If you’re interested in learning more about horses, the Vicksburg District Library (VDL) should be one of your first stops. The library contains an extensive collection of books detailing the qualities, care and training of horses. The collection includes books such as Horse: The Complete Guide by Mary Gordon Watson, How to Think Like a Horse by Cherry Hill, The Horse Behavior Problem Solver by Jessica Jahiel, and even Horses for Dummies by Audrey Pavia and Janice Posnikoff, D.V.M.
The library contains some fascinating books on horse history, such as Terry Weir’s The Horse’s Name Was…, a dictionary of famous horses from history, literature, mythology, television and movies;” Horse Soldiers, by Doug Stanton; and The Life and Legacy of Peter the Great: Famous Trotting Sire from Kalamazoo, by Terry Motycka.
The Kalamazoo connection extends into the Vicksburg District Library’s fiction holdings, where readers will find National Book Award winner and the story of the racetrack, Lord of Misrule, by Jaimy Gordon, professor at Western Michigan University. The library offers a phenomenal selection of horse-themed fiction in all genres; readers will encounter the mysteries written by former jockey Dick Francis, as well as literary fiction, such as All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. Horses also feature heavily in several romance novels: The Horse Whisperer, by Nicholas Evans, and Flying Changes and Riding Lessons, by Sara Gruen.
Many readers develop a love of horses at a young age, and the Vicksburg District Library has books for them, too. From the adorable picture book, Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash, to the ever-popular middle-grades series, Pony Pals and The Saddle Club, young readers will discover great horse fiction. Readers will also find interesting, non-fiction titles in the children’s section, as well, including Wild Horse Scientists by Kay Frydenborg; I Can Be a Horse Trainer by Kathy Henderson; and Horses, the DK Eyewitness Book. Of course, the classics: Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell and The Black Stallion, by Walter Farley, are welcome.
Black Beauty and several books in the Black Stallion series are available as DVDs at the Vicksburg District Library. Other available movies starring horses include Spirit-Stallion of the Cimarron and The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit, along with some great books turned movies, such as War Horse and Seabiscuit. So, whether you are looking for a manual, a novel, a children’s book, or a movie about horses, the Vicksburg District Library has what you need.