Something about this sweet, little novel just sings to me. Rosemary Wells is a master at her craft and it is so enjoyable to read her outside of her Max and Ruby masterpieces. Ivy is a girl, having just graduated from the 5th grade, who scrapes by with her loving family in the plains of Nevada, set about mid-century. Ivy's best friend Annie is just about to leave for a fancy summer camp in New Hampshire and Ivy is not looking forward to another quiet summer. Ivy, however, has a passion and a gift for animals and all sorts at that: dogs, horses, sheep, you name it. She starts an animal care business and is soon embarking on jobs large and small, all the while earning some money that she intends to save for college as well as trying to avoid tagalog Billy Joe, who attracts trouble and headaches with his insouciant ways. Animal stories always seem to have sad parts and I kept waiting for the axe to drop, but Wells succeeds in sharing Ivy's story with all its trials and frustrations without needed to yank our heart out. It's just right.

Hand this novel to your young readers who love animals, horses, and their independence. Ages 8-12. ( )

Make it on your calendars people, I have not only read, but loved a work of historical fiction. I don't do this often - as you can see, I don't even have a tag for this genre!

It's 1949 and times are hard on the Nevada ranch where Ivy's parents work. Her best friend Annie has gone off to her annual (and expensive) summer camp in Maine and the fight they had before she left makes Ivy wonder if she has a best friend anymore. It's going to be a long summer with no one but troublemaker Billy Joe around. Then Ivy gets an idea to heal her friendship and her parents suggest a way she can make some money from her love of animals. Soon, she's caring for horses, training a dog for one of the ranch guests, and seeing a whole new future ahead. But when Billy Joe does something even more dangerous than usual and Annie returns for school, will Ivy ever have friends again?

LaMarche's soft illustrations are the perfect touches to this gentle, hopeful story. Ivy's struggles with friendship and her love of animals will resonate with a lot of kids, especially those living in rural areas where money is tight. I especially liked the way Wells lightly interweaves historical details (cost of things, dates, people only being able to get divorces in Nevada) into the story but keeps the focus on Ivy and her family. The story is firmly realistic; although there's drama with the animals (and Ivy's friends) there's no climactic finale when she gets all the money she needs and Annie comes back to be her friend. The gap between wealthy Annie and poor Ivy isn't simply washed away by their friendship for each other, but Ivy learns to cope with the changes in herself and her friends and find joy in her life and the animals she loves.

Verdict: Kids who love animals and historical fiction will be big fans of this simple but heartfelt story. It's not a daunting length (only 200 pages) and I'd especially recommend it for kids who prefer working with animals and being outdoors to sitting down with a book; Ivy's practical approach to life and the realistic illustrations of animals and the accidents that befall them will make this a popular title.

ISBN: 9780763653521; Published 2013 by Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to order list