In The Pony Whisperer: The Word on the Yard by Janet Rising, Pia found an ancient figurine that helped her communicate with horses. Her new talent gained her both friends and enemies, as some people used Pia’s new ability to help their ponies and some just believe she’s lying.

In the second book of the series, Team Challenge, Pia and her friends are discovering that being part of a team is a lot of work. It also means if you want to be successful, you have to focus on what works for your teammates, not just what you feel is best for you. In this case, the teammates include everyone’s horses.

Team Challenge is interesting to read both for the things Pia and her friends learn about working together for a common purpose, and also for the insights it gives into preparing for a team competition. It also delves into the question of ethics, as Pia wrestles with whether or not her ability to talk to horses, and possibly get their cooperation in the competition, counts as cheating.