Wild Blue: The Story of
a Mustang Appaloosa
by Annie Wedekind

    WILD BLUE by Annie Wedekind
    Category:  Action-Adventure
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  6/9/09
    Publisher:  Feiwel & Friends
    Reviewed by:  Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
    Rating:  5 Stars


    WILD BLUE is one of the books in a new series called the Breyer Horse Collection.  According to a letter that
    opens the book, this fiction series is designed to help readers learn about and appreciate different breeds of horses
    along with their history and characteristics.  This collection is sure to be a success with middle grade readers who
    love horses or are just looking for an enjoyable wildlife adventure.

    Blue is a wild mustang appaloosa.  At two years old she has only known life in the wilds of Idaho.  Living with her
    small band of wild horses, she is used to wide-open spaces and the freedom to roam without the interference of
    mankind.

    One afternoon a pony is caught in a snare trap, and Blue and her sister, Doe, watch helplessly.  A sudden
    thunderstorm and torrential rain complicate the situation, making escape impossible.  Two cowboys show up, but
    instead of rescuing the struggling horse, they use ropes to capture Blue and her sister.  The fear-stricken horses are
    loaded into a trailer and taken from the only home they've ever known.

    What follows is a terrifying ordeal seen through the eyes of Blue the wild mustang.  She experiences men for the
    first time, as well as captivity, the modern mechanical world, and things she never knew existed.  No matter how
    frightening her world becomes, she stays focused on one thing only - escape.  More than anything she wants to
    return to Idaho and life with her herd.

    Annie Wedekind captures the essence of the wild mustang.  In the beginning, she creates a vivid picture of the free
    life of the wild horse.  Then her stirring descriptions take readers into the terrifying world of captivity, including all
    its sights and sounds and trembling fear.  She shows both the good and the bad when it comes to people and their
    treatment of animals.  Blue's story will touch the heart of even the most jaded reader.