Books with author Jessie Haas

Named to the West Virginia Children’s Book Award Master List: In the first horse show with her new mare, Lily competes against her best friend for the blue ribbon Today’s the big day. Lily and her horse, Beware, are going to compete in the junior horse show. Lily’s best friend, Mandy, is also in the competition, riding her horse, Shane. When Lily and her mother and grandfather arrive, Mandy looks so grown up, like a rider in a magazine. And with his shining copper coat, Shane looks just like a show horse. Worried that Beware looks shaggy next to Shane, Lily brushes her until she’s sleek and polished. Then it’s time for Lily to get ready. She puts on her breeches and boots and tries to remember everything her grandfather taught her about riding. Will Lily and Beware walk away with the blue? And will Lily and Mandy still be best friends when it’s over?

A VOYA Poetry Pick: Award-winning author Jessie Haas takes readers on a ride back in time to celebrate the special bond between horses and humans “We have all been changed by the horse, for better and worse.” —Jessie Haas Jessie Haas travels back sixty-five million years—from 5000 BCE to the present day—in 104 poems about our equine friends. Horses have shared some of the most significant moments in human history. In these lyrical and poignant pieces—some written from the horse’s point of view—readers will meet chariot racers, knights’ steeds, horse whisperers, even Pegasus, the winged horse. In one moving poem, a compassionate colt befriends a lonely man; in another, a starving soldier shares a meal with his mount. Whether it’s the thundering herd of Genghis Khan or a Dutch farmer shielding his horse from the Nazis, these transportive free-verse poems reveal how horses have influenced and enriched our lives. Hoofprints is an awe-inspiring journey through history as we gallop alongside horse and rider and experience “the mid-air moment” when “everything may yet / turn out all right.” This ebook includes a bibliography and a glossary of equine terminology.

Phin Chase was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now he's witness to a murder, and he must run fast and far to escape the Sleepers—the secretive, powerful organization responsible for the crime. With only his own wits to rely on, Phin hops a train to flee his small town. But there's a mysterious man on his trail—a man with a horse that tracks like a bloodhound. He could be working for the Sleepers . . . or he could be working against them. But Phin can't risk finding out. Even if Phin manages to turn the tables on his pursuer, neither hunter nor quarry can imagine what will happen when they inevitably collide.

In this coming-of-age story perfect for horse fans, twelve-year-old animal lover Joni clashes with her new neighbor and animal rights activist Chess. Their bumpy friendship reaches a crisis when Chess stages an impulsive animal rescue, and Joni must act fast to save the animals' lives. Shy Joni loves her family's Vermont sheep farm and her strong-willed horse, Archie. When ebullient Chess moves nearby, Joni is drawn to her big personality. However, Chess's opinions on animal rights, global warming, and responsible farming soon have Joni both questioning and defending her family's farm. But when Chess steals miniature horses from their neighbor to "rescue" them, Joni is challenged to find the courage to stand up to Chess. In this complex tale of bridging differences and finding your own voice, two friends nearly break their friendship before they can begin to rebuild it.

Named to the Bluebonnet Award and Mark Twain Award Master Lists: Cole isn’t happy about his great-uncle coming to live with his family . . . until Daney’s in danger of losing his beloved horseCole Tatro has never met his great-uncle Daney. But after he’s injured in a logging accident, he comes to live with Cole’s family on their Vermont farm. Cole isn’t sure how he’s going to feel about having a stranger around all the time. Then he meets Daney’s horse, Nip. A big red workhorse with a tousled blond mane and a sleepy face, Nip is the pride of Daney’s life. Except Daney no longer has a job. Cole’s parents work hard—his dad at a paper mill and his mom sewing doll dresses at a local factory—but they aren’t sure they have the money to take care of Nip. That’s when Daney comes up with the perfect solution. But he’ll need Cole’s help to carry it out. Uncle Daney’s Way is a story of grit, determination, and one family’s ingenuity in the face of hardship.

A Golden Kite Honor Book: A boy grieving the loss of his dog meets a man who can transform the lives of animals—and peopleChad Holloway feels estranged from his entire family. His tantrum-throwing older sister, Julia, and baby brother, Sky, drive him crazy. His parents don’t understand him at all. And ever since his grandfather shot Chad’s dog Shep, they haven’t been speaking to each other, even though Jeep says it was a mercy killing. Queenie, the new puppy Jeep bought to make amends, will never replace Shep. Not even close. Chad has no idea how he’s going to get through this summer. Then he meets his new neighbor. David Burton is a shaper—a dog trainer who changes animals’ behavior using positive reinforcement. He hires Chad as his assistant and suddenly, things start to happen. Chad uses Queenie as a guinea pig to try out David’s techniques. Except Chad starts to feel like he’s the one being shaped. And he really likes David’s daughter Louise, a dancer who’s a year older than Chad. They’re helping him to heal and believe in life’s wonderful possibilities. Will he be able to forgive his grandfather and find a place in his eccentric family?

Named to the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award Master List: A fifteen-year-old copes with a parent’s imminent death by nurturing two orphaned kittens in the New England countrysidePhilip Johnson has recently moved with his mother and terminally ill father from his beloved midwestern farm to a New England suburb. He works part time at the local clinic, where he helps the vet put down sick or abandoned animals. What he really wants is to save them, the way he did the endangered greyhound he found a home for with his friend Kris. When a litter of discarded kittens are scheduled to be euthanized, he rescues them—only this time, there’s no one to take them in. Hiding the kittens from his family, Philip brings them to an abandoned cottage in the woods. He starts cutting classes to care for them, determined to keep them alive as winter approaches. A novel about a kid who feels alienated from his family, his new community, and most of all, himself, Skipping School is about finding hope and never giving up, even in the face of insurmountable odds.

What is the mystery of Beware's name? To Lily, who has outgrown her pony, the mare Gramp brings home seems to be the answer to her dreams. But Gramp is uneasy. He can't help wondering why the mare is called Beware. Under Gramp's cautious supervision, Lily and Beware get to know each other, and soon she can truly claim the horse as her own. And when the mystery of Beware's name is finally revealed, Lily is able to handle the situation with the skill of an expert.

Written and illustrated by a girl who was sexually molested by a family member, this book reaches out to other children by carrying Jessie’s message “It's o.k. to tell; help can come when you tell."Written and illustrated by a young girl who was sexually molested by a family member, this book reaches out to other children in a way that no adult can, Jessie's words carry the message, "It's o.k. to tell; help can come when you tell."This book is an excellent tool for therapists, counselors, child protection workers, teachers, and parents dealing with children affected by sexual abuse.Jessie's story adds a sense of hope for what should be, and the knowledge that the child protection system can work for children. Simple, direct, and from the heart, Jessie gives children the permission and the courage to deal with sexual abuse."Please Tell! is a beautifully simple book with a profoundly important message for children who have been sexually abused: the abuse wasn't their fault. Written and illustrated by Jessie, herself a pre-teen survivor of sexual abuse, it tells kids just what to do to get the help they need." Kristin A. Kunzman, abuse therapist and author of The Healing Way: Adult Recovery from Childhood Sexual Abuse