The story draws you in. I enjoyed the book very much-it made me cry in parts. It is a wonderful story of how a family grows in just 1 summer...especially the 10 yo boy. Mary O'Hara knows horses and writes about them like very few authors do. However, I would not call this a children's book. Possibly teen. There are many adult themes... relationally between the mom and boy, the dad and boy, and between the parents themselves that would escape a child. Also, the dad is an ex-service man-one of the ways it shows is in his use of profanity (not a TON, but it happens throughout the book as it is a part of his character).
A great adventure story for children.