Windy Creek Stables: Presley and the Impossible Dream

Ages 8 to 12

Presley and the Impossible Dream is the first book in the middle grade Windy Creek Stables series set at a rural Virginia riding school — a 21st-century Saddle Club, full of authentic detail, realistic drama, and tons of heart.

Presley's life is pretty great - she has a loving family, friends at school, and plenty of rambunctious rescue pets. There's just one little problem . . . she's never gotten to ride a horse. And her mom has banned her from ever, ever, ever getting on one.

And sure, Presley knows riding can be a little dangerous, and a little expensive, but she’s loved horses for as long as she can remember. She’s read every book in the library about horses and horsemanship, she watches professional horse competitions on the internet, and she’s always dreamed about learning to ride. So when she gets the opportunity to tag along with her stepdad to a vet visit at Windy Creek Stables, she jumps at the chance.

And even after a surprise run in with James, a popular girl who's never given Presley a second glance, Windy Creek is everything she thought it would be . . . except, well, maybe it's a little messy? Clean and dirty saddle pads are all jumbled together, and there’s a tangle of bridles hanging on a hook in the corner. Which gives Presley the perfect idea: In exchange for cleaning stalls and helping around the barn after school, Tracie, the stable owner, will give her lessons—if she can get her mom to agree to the deal.

About the Author

Kaitlyn Sage Patterson grew up with her nose in a book outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in East Tennessee. She started begging her parents to put her on a horse as soon as she learned to talk. After six long years they finally relented, and Kaitlyn began learning to ride. By the time she was ten she was working off extra lesson time by mucking stalls and helping out around the barn. Kaitlyn never shook the riding bug, and she is currently training her first horse, an off the track thoroughbred named Boon, to compete in dressage and eventing. In addition to Boon, her menagerie of adopted animals includes two black trashcan cats, a one-eyed ragdoll kitten, and a toothless greyhound.