Willow King (Willow King, #1)

By Chris Platt

Book Overview

Chris Platt's beloved novel is back in print
When prizewinning Thoroughbred Grey Dancer's foal is born with its legs too crooked to race, Mr. Ellis, the owner of Willow Run Farm, orders him destroyed. But thirteen-year-old Katie Durham, who works in the stalls and has a disability of her own, can't bear to let this happen. She thinks the young colt is the most beautiful she's ever seen, so she comes up with a plan to save him.
Katie knows that owning a winning racehorse could change her life and prevent her and her mom from losing their floundering farm. Trading her prize horse Jester to the obnoxious Cindy Ellis in exchange for the colt, Katie takes the newborn Willow King to a remote pasture and begins training him in secret.
With the help of Jason Roberts, the boy next door who insists on being nice to her even when she throws pinecones at his head and steps on his feet, Katie and Willow King begin a journey that takes them through near-fatal injuries and relentless sabotage, and eventually leads them to the gates of the Portland Downs Futurity. With so much at stake, can King and Katie win the race and earn a spot in the prestigious Kentucky Derby?
Inspired by the experiences of a real championship race horse, this moving story celebrates the power of caring.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1561455490
• ISBN13: 9781561455492
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company
• Length: 173 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.9" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

The Absolute Best

This a awesome book that I absolutly have to reccomend. It is about a girl named Katie who saves a foal who is about to be put down because he has crooked legs. She feels a strong bond between her and the foal because she was born with one leg shorter than the other, similar to the foal. Katie trains Willow King, the foal, and straightens his legs. Along the way, ahe has to deal with her enemy, Cindy because Cindy is using Katie's beloved show horse, Jester so Katie can train Willow. She also has to deal with a boy named Jason, whom she befriends. I strongly recomend this book to anyone who would like a good read. Even if you are not a horse fanatic like me, I think you will like it.

Truly outrageous!

Willow King by Chris Platt is the most exciting and entertaining horse book I have yet read. Katie Durham's struggles in raising the crippled Willow King into a quality racehorse teaches the young girl something about herself as well. Gifted with such a strong spirit, King never gives up in the process of straightening his legs; Katie, possibly short on self-confidence in certain areas of her life, learns from her horse that one must never fall in the face of defeat. Dealing with a snobby neighbor girl and a handsome ninth-grader only adds to the excitement of the tale. Will Willow King be able to correct his crooked leg problem, and be able to go on and win such races as the Kentucky Derby as Katie dreams? Willow King is definitely a must-read, far outshining other novels in its class.

Better than the best !

Chris writes the best books! Her book is so realistic, I was surprised when I found out it was fiction ! My favorite part is either when Katie beans "way cool" Jason or when she ,riding Sir Galahad, beats snotty Cindy who is riding Jester! I also seriously recommend you read Chris's other books, the Thoroughbred Ashliegh series because they are so cool! BYE!

Brilliant!

Willow King will leave the reader breathless with anticipation! I couldn't put it down and loved every word. If you're a horse lover, add this book to your collection!

A believable leading character you can really root for!

This is my favorite horse book ever. I've read all the Thoroughbred Series, the Saddle Club books, Farley, etc., pretty much everything available;this beats 'em all! The character of Katie was so real and wonderful and strong without being a spoiled brat. Her relationship with her mother and friends and the trainer who encouraged her were all so warm and real. It just makes you feel good and hopeful but it's also exciting. More Chris Platt books, please!