The Girls of Lighthouse Lane

May 1, 2004
Abused racehorses and women's suffrage figure in the story lines of Thomas Kinkade and Erika Tamar's The Girls of Lighthouse Lane

June 1, 2004
Gr. 5-7. Embarrassed by her mother's suffragist politics, Rose, 13, is afraid to bring her new friends home after her family moves from New York City to Cape Light fishing village in 1906. She remembers when Momma was arrested and when she wore bloomers! Rose's personal focus is not on voting but on nurturing an abused horse, beautiful Midnight Star. When she is told that girls can't ride in a local horse race, she disguises herself as a boy. But then her fury makes her militant, and she finds the courage to challenge the rules, ride as a girl, and win--to her mother's delight. There's lots of contrivance in this second title in the Girls of Lighthouse Lane series, but the tender horse story will appeal to readers, as will the feminist history and drama.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2004
Twelve-year-old Kat dreams of attending art school in Boston, and fourteen-year-old Rose desperately tries to save a horse from slaughter in these sentimental stories set in a small, picturesque Massachusetts fishing village. There are few surprises from the predictable characters and formulaic circumstances, but the quaint setting is sure to find fans.

(Copyright 2004 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

April 19, 2004
Kinkade spins off his Cape Light Novels for adults with this engaging if sometimes contrived debut book of a series set in the same New England coastal town, co-written with Tamar. Aspiring artist Kat, the daughter of the lighthouse keeper, stands watch in the tower one stormy night in 1905 when the lighthouse beacon suddenly goes out. Holding a lantern, the 12-year-old guides a floundering boat to shore, and the grateful sailors, a couple from Boston, thank their rescuer by securing her admission to an art school in their city—a dream come true for the heroine. Kat's father agrees to pay half the tuition money if Kat can raise the other half, which she uses her artistic talents to accomplish. But when her parents are not able to come up with their half, Kat stows away on a Boston-bound boat, determined to convince the headmaster to let her work at the school for the remaining tuition. In a stretch of credibility, the vessel sinks and Kat and the crew are rescued by her father, who sets out in another boat when he learns of Kat's whereabouts. The authors incorporate—at times laboriously—period details into the novel, which will be followed by tales focusing on Kat's cousin and friends. Readers are likely to find these characters sufficiently likable to justify another visit to Cape Light. Ages 10-up.