Black Beauty

Anna Sewell's classic book tells the story of Black Beauty, a handsome horse who is born and raised in happy circumstances. Unfortunately, in Victorian England horses were used much as people use cars today: they were things to be bought, sold and gotten rid of when they were no longer useful. Black Beauty is first sold to a good home, but as time passes he is sold again and again--and not always to people who treat him kindly or even give him common care. There are adventures aplenty, like a stable fire and a dangerous bridge; there are many memorable characters, like the horse Ginger and the kind cabbie Jerry. All of them are seen from Black Beauty's point of view, and beautifully, perfectly described. All in all Black Beauty is a very fine book, and one that every parent should place in the hands of their children.