Beauty.  Bill Wallace

PUBLISHER, 1988; Awarded 1991.

Synopsis:  When Eleven-year-old Luke's parents divorce, he and his mother move from Denver to rural Oklahoma to live with Luke's gruff grandpa.  Though adjusting to his new life is rough for Luke, he finds solace in his mother's aging horse Beauty, to whom he confides his feelings of anger, frustration and loneliness.  When Beauty falls through a cattle crossing, it is Luke who must find the strength to end his best friend Beauty's misery.

Themes:  Horses, Grandparent-child relationships, Divorce, Death, Bravery

Author:  http://www.simonsays.com/subs/183/Kids_Author_Bio.dfm? AUTHOR_KEY=294&areaid=183

Discussion questions:  Standard 3, Benchmark 3
1. Describe Luke at the beginning of the story.  How does he act?  What is he thinking?  Feeling?
2. Luke and Grandpa don't seem to hit it off at first.  Describe how their relationship changes during the story.
3. Beauty and Luke have a very special friendship.  How does Beauty help Luke adjust to living with Grandpa in Oklahoma and what does Luke learn because of Beauty?

Activities:
1. You have been asked to write a newspaper article about Beauty's accident for the Chickasha Gazette.  What will you write?  Standard 2, Benchmark 3
2. Design a pamphlet of suggestions for a new horse owner.  Standard 5, Benchmark 3
3. On a Venn Diagram, list how Luke and his grandpa are different and alike.  Standard 3, Benchmark 1