Amanda+C.+National+Velvet

//National Velvet// //Enid Bagnold// //Avon Books, Inc.// //1935// Animals/Adventure 265 pgs.5.5 RL

SUMMARY:

In National Velvet, Velvet Brown is a 14 year old girl that lives in England who wants a horse that she can ride. She has 3 sisters, Edwina, Malvodia, and Meredit, a brother, Donald, and an old cranky horse anmed Miss Ada. Her parents and Mr. and Mrs. Brown. Mrs. Brown swam the channel, and her trainer's son lives with them, Mi Taylor, helping Mr.Brown at the Slaughterhouse. When Mr. Ede, a neighbor living in the village, raffles off a horse, Velvet is all over it. She buys a ticket and amazingly wins. She then names the horse Pie, due to its coat coloring, Piebald. Now all she has to do to pursue her dream is train the horse and enter it in the Grand National. The plot of the story is like any other story, all events happening in order and every few chapters an important rising action happens, leading to the big climax in the end. The first rising action is when Velvet wins the horse at the County Fair. The second is when they begin to train the horse. The last before the climax is when Velvet and Pie travel to the Grand National. The Climax is the entire Grand Natinoal race. The resoluton is winning the race and going home to all of the reporters. Will Velvet be able to train the horse with Mi Taylor and win the Grand National, or will all of her dreams get crushed?

REVIEW:

The theme of the book is The author's tchnique and style is from older times, in the early 1900's. It gives the book a more country/outback feel, which is where the setting is, rural England. I liked the book because it was full of adventure. One minute, Velvet it sad about Mr.Cinncini dying, and the next she is excited about winning the raffle for the horse. The entire time it goes up and down and up and down. It gives the book a neverending feel. I also liked it because it is about horses and I really LOVE horses.

RECCOMENDATION & FINAL RATING:

I would recommend this book because it is full of adventure and excitement. In the beggining, Velvet is just an average 14 yr old girl who loves horses, but in the end, she becomes a famous jockey, winning the Grand National. I would rate the book a 9 out of 10 because I love what its about and its really exciting. I didnt give it a 10 because some info in the book is irrelevant to the story, such as Mrs. Brown winning the Channel Race and Mr. Cinncini dying.