SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

November 30, 2022 by Amanda MacGregor

Book Review: Snow Foal by Susanna Bailey

November 30, 2022 by Amanda MacGregor   Leave a Comment

Publisher’s description

A beautiful and heart-wrenching middle grade debut, this title is a memorable story, full of love, healing, friendship, and hope.

When eleven-year-old Addie goes to stay with a foster family on a remote Exmoor farm in the midst of a very cold winter, she is full of hurt, anger and a deep mistrust of everyone around her. But when she rescues a tiny wild foal from the moorland snow, Addie discovers that perhaps she’s not so alone after all.

And as adventure and unexpected friendship blossom, Addie is determined that both of them will know what it is to be home again soon…

Author Susanne Bailey delivers a warm, evocative debut set in the natural world that’s sure to inspire readers who are eager for an adventure story about the healing bond between humans and their animal friends.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT


Amanda’s thoughts

Spoiler alert: the foal from the title doesn’t die. Hopefully that doesn’t actually somehow ruin this read for you, but for me, I was actually so worried throughout parts that the foal would indeed die that I had to skip ahead and skim to be sure it would be okay before I could go back and continue to enjoy the book. 

This is a really lovely, warm, sad read. It’s the kind of book I would have read repeatedly as a kid. We meet Addie as she arrives at her new foster home. She’s sad, worried, confused, and definitely NOT going to be staying there long. Her mother will be ready to have her back soon. The foster parents are so kind and patient, with Addie, with their adopted son, and with the two other foster children currently staying there. I suspect this is maybe a best-case scenario all around about foster care—every person from social workers to foster parents is full of love, patience, and sympathy. But none of that matters to Addie, who just wants to go home. The only good thing about the place is the tiny foal separated from its mother, but it’s not like Addie can keep the foal. She and Jude, another foster child there, forge a connection together, and little Jude’s heartbreak over his situation is so moving and palpable. The thing about foster care is everything is temporary, even if it feels like forever to Addie. So even though their home is for kids who need to stay a long time, everything is in flux—Jude is about to be adopted, Sunni is waiting to see if she will return to her home, and Addie, who is well-loved and cared for, can’t bear the thought of staying there. 

I don’t know anything about the foster care system or experience, so I can’t say if this feels accurate etc, but it does feel compassionate and provides an important representation, especially given more than 400,000 kids in the US are in the foster care system. The writing is lovely (and honestly, the book feels kind of “old-timey,” so every time they talked about cell phones or laptops, I was surprised) and even though so much of this story feels sad, so much of it is hopeful. Again, the overwhelming theme here is compassion—for the kids, for the foal, for the parents unable to care for their children, for everyone. I’m so glad I read this story and won’t soon forget Addie or her new friends. 


Review copy (ARC) courtesy of the publisher

ISBN-13: 9781682634141
Publisher: Holiday House
Publication date: 11/29/2022
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Book Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
AdoptionAnimalsBook reviewsFoster familiesMiddle Grade

About Amanda MacGregor

Amanda MacGregor works in an elementary library, loves dogs, and can be found on Twitter @CiteSomething.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

January 2023

Book Review: Play the Game by Charlene Allen

by Amanda MacGregor

January 2023

Book Review: The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

by Amanda MacGregor

January 2023

Post-It Note Reviews: A mayor dog, a bunch of Big Bads, a mobster, and more!

by Amanda MacGregor

January 2023

Book Review: The Roof Over Our Heads by Nicole Kronzer

by Amanda MacGregor

January 2023

Book Review: Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender

by Amanda MacGregor

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Sydney Taylor Blog Tour: THE TOWER OF LIFE by Chana Stiefel and Susan Gal

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Abecedarian Movement and Dance: A Q&A with Corinna Luyken About ABC and You and Me!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Haley Newsome on Unfamiliar | Interview

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Writing Trans Joy in Spite of Everything, a guest post by Edward Underhill

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Three YA Horror Titles for Teens Tuning into "Fear Street" on Netflix

10 Adventure-Filled Middle Grade Reads | Summer Reading 2020

19 Enlightening & Highly Engaging Nonfiction Titles for Teens | Summer Reading 2020

19 Webcomics To Keep Kids and Teens Engaged

10 Shonen Manga Must-Reads | Mondo Manga

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023