A Horse Called Courage

This Saddleback Pageturners hi-lo novel does exactly what it's designed to do: give a struggling middle-grade reader a high-interest, accessible story with a relatable protagonist and a clear emotional payoff. Tami Nguyen is a shy Vietnamese-American teenager at summer camp, lonely, far from home, and genuinely afraid of horses — and watching her build courage and friendship in small steps feels earned rather than formulaic. The comprehension questions in the back underline the book's classroom purpose. The honest caveat is that this is a short, purposeful curriculum title, not a rich standalone novel — character depth and plot complexity are limited by design. Critical reception is thin outside of school and intervention-reading contexts, where the series is consistently well-regarded. For its intended audience of reluctant or below-grade-level readers, it's a solid, clean choice.