Nancy Stevenson 
Horse Dreams 

Horse Dreams is a coming-of-age novel about an eleven year old lonely, latch-key girl, Izzy Carlucci, who dreams of horses and riding lessons forbidden by her mother. Izzy does small odd jobs for neighbors in her city apartment building, earning money for lessons kept secret from her demanding mother. Running errands, Izzy makes friends, in particular a mysterious old woman. From an aging stallion and this elderly friend, Izzy learns horse skills, people savvy and self reliance. When the stallion develops pneumonia, Izzy cares for him day after day. Her dedication heals the stallion and earns her mothers respect. As Izzy turns twelve, her horse dreams help her find strength to appreciate her mother, find new dreams and face the death of her wise old friend.