the more she learns, the more important her jobs get. Kelly's love for the horses quickly grows and she spends every free second she has watching and learning about the horses. As Kelly cares for and trains the horses, their progress becomes the stepping-stone for a new kind of freedom. Kelly becomes less self-conscious, as she develops a higher level of self-esteem. Her body and her self-image undergo a transformation that many young girls will find heartening. The first person account creates a story full of tears and triumph -- and one that warms and encourages the soul of the reader.