What do You think about Hope Rising: Stories From The Ranch Of Rescued Dreams (2003)?
Hope RisingKim MeederInspirational254 pagesisbn: 1-59052-269-9Where Wounded Spirits Run FreeFollow a horse where no one else can tread, through the minefield of pain that surrounds a broken child's soul. From a mistreated horse to an emotionally starved child and back again, a torrent of love revives their barren places.In the presence of unconditional love, a mute girl speaks for the first time. A defiant teenager teaches a horse to trust again...and opens his own heart to love. A rescued horse give a dying man his last wish. A battered girl finds love and protection in the friendship of a battered horse.Come visit a place where the imossible flourishes, where dreams survive the inferno of reality--a place where hope rises.
—Michelle
This book is very touching. The chapters serve as individual stories that would be easy to use in a classroom. Some of the stories are too heart breaking but some would be great to use to share with the children how horses can help children learn and gain confidence. I would use these stories if interest arose among the students or if a lesson focused on horses. I would read the story and have the children write about an experience they had with a horse or another animal when they felt connected. I would also let them draw the experience. I would love to set up a field trip to a similar ranch that helped children.
—Amber
I completely forgot that I had read this book years ago until I ran across the phrase "horses can be very healing." Then, bam! The cover of this book leapt to my mind. Sad stories of abused children who come to a horse farm to heal their spirits (or something along those lines). I seem to remember it being very sentimental. I may have shed a tear or two at the beginning, but I recall it getting wearisome by the end. Lots of Christian overtones. Again, it's been years since I've read this, so I may be off the mark. However, I am not really motivated to read it again.
—Angie
