I didn't like Kate during the first half of the book. IN the first book of the series she was a very nice, thoughful and kind kid. In the first half of the book she acted so selfishly. Instead of being grateful that her wish of having a horse was fulfilled, she constantly complained about how things were not fair. In each situtation she felt remorse, but she didn't seem to learn too much about her behavior or take into consideration her parents' and brother's situation.

Thankfully, that ended, and then I liked the book a lot better again. I really like the message these books send and applaud the author.

My 6 year old daughter's review: I liked this book because of Kate's brother, Pete. He allowed Melissa to take him to get things and was getting a little better with others. That made me feel happy. I didn't like the part about Melissa's mother and how she acted with Melissa. That made me feel scared.

My review: I loved reading this book with my daughters. We had the opportunity to read the first book together and jumped at the chance to read this one together too. This is another exceptional book filled with excellent Christian morals and lessons for young girls and for everyone really. I enjoyed watching the characters develop, learn, grow, and see Kate's and her friends' dreams realized and come true. I would highly recommend this read for anyone with girls, and I think it's a wonderful book to read as a family and to spend time together.

"Silver Spurs" by Miralee Ferrell is the 2nd in the Horses and Friends series. While it would be possible to start with Silver Spurs, I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series with "A Horse for Kate" so you can get to know the characters better.

Kate Ferris has gotten her greatest wish, to have her own horse. But she wants to be able to take in boarders to raise more money to be able to get a lesson horse for her best friend Tori to learn on. When Melissa Tolbert brings her horse to board at their barn, Tori and Kate are upset because Melissa is mean to them at school. How will they be able to enjoy hanging out at the barn if Melissa is there, too?

I read "Silver Spurs" with my daughter (her review is below). She is in the "target age" of the book, but I still enjoyed reading the book. I liked how Kate is a realistic kid with fears and frustrations that she has to deal with. Miralee does a good job of incorporating life lessons into the story in a way that is not heavy or overpowering.

This is a great book for girls, horse lovers, and mothers of girls/horse lovers ☺

My 9 year old daughter's review (Spoilers)

Silver Spurs is a very detailed book. For example, the book is called and talks about silver spurs, I mean, they could have just said spurs. My favorite part of the book is when Melissa won the silver spurs. I think that it was very generous of Kate to offer Capri to Melissa. If I were Kate, I would have begged Mrs. Jamison to let me take lessons on jumping so that I could compete for the silver spurs. I would be thrilled if I won the silver spurs!

-Emily Dempsey, Becky Dempsey's daughter

I received a digital ARC through Netgalley in order for me to give my honest review. I did not receive any other form of compensation and all opinions are my own (except for those of my daughter ☺)

My daughter and I read A Horse for Kate and was excited to see that there was a sequel to it. I enjoyed the first book due to its accurate, fun and detailed view of what it takes to own and ride horses. I also thought the author sensitively talked about class and race and disability which can be unusual in books about the horse world. I was happy to see that the same holds true for Silver Spurs where complex family dynamics, cultural difference and atypical development was exquisitely handled. Since we are a Jewish family we also had the opportunity to learn more about how Kate's Christian beliefs are interwoven into the fabric of her everyday life and that was a pleasure. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this book for an honest opinion.

Silver Spurs***** book 2 Horses and Friends series, e-book by Miralee Ferrell

Although this book is written for young readers, adults will enjoy it as well. We follow Kate, Tori and Colt (from book 1) as they continue to pursue their love of horses. They continue to learn about the care of horses and improving their riding skills. I like the way each character has developed from the first book and we see their growing attachment to each other. They face challenges along the way when things don't go as planned and when a fellow classmate becomes difficult. I liked seeing how they each handled each of these challenges in their own way and how they worked through their problems. Kate's faith has grown and it shows in how she seeks God's help more than before. I like how the story shows the importance of families: the love and respect Kate has for her family and they for her.

~I received an e-book copy from the author via Netgalley for my honest review~

In Silver Spurs, book two of the “Horses and Friends” series, Kate Ferris finds herself busy taking care of the horse barn, which her family has opened to boarders. They also plan to host a horse show. This gives her a chance to practice riding with a trainer, but it brings along its share of problems, too. One of the boarders is an unfriendly, spiteful girl from school, and Kate struggles to deal with her while also combatting her own feelings of jealousy. Furthermore, opening the barn proves to be more challenging than she expected, and she has to learn to trust God in the face of obstacles.

This continuation of Kate’s story provides adolescent girls (and older readers as well) with food for thought when tackling their own problems. Kate and the issues that she is faced with are very prevalent to today’s youth, and the story also contains fun and a hint of mystery, making this series well-suited to a wide variety of young readers. The strong thread of Christian faith that hallmarks the books results in an inspirational storyline that gives today’s young women the motivation to follow their dreams with God’s help. Be sure to check out notes by Kate and by the author at the end, too.