Out of the Valley of Horses

★ ＂A novel that will sink into readers’ bones....This is a wonderful, unique family survival story with a majestic herd of horses....Orr’s latest will delight middle grade readers searching for escape and home simultaneously.＂--School Library Journal ★ Starred Review

The valley of horses has been a safe haven for Honey and her family for seven peaceful years, but this seemingly perfect valley has also become their prison. Trapped by a mysterious magic, and fearing for her father’s life, Honey is determined to find a way out of the valley of horses.

The valley of horses is the only true place Honey remembers since her family stumbled upon it in their converted ice cream truck while escaping from the rest of the world, and the illnesses that was spreading there. Honey’s parents, her brother Rumi, and her NanNan become self-sufficient, living off the land and sharing the valley with mystical horses who seem to have a wisdom of their own. But there is a magic in the valley that prevents Honey and her family from ever leaving. When Honey suspects her father has become ill, Honey knows she must find a way to escape the valley to find help from a world she only knows about through stories.

Wendy Orr, author of the award-winning Nim’s Island and Dragonfly Song, creates a magical land filled with awe and mystery. Showcasing the endurance of family, and the beauty of restoration and self-sufficiency, Orr crafts a heartfelt adventure and enchanting world to fall into.

＂A beautifully executed, fantastical what-if tale for right now.＂ --Kirkus Reviews ★ Starred Review

Award-winning author Wendy Orr was born in Edmonton, Alberta. The daughter of an Air Force pilot, she has since lived around the world, including several years in Colorado, France, and England. She now lives in Melbourne, Australia, but returns to North America yearly to visit her family. Wendy’s many books for children have been published in 27 countries and won awards around the world. Prominent among them is Nim’s Island, which was made into the 2008 film of the same name; a 2013 sequel, Return to Nim’s Island, was loosely based on Orr’s book, Nim at Sea. Orr’s 2017 novel, Dragonfly Song, is a Junior Library Guild Selection and a Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Books selection. Its 2018 companion, Swallow’s Dance, earned three starred reviews and was a USBBY Outstanding International Book and a School Library Journal Best Middle Grade Book. Her final book in the series, Cuckoo’s Flight (2021), earned high praise andis a Junior Library Guild Selection.