(2) 4-6 Ellen & Ned series. Now in fifth grade, riding student Ellen (Riding Lessons) has matured somewhat; Ned, the horse she loves, has stopped talking to her, making her wonder if he ever did. Outside the stables, Ellen learns a secret about a neighbor, and the money troubles in her own family add more pressure to her life. The well-observed narrative moves at an amiable pace, kept lively by Ellen's distinct voice and perspective.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(2) 4-6 Ellen & Ned series. In this (projected) new trilogy, headstrong fourth grader Ellen's parents inform her they're adopting a little girl and that she herself is adopted; and at her riding lessons at Oak Valley Ranch, Ellen discovers that horse Ned can talk to her in her head. The treatment of adoption is true to the book's 1960s setting. Smiley's horsewomanship is spot on, giving readers vicarious equestrian thrills.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(1) PS Illustrated by Lauren Castillo. After a day at the beach, Mom falls asleep reading Lucy a story. "Suddenly Lucy was wide awake." She needs her stuffed animals, and the process of fetching them and tucking them into bed settles Lucy. Smiley evinces a deep understanding of a child's sensibilities; Castillo's color-saturated illustrations capture the family's love and warmth. The titular twenty yawns are incorporated perfectly into the story.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2016

(2) YA Illustrated by Elaine Clayton. Abby (Pie in the Sky) is growing up, which means she has some hard decisions to make regarding her family farm and the horses in her life. Readers will come away with more horse knowledge than they had before, while episodes involving school and friends, the elders at church, as well as authentic details about 1960s California, keep this series humming.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(2) YA Illustrated by Elaine Clayton. Abby's new horse Blue plows through his jumps, so Abby is asked to school discouraged classmate Sophia's mount, Pie in the Sky. Can Abby get Sophia riding again, Pie in the Sky to mind her, and Blue to jump? As in Smiley's previous three volumes, Abby's believable voice and a finely tuned sense of place make this a standout for horse-book fans.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2012

(2) YA Illustrated by Elaine Clayton. True Blue, sweet-tempered but easily spooked, needs a home. Horse-wise Abby (The Georges and the Jewels, A Good Horse) takes him on. Abby's story develops in satisfying ways, from her new job as a riding instructor to her estranged brother's reconciliation with their dad. It's gratifying to see good things come into the life of the likable, older-than-her-thirteen-years protagonist.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(2) YA Illustrated by Elaine Clayton. Abby learns that Jack, the colt she rescued in The Georges and the Jewels, might have been sired by a famous race horse. Meanwhile, she works on jumps with Black George for an upper-class horse show. In a novel heavy on horsewomanship, from the show circuit to cow-punching, Abby's no-nonsense personality and understated competence will appeal to accomplished and wannabe riders alike.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2010

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Elaine Clayton. Though it's not allowed by her horse-trainer father, Abby grows attached to one particular gelding and an orphaned foal. The novel is about Abby learning to work with the horses, but also about dealing with her fundamentalist dad. Smiley unfolds the plot strands so naturally, with such an assured, brisk voice, that readers will take them all in avidly.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2009