#MMGM Review: Paint the Wind, by Pam Muñoz Ryan

I'm posting this morning with the Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop. The hop is sponsored by  Greg Pattridge of Always in the Middle. Check out Greg's blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews.  

I plucked a copy of Paint the Wind out of one of the dozen or so Little Free Libraries in my neighborhood, mostly because I have read other books by Ryan and liked them, and also because I was in the mood for a good horse story.

Title: Paint the Wind
Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan
Publication Info: 2007, Scholastic. 328 pages (paperback).
Source: Little Free Library

Publisher's Blurb (from Goodreads):
This epic horse story, in the tradition of BLACK STALLION, marks exciting new territory for one of our most treasured and celebrated novelists.

A puzzling photograph, a box filled with faded toy horses, and a single fractured memory are all that Maya has left of her mother. In Grandmother house, she lives like a captive, tethered by rules... until a shocking event changes everything. A world away, in the rugged Wyoming wilderness, a wild mustang called Artemisia runs free, belonging only to the stars. In a land where mountain lions pose an ever-present threat, she must vigilantly defend her foal... until a devastating act separates them from their band. Like a braided rein, Maya's and Artemisia's lives will ultimately intertwine.

My Review: 
As noted, I picked this up because I was in the mood for a horse story in the style of those of my childhood (see: Marguerite Henry). In a more modern way, Muñoz delivers and I was satisfied. Warning: this is another Dead Parents Society story; though in this case the loss is long ago it is real and felt.

Maya isn't a very likeable girl at the start, and no wonder. The life she's living with her grandmother is enough to warp anyone, and she's developed some sneaky ways of gaining some control over her own life that aren't very nice. When she goes to live with the other side of her family she has a lot of things to unlearn before she can start learning to live. 

Fortunately,  there are horses. As Churchill said (probably quoting an existing proverb), there's nothing so good for the inside of a [person] as the outside of a horse. It certainly works for Maya. It doesn't hurt that she's now also with people who aren't mean and controlling and who are willing to show they love her! I appreciate that the adults in Maya's new life offer some understanding for Grandmother's ways, despite their own anger at her. People are complicated, and the book recognizes that.

Before the book is finished there's a great adventure story, some tough decisions, and we can be sure that Maya will be all right. 

My Recommendation:
Obviously, a good choice for all the horse-crazy kids out there. But it's a good story for any reader who likes adventures and the outdoors. The page count looks high, but the page layout means that there aren't that many lines per page, and the word count is probably in the 40,000 range. The layout means that pages will turn fast, which might be a help to struggling or reluctant readers. Age 8 and up, I'd say, depending on reading level.

 

FTC Disclosure: I picked up a copy of  Paint the Wind from a Little Free Library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

 

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 ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2026 

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