
Against all odds, housewife and mother Penny Chenery (Diane Lane)—with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich)—navigates the male-dominated horseracing business, ultimately taking Secretariat on a spectacular journey to become the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and perhaps the greatest racehorse of all time.
After learning about this film I immediately wondered if there were any good children's books available about this racing legend. Two books caught my attention: a picture book, I Rode the Red Horse by Barbara Libby and a soon-to-be released book for young readers ages 12 and older titled, The Big Red Horse, The Secretariat Story by Lawrence Scanlan. I'm hoping to get my hands on the first title so that I can share it with my children, but it is out of print and very few libraries own it. There's also a coloring book, Great Racehorses (Dover Pictoral Archive) that includes several famous thoroughbreds including Secretariat. Life on a Horse Farm by Judy Wolfman and Racehorses by Michael Sandler also sound like something my kids might like, but neither look like they specifically mention Secretariat. Two books meant for adults might appeal to older children because they include photographs: Secretariat's Meadow and Secretariat by Raymond G. Woolfe, Jr. I'm actually a little disappointed in the children's book options featuring Secretariat. Perhaps after the movie appears in theaters, publishers will release more books about this interesting horse.
In my searches I did find a wonderful pdf lesson planning kit for educators about horse racing. Author Patsi B. Trollinger wrote it to correspond with her book about a famous jockey, but it contains a lot of general horse racing information and activities. For instance, did you know that thoroughbreds must be registered in a color category? -- Secretariat was a Chestnut.


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77 comments:
One of the first books that I read was Black Beauty.
Thank you,
Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net
I follow you on Twitter and tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/ossmcalc/status/24360382349
Thank you,
Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net
I subscribe via email.
Thank you,
Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net
Oh, I Love Black Beauty and The Horse Whiperer. Great books. I am subscribed to Horse Illustrated Magazine, which is great. I loved to trailer to Secretariat. I can't wait for the movie!
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gfc follower
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We read I Rode the Red Horse a while ago. I think I enjoyed it more than my kids did, but I thought it was a good book.
Oh, I hate to steal others' answers, but I have to go with Black Beauty on this one! Can't wait to see "Secretariat" in theatres, and thanks for the chance!
writing.meg [at] gmail.com
My daughter and I are looking forward to seeing this movie -- she loves horses as much as I did (and still do). I read a lot of horse books as a kid -- one of my favorites was The Black Stallion and the other horse books by Farley.
marielay@gmail.com
I am a subscriber.
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no need to enter me.
I did not know that Secretariat was owned by a woman! They never mention that fact and I watch the triple crown every year, when they mention Secretariat. Thanks for the informative post.
My daghter loves horses and really wants to see this
timmiedeluca@comcast.net
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follow blog
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Black Beauty is the classic in our family!
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Google follower and RSS subscriber!
delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com
We like My Friend Flicka.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
I subscribe by email and follow.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
My daughter is in the horse-love stage right now!
histtheo1 at yahoo dot com
and I'm a follower.
histtheo1 at yahoo dot com
I read Black Beauty as a child and also loved The Black Stallion. My 2yr old daughter loves horses right now, so we have been taking her to the local fairs so that she can be close to them.
dluvsdrgns@gmail.com
Black Beauty is still one of my favorite books!
Zoe0825@verizon.net
I subscribed via e-mail!
Zoe0825@verizon.net
my girls want to see this movie they LOVE horses!!!
my uncle was actually a horse trainer along time ago. wish he was around to tell the girls stories :)
Our tween and I just read The Horse Secret this summer!
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My friend Flicker
I read Black Beauty as a teenager and fell in love with horses!
Following and tweeted http://twitter.com/annedoggett/status/26185862931
I am following via Google Friend Connect
loved black beauty too- and still do. This movie looks amazing and I love movies such as this just for the beauty of the beast as they say-
National Velvet
rmelton[at]hotmail[dot]com
I've always love Black Beauty. I also loved the James Herriot All Creatures series, although this didn't only deal with horses.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
I am an email subscriber.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
I enjoyed the book Seabiscuit.
rhoneygtn at yahoo dot com
I am looking forward to the movie. I remember watching Secretariat on television winning the Triple Crown.
marcia.goss@gmail.com
I subscribe in Google Reader.
marcia.goss@gmail.com
I follow on Twitter @mgoss123 and tweeted.
http://twitter.com/mgoss123/status/26261315044
marcia.goss@gmail.com
I like My Friend Flicka and the Animal Ark series books that are about horses.
I love Black Beauty and all my kids have ridden a horse at least once in their lives. I am queenesperfect at yahoo.com
wonderful story
what kid hasn't read black beauty? it was a classic!
k_sunshine1977 at yahoo dot com
i am a gfc follower
k_sunshine1977 at yahoo dot com
It's a wonderful movie in best Disney tradition
schnitzomage {at} gmail {dot} com
following you on twitter @left_the_stars
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Google Friends Connect - following your blog publicly as Louis
I loved Black Beauty when I was young, thanks!
Hotsnotty2@hotmail.com
I liked Misty from Chincoteague.
I really think this is going to be a classic movie for this year. From the previews, there is going to be a lot of love and emotion in this movie. Thanks for the giveaway.
I subscribe to your blog by email.
Awesome blog and thanks for the giveaway!
Would love, love, LOVE to win this!
=]
I am looking forward to seeing this movie and I also like Flicka as a horse movie.
seretariat was a brave horse with character. National Velvet.
I'm subscribed by rss.
black was my favorite when I was younger,can't wait to take my kids to see this!
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email subscriber
ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry was my first horse read.
Can't wait to see the movie!
beckytag618 at gmail dot com
The story of Secretariat is an exciting one & I'm looking forward to seeing this movie.
Thanks for the giveaway!
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
GFC follower
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
The movie looks very well done! I always like all of the Marguerite Henry books.
Thanks!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com
This sounds like a great family movie
s2s2 at comcast dot net
follow via GFC
I'm so looking forward to seeing this movie!
pandahugger(at)gmail(dot)com
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tweeted - pandahugger8676
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following on gfc
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My favorite was The Black Stallion.
When I was a kid, I read all of the Walter Farley horse stories.
ncschools at yahoo dot com
I follow you on twitter and I tweeted.
http://twitter.com/ncschools/status/26808272554
It looks like a great movie I love seabiscit thanks for the chance to win eaglesforjack@gmail.com
i subscribe thanks
I like Black Beauty.
SWEETANGL5632@AOL.COM
email subscriber
SWEETANGL5632@AOL.COM
I didn't have much contact with horses in "real life" growing up, I still haven't, but I was obsessed with them and read everything I could get my hands on. I can't name just one. I read the Flicka books, Misty of Chincoteague and the other Marguerite Henry novels, Walter Farley's The Black Stallion series. I had a couple of books about a horse named Gypsy, and a couple of other series about young women at racing stables. My mom signed me up for a horse book club once; I think all I got was the introductory books and then the one at full price (most of my books were used, so these were real treasures): Big Jump for Robin, A Filly for Joan, C.W. Anderson's Favorite Horse Stories, King of the Wind, and Ride a Wild Pony. I loved them all!
I always loved Black Beauty.
I remember reading Black Beauty when I was younger. garrettsambo@aol.com
It sounds like an interesting movie.
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