After years of waiting, it is finally Libby Ryan’s turn to shine at the Practical County Fair. Libby is filled with excitement as she and her granddad pick out two calves for her to raise on her family’s cattle farm, in hopes of winning the annual steer competition. Against her father’s advice, Libby gives the calves names, even though both steers will eventually be auctioned off. After a few months of preparing for the Practical County Fair, Libby finds that she is growing closer to her steers with each passing day, and the pressure to win Grand Champion is mounting. Luckily, Libby can count on her best friend to get her through most of the county fair chaos. Yet once reality sets in and she realizes that her steers will soon be sold to the highest bidder, the chaos in Libby’s heart becomes too much to bear.
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The first thing I want to say about this is that if you've never been to a fair, or even out in the country, Michelle Houts describes it so that you won't be confused. There was just enough detail: not so much that you get bored, but not so little that you're lost. I do live in a tiny farming town, but I've never taken an animal to the fair. Nevertheless, I understood everything that went on because of the description of the process of taking calves to the fair. I found some events of the book predictable, but they were described well, so I didn't mind much. The book was listed as ages 9-12, but I think that that range could be expanded a bit [possibly beyond my posted 8-13]; I feel like quite a few more people would enjoy it. It's not a teenage romance, angst, drama book, but it was still really good.
Rating: 8/10
Age Range: ages 8-13
Genre: General Fiction/Realistic Fiction
Publication Date: April 14, 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
*summary from Random House
-SilverLining
Hi and thanks for the great review. I like your new, eye-catching layout! Best of luck with your new blog. Read, write, dream! Michelle
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