Eleven-year-old Charley is crazy about horses. She’s learned everything about them—except how to ride. Now her world is falling apart.

Her parents are splitting up and plan to ship Charley off to a riding camp for the summer. She wants to stay home and fix things, but the lure of her very own horse for the summer is hard to resist. She’ll live with girls who love horses as much as she does, and she’ll finally learn to ride. It doesn’t turn out that way.

From her first day at Secret Lake, Charley feels like an outsider. Her grumpy summer horse won’t look at her, riding lessons are terrifying, and Jane, the camp bully, is out to get her. How will Charley survive eight weeks of horse camp hell? Friendship with a mysterious black horse is all that makes camp life bearable.

Charley’s Horse is a heartwarming tale of friendship, courage in the face of fear, and the ability to find peace and healing in unexpected places. You don’t have to be a horse-mad girl to love this book. Children of any age will find something to value in Charley’s summer story.