Fosta
Marathon Master
- Publisher
- Tundra
- Initial publish date
- Sep 2008
- Category
- Horses, Adolescence, Friendship
- Recommended Age
- 8 to 12
- Recommended Grade
- 3 to 7
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9780887768385
- Publish Date
- Sep 2008
- List Price
- $8.99
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
If nature had taken its course, Fosta would never have lived. But thanks to quick and loving intervention, the plucky little foal did survive. In the first few moments of his life, he was stolen from his dame by an expectant mare. When she had no milk to give him, he had to be fostered by a third “mother” since his own refused to take him back. From the very beginning, his chances of amounting to anything were horribly slim. Added to that, it didn’t look as if he would ever be big enough for racing. Yet Fosta has become one of the best-known horses ever to run Australia’s grueling “ultimate endurance test,” the Shahzada. For five days, the toughest and fastest horses compete internationally to cover four hundred kilometers of rugged terrain. The motto of the event is “To Finish is to Win,” and Fosta has finished an incredible ten out of eleven starts, making him one of the most consistent and enduring horses of all time. Here is his story, told so that readers will feel they are atop Fosta as he attempts to earn his last completion buckle.
About the authors
Phyllis Root is the author of BIG MOMMA MAKES THE WORLD and many other award-winning books for children. She says, " Aunt Nancy is my grandmothers and aunts — women who never let the world get the better of them — all rolled into one." She lives in Minneapolis.
David Parkins has illustrated numerous books for children, including WEBSTER J. DUCK by Martin Waddell and Egyptian Diary by Richard Platt. He lives in Lincoln, England. C
Editorial Reviews
Praise for Little Squire: The Jumping Pony:
“This is a lovely book, and I would recommend it not only to horse lovers, but to young readers who enjoy historical fiction.” — Highly Recommended, CM Magazine
“Little Squire is a short but sweet biography of a horse and his man.” — The Bloomsbury Review
Librarian Reviews
Fosta: Marathon Master (True Horse Stories)
Fosta: Marathon Master, the newest book in the True Horse Stories, introduces Kintamani Fosta. Although Fosta faces challenges from the moment of his birth, having three different mothers within the first days of his life, this sturdy horse rises to the challenges ahead of him. He did not grow big enough and, although bred for endurance, he did not even have the chance to test his inherited abilities before he was sold several times. Luckily, however, his many owners would see potential in this gentle and well mannered stallion and Fosta would eventually enter and re-enter the Shahzada endurance race in Australia. Not only will this undersized horse finish the gruelling five-day race multiple times, but he would repeatedly come in the top ten.Andrekson once again captivates her readers in her latest books in the True Horse Stories series. She writes simple but well-research biographies of horses that appeal to advanced early-readers and older children because her writing style is a suitable introduction to reading nonfiction. Andrekson remains true to her horses’ lives by interviewing owners and researching the horses’ lives and races, while also illustrating the lives of the people surrounding the horses. Her readers worry about the horses, share their pain and accomplishments, feel proud of them, and generally fall in love with them.
Source: The Canadian Children's Bookcentre. Fall 2008. Vol.31 No.4.
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