Mary on Horseback

by Stephanie H on 2011-11-18
I was skeptical of this book initially. I thought the subject matter would be too mature for my 6 year old, and I was nervous about some of the more graphic descriptions, and my DS is very tender-hearted and still gets frightened easily. But, surprisingly this is one of his favorites of the core RA's. After we finished it w/ school, he asked to put it on his personal bookshelf, and has read it several more times.

by Natalie A on 2011-06-01
We loved this book! What a great way to bring history to life for young children (and their moms :)).

by Desiree L on 2011-02-23
While this wasn't my 6yo dd's favorite book so far, she definitely enjoyed it. She was also impressed by Mary, and the other nurses being willing to travel alone out in the mountains to help people. We had some great conversations on what we'd do if faced with decisions like the people in this book. I really appreciate the wide range of ideas, time periods and beliefs that Sonlight has included in these readers - at times difficult topics (like a child dying) but handled in a tactful, and age appropriate way.

by AMANDA P on 2010-04-18
As a midwife, I LOVED this book! (Mary was also a midwife) We were able to discuss maternal health in the history of the US. My daughter was talking about the stories for a few months! It does deal with quite a bit of death but it also is so endearing because it illustrates what Mary was dedicating her live to.

by REBEKAH M on 2010-03-19
As a RN, I loved this book. My children also enjoyed it.

by LINDA B on 2009-06-16
Great book. I read this to my 7, 6, 5, and 4 year old children. They all enjoyed it and we had some pretty good discussions. We would have loved a sequel ;)

by KRISTEN O on 2009-03-17
My son loved this book (Kindergarten). Very touching stories that show what people have, and still go through. He enjoyed that character of the boy that was weaved through a few of the stories.

by EMILY M on 2009-03-05
We really loved this book. My four year old son was very touched by it and wanted it read over and over to him. He asked lots of questions and this allowed us to discuss it pretty thoroughly. The simple way it is written is very genuine and captures the simple life of the people in the story. I also liked that all three stories were written from a different perspective - one of a little boy who saw the care of his dad, one of a young nurse who traveled to the U.S. to work for Mary, and one of a little girl who lost her mother and went with her newborn twin siblings to Mary's hospital. I know every child is different and ready for information at different levels. It happens that this was at a perfect level for my son, who is very sensitive and drinks up all sorts of stories. But every family is different.

by Laurie beth K. on 2008-04-01
A touching story that, in my opinion, is inappropriate for Kindergarteners. Many of the detailed descriptions and stories brought me to tears. If they had this kind of impact on me as an adult, I am positive that my daughter is not ready for such detail. I think this would be a great reader when studying American History in 3rd or 4th grade, but definitely not now. Don't get me wrong - I want my daughter to read this book eventually, just not for a few more years.

by Jennifer M. on 2008-03-26
I thought this book would not be that great for my 5 and 7-year-old girls based on the reviews, but they both loved it. We briefly talked about the setting and time period before we started. The stories really touched my 7-year-old in that she wants to grow up to serve others. She thinks Mary is a hero.