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 | Miranda and Starlight by Janet Muirhead Hill | Reviewed by Franci McMahon | |
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| Publisher: Raven Publishing
http://order@ravenpublishing.net ISBN: 0971416109 Genre: Children/Young Adult Subgenre: Children 9-12 Release date: June 2002 Format: Paperback Pages: 168 Price: $7.95 | |||
| Miranda and Starlight, an early middle-grade novel, first in a series, appears targeted for eight-to twelve-year-olds. The main character is a fifth-grade student. The cover design, illustrations throughout, and large, easy-to-read print make this an inviting book.
Miranda, displaced often by her mother's lifestyle, now lives with her grandparents in a small town in Montana. Her father is absent and unknown. Miranda is a lonely girl. However, as the school year opens along with the book, she makes a new friend on the same day, falling in love with a young black stallion that she names Starlight. When the horse is injured, the owner plans to have him destroyed. Mr. Taylor, the owner of both the horse and the stables where much of the action takes place, is the villain. Always angry and shouting, for some reason he delays destruction of Starlight for days. Miranda tries to save Starlight while dreaming of owning him someday. A subplot of a boy who is afraid of horses and who struggles to overcome his fear is well done. His parents have bought him a lovely mare, and he pretends he is unafraid. When his parents enter him in a horse show without consulting him, Miranda tries to help. I've seen parents like this shouting at their crying children from the rail at shows. The pacing is very smooth, and there is plenty of action. There's good suspense at the end of each chapter. This reviewer was happy to see that the point of view remained with Miranda and events that did not happen in front of her were related secondhand. Hill's use of language, while rough in some places, was straightforward and showed the story in a very accessible way. Her belivable and liberal use of conversation helped move the story along. I would have liked a stronger sense of place, coming away with a feeling this could have been Kansas. As a horsewoman I had trouble believing that this kid jumped on a two-year-old untrained stallion with no bridle or saddle, in an open pasture, which she did on a dare in the first chapter. This would make Miranda very ignorant about horses or very stupid. Yet we are supposed to believe that she's knowledgeable. And she does it a second time, leading to a life-threatening injury to the horse that she supposedly is in love with. I've done some pretty dumb things in my life around horses, but this was never one of them. The other problem I have with Miranda's character is her deceitfulness when it comes to adults. Hill has done an excellent job of showing Miranda's mother as an unfit flake, which is why she's living with two loving grandparents. The phone calls between mother and daughter were heart-wrenching. I understand why she doesn't trust adults, yet the constant lies made this character difficult to like. An excellent scene with the grandparents creates an opportunity for Miranda to grow. The closing pages are tender and warm. Even with its minor flaws, I recommend this book and look forward to the sequel, Starlight's Courage. | |||
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