CREATIVE HORSE STORIES

 

True story! A thirteen-year-old girl desperately wanted a horse. When that wasn’t possible, she wrote a book, Appaloosy. The story was written from the viewpoint of a horse involved in the Nez Perce Indian War. The book was published when she was sixteen and became the first in a series of five Horses in History volumes.

Appaloosy (The Nez Perce Indian Wars)

Dusty’s Trail (The Pony Express)

Golden Sunrise (The Battle of the Alamo)

Day and Night (The Civil War)

Blue Skies West (The Oregon Trail)

 

The girl was Mattie Richardson. She says, “I started writing books I wanted to read but couldn’t find.” The books are targeted for children 8-12, but have been enjoyed by plenty of younger and older folks as well.

Mattie works as library director in Enderlin, North Dakota. Early in her writing career she traveled the country selling books at various events and festivals, speaking at schools, libraries, and other organizations. Getting married and adding two children to the family has slowed down the travel. “I want to encourage young people to follow their dreams and work hard to succeed at whatever they do,” she says. One of her personal goals is to sell 10,000 books. She has about 2,500 to go.

Does she have a horse? You will have to ask her. Write to Mattie at redheadkid7@msn.com, and while you are writing, be sure to order one of her books.