If there is a black hole in publishing for young adults, it is good fiction books for middle readers.  Those average readers in grades four through six are neglected.  It is hard to find something well written and interesting, but not too hard for them.  “Paint the Wind” is the perfect book for this age:  the plot is interesting but not complicated; the characters are believable and realistic; the conflict is realistic but dramatic enough for the middle reader; and the setting and story details are unique but not overly exotic.

At 316 pages this is no “baby book”, but chapters are short, the font is not tiny, and best of all, the white space is more than adequate, making this accessible to average readers and a fast read for a good reader.  Occasionally the narrator changes from the main human character, Maya, to the main horse character, Artemisia.  This can be difficult for young novel readers but Ryan has Artemisia’s words/chapters always appear in italics, again, making this an accessible book.  I considered it a bonus, too, that the chapters in Aretmisia’s voice were kept to a minimum.  (It made it more credible…who really knows what a horse thinks anyway?)  Pam Muñoz Ryan balanced it perfectly.

The book finishes with a terrific glossary and two pages of information for further reading.  I always wish they put the glossary at the front of a book, however, since I think young readers discover it too late.  But perhaps putting it in the front would discourage readers…

Horse girls are going to love this book.  Librarians know who I mean… every few years we have a student (always a girl) who won’t read anything but books and novels about horses.  (I never withdraw horse novels, no matter how tattered, because the horse girls will read anything and everything.)  There is plenty of satisfying detail about riding and caring for horses included in the narrative.  And of course the wonderful glossary is there for non-horse people in case they care what a currycomb is!  Another bonus is the names of artists woven throughout the narrative.  The reader can ignore this extra detail or appreciate it further.  This again makes ”Paint the Wind” a great book for the varied reading abilities found in middle grades.

Readers may want to visit Ryan’s website:  http://www.pammunozryan.com/paint.html

The name Maya, according to the novel, means ‘a journey about to begin’.  “Paint the Wind” is a journey worth taking.  I recommend it for grades 4-7 especially.