When fourteen-year-old Jodie buys a wild horse at auction, she has no idea what she is taking on. Something has drawn her to Samphire―there's an instant bond between them. She recognizes he's a damaged horse who needs time to mend. Jodie understands all about pain, having lost her dad two years before. Slowly, she gains Samphire's trust, and Jodie begins to blossom with a new confidence. But when her younger brother Ed becomes very ill and needs an operation, Jodie is faced with the biggest decision of her life. In order to help her mother and brother, she must let Samphire go. She makes him a promise―as soon as she can, she will find him and bring him home. It's a promise that leads her into danger. But somewhere, Samphire is calling to her. She senses his life is at risk and there's not much time. She must rescue him, whatever the cost. Gr 5-8-Jodie Palmer, 14, lives with her mother and younger brother, Ed, in southern England and volunteers regularly at a horse stable. She has fond memories of her father, a Royal Air Force pilot who died when his plane crashed. Ed has weak kidneys and needs dialysis treatments, yet his interactions with Jodie seem bubbly and playful. When Mom lands a new job, she offers to buy the children something they want-a radio-controlled plane for Ed, and, for Jodie, a horse of her own. Thus, Samphire, a gray part-Arab stallion with a wild streak and a melodious whinny, enters the tale. When Ed needs a kidney transplant and Mom's job ends, Jodie decides to help her family by selling her handsome horse, having promised him she would not ride another horse until they were reunited. After Mom gets a new job, Jodie makes plans to repurchase Samphire but finds his ownership has changed, and Ed sells his model planes to help her raise money. In a secret bike ride at night, Jodie wheels into the countryside looking for her horse and, against all odds, hears his distinctive song. She tracks him to a large barn filed with mistreated animals, where she and an injured Samphire escape the cruel animal traffickers. The plot is overly dramatic and the family sacrifices too selfless. The book's strength lies in the interaction of horses and people, especially the bond between Jodie and Samphire, and her watchful care during his slow, uphill recovery from abuse to full equine health.-Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VTα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Bereft after the sudden death of her father, Jodie seeks solace in the horse stables where she volunteers. Surrounded by the quiet munching of hay, Jodie finds an escape from her grief and concern over her beloved young brother Teddy’s precarious health condition. Longing for a horse of her own, Jodie is thrilled when her mother surprises her by promising to take her to a horse auction. Spirited and skittish, the Arabian stallion Samphire immediately speaks to Jodie. Together, Samphire and Jodie begin to forge a bond that is healing to both of them. Strong, loving familial relationships play a central role in this novel; frequently, Jodie chooses to spend time with her mother and brother rather than with her friends as she works through her own obstacles. Horse-loving youth will enjoy Jodie’s devotion to Samphire and become wrapped up in the drama of their journey. Grades 4-8. --Eve Gaus Jodie forges a bond with her new horse, Samphire, but must find and rescue him when he goes missing. Jodie forges a bond with her new horse, Samphire, but must find and rescue him when he goes missing. Jill Hucklesby has written for stage and children's television and was nominated for the BAFTA award for Television Arts Performance Showcase comedy writing. She has written three previous novels for young people, including If I Could Fly, which was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Prize, and Deeper than Blue. She lives in East Sussex, England. Used Book in Good Condition