Dark Horse at Oak Lane Stable (Oak Lane Stable Novel Series)

Dark Horse at Oak Lane Stable (Oak Lane Stable Novel Series)

A young rider. An unpredictable horse. In a show ring, anything can happen. Cassie Piotrowski is humiliated. Entering her first Junior-jumper class, the hopeful fourteen-year-old equestrian is surprised when her new showjumper, NightHawk, proves to be more than she can handle by nearly falling off and crashing on the course in front of her dad and the other competitors. After the class, her dad makes it very clear that NightHawk isn’t suitable for her level of riding. Promising to do better next time, Cassie tries to push aside her fears, even though she honestly feels it was a mistake to want the dark, unpredictable showjumper. Her dad stands firm in his opinion of NightHawk being too strong for her. She needs to prove to him, and to herself, that she can show the jumper or lose him. But how can she compete if she’s afraid to ride a horse she can’t control? Dark Horse at Oak Lane Stable is the award-winning third book in the Oak Lane Stable Middle Grade novel series. If you like friendship bonds, horse adventures, and coming-of-age stories, then you’ll enjoy Kerri Lukasavitz’s engaging tale. "The perfect book for horse-mad, middle-grade readers. This book [ Dark Horse at Oak Lane Stable ] is more than just a story about horses, though. It's engaging from start to finish, with realistic characters and sparky dialogue. Excellent dynamics between parent and child, friendship groups, and romantic interests. There are numerous threads of story running through the book—many challenging experiences for the main character—which will keep a young reader turning the pages to find out what happens next."—Grace Olson, #1 Best-Selling author of The Yard: How a Horse Healed My Heart. "Today's readers will relate to Cassie's struggles and triumphs because they are concerned with a universal problem—facing fear instead of trying to ignore or run away from it. The author is a lifelong horsewoman, both a rider and a teacher. Her expertise shines forth in her prose."—Maryann Macdonald, author of Rosa's Animals: The Story of Rosa Bonheur and Her Animals and over 30 children's books " Dark Horse at Oak Lane Stable , the third book in a series of horse stories for middle-grade readers, will attract enthusiasts of the prior stories and newcomers alike. It is a multifaceted, compelling tale that lures leisure readers with entertainment value, but offers so much more."—Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer for the Midwest Book Review . " Dark Horse at Oak Lane Stable has a hybrid structure that combines a sports story with the hint of Black Beauty . It's a satisfying story, one that will give you a good look at kindness and courage."—Vincent Dublado, Reviewer for The Readers' Favorite. "As luck would have it, I was recently introduced to Midwest horse book author, Kerri Lukasavitz. Kerri's books were recognized by Story Monsters through their Purple and Royal Dragonfly Book Awards and the Midwest Book Awards for Children's Fiction. And let me tell you, after reading her books, I get why. She has a way with her storytelling that is honest and relatable. PLUS, I loved the stories." Rae Rankin, author of the Cowgirl Lessons picture book series. Kerri Lukasavitz is the award-winning author of the middle grade Oak Lane Stable Adventure Series—novels inspired from her lifelong passion for horses. With almost three decades as a professional horsewoman, she brings her stories to life with drama pulled from the realities of the hunter/jumper show world through the eyes of a young rider.   Kerri has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in Interior Architecture & Design, with minor work in Illustration, Graphic Design, English, and Art History. She went on to a Master of Arts from Mount Mary University in English—with an emphasis on Novel Writing for Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers and Literature. Her thesis was a continuation of a 40-page middle grade novel started in her second semester, which later became Mystery Horse at Oak Lane Stable, Book 1 in the Adventure Series. She was inducted into Sigma Tau Delta for Excellence in English her final semester at Mount Mary.   The books have been recognized as a Nominee for the 2023 Eric Hoffer Award, the 2022 & 2021 Silver Medal Finalists for the Midwest Book Awards for Children's Fiction, the 2022 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Winners for Middle Grade Fiction, and the 2019 Royal Book Award Winner for Newbie Author. Kerri's other writing awards include being the 2020 Lakefly Writers Contest for Flash Fiction, a finalist for WOW! (Women on Writing) 2020 Short Story Contest, and the 2019 Hal Prize Winner for Nonfiction.