I think the book, “Diamond” is an excellent transitional reading book. Although it was not my favorite book, it is an easy starting chapter book to help children reach that next level in reading. Also, students who are interested in horses can learn a lot from this book through the writing. This informational story provides a facts page at the end of the book all about Arabian horses. The book continues to teach children about Arabian horses stating, “Arabians are a very smart and loyal breed of horses. In fact, Arabians are one of the most intelligent and sensitive horses there are.” In addition, Ava’s first person point of view expresses her feelings towards Diamond. She was the only rider that believed in Diamond, even though Diamond was the oldest horse. The main message in this book is to encourage children to never give up and that they can do anything they set their mind to. ( )

I think this book is really good because of its moral. The pictures were interesting, and the storyline was good too. I liked that the main character stuck to her horse no matter what other people said. It was her favorite and the opinions of her classmates didn't bother her. The moral of the story is to not let others judgement effect you. Stay true to your heart. I think this book teaches a good moral for the students reading it. ( )

In my opinion this is an excellent transitional chapter book for young readers. I enjoyed this book because of the authors writing style. The book was engaging, included a lot of dialogue, and overall was an easy read. Also, the plot was well-organized and created suspense toward the end when the big horse show finally happened that the main character, Ava, had been practicing so long for with her horse. Another reason I enjoyed this book is because it pushes readers to consider taking a stand for what you believe in. This book is a great inspirational read for children who need some motivation. It teaches children that practice makes perfect and with hard work, anything can happen (because the horse who was once looked down upon stole the show and made all of the other horses look bad in the end). The big idea of this book is to transition children into chapter books and to inspire them to follow their heart. ( )