Sergeant Reckless : the true story of the little horse who became a hero

Select an Action

Title:

Sergeant Reckless : the true story of the little horse who became a hero

Author:

McCormick, Patricia, 1956- author.

Bruno, Iacopo, illustrator.

Summary:

When a group of US Marines fighting in the Korean War found a bedraggled little mare, they wondered if she could be trained to as a packhorse. They had no idea that the skinny, underfed horse had one of the biggest and bravest hearts they'd ever known. And one of the biggest appetites! Soon Reckless showed herself more than willing to carry ammunition too heavy for the soldiers to haul. As cannons thundered and shells flew through the air, she marched into battle -- again and again -- becoming the only animal ever to officially hold military rank and receive two Purple Hearts.

Audience:

Ages 6-10.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

32 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 27 x 29 cm

Genre:

Biographies.

Personal Subject:

Sergeant Reckless (Horse), approximately 1948-1968-Juvenile literature.

Subject Term:

Horses -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.

War horses -- Juvenile literature.

Animals -- War use -- Juvenile literature.

Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Juvenile literature.

Horses -- Juvenile literature.

Animals -- Juvenile literature.

Author(s):

Bruno, Iacopo,

Publisher:

Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers,

Publication Date:

2017

ISBN:

9780062292599

Publication Information:

New York, NY : Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2017]

Call Number:

J 951.9 MCCORMI

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003290403	Juvenile Nonfiction	951.9 MCCORMI	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

The inspiring true story of Reckless, the brave little horse who became a Marine.

When a group of US Marines fighting in the Korean War found a bedraggled mare, they wondered if she could be trained to as a packhorse. They had no idea that the skinny, underfed horse had one of the biggest and bravest hearts they'd ever known. And one of the biggest appetites!

Soon Reckless showed herself more than willing to carry ammunition too heavy for the soldiers to haul. As cannons thundered and shells flew through the air, she marched into battle--again and again--becoming the only animal ever to officially hold military rank--becoming Sgt. Reckless--and receive two Purple Hearts.

This is the first picture book from award-winning novelist Patricia McCormick, sumptuously illustrated by acclaimed artist Iacopo Bruno.

Author Notes

Patricia McCormick, a two-time National Book Award finalist, is the author of five critically acclaimed novels: Never Fall Down, a novel based on the true story of an 11-year-old boy who survived the Killing Fields of Cambodia by playing music; Purple Heart, a suspenseful psychological novel that explores the killing of a 10-year-old boy in Iraq; Sold, a deeply moving account of sexual trafficking; My Brother's Keeper, a realistic view of teenage substance abuse; and Cut, an intimate portrait of one girl's struggle with self-injury.

McCormick grew up in central Pennsylvania. She worked as an assistant press secretary to the Governor of Pennsylvania from 1974-78, then went to the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. McCormick studied fiction writing at The New School in New York City.

Never Fall Down was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2012 and was named a New York Times Notable Book for 2012. It was also named a Best Book of the Year by iTunes, The Huffington Post, School Library Journal and the Chicago Public Library.

McCormick was named a New York Foundation on the Arts fellow in 2004 and a MacDowell fellow in 2009. She is also the winner of the 2009 German Peace Prize for Youth Literature.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 1-5-At the height of the Korean conflict, a young racehorse was abandoned and left hungry at a racetrack. Around the same time, a nearby U.S. Marine unit was exhausted from lugging heavy ammunition uphill during their battles. While a mule would have been preferable, Sergeant Pederson trained that once-abandoned horse to carry the ammunition for the Marines-and what followed is a remarkable story. Named Reckless, she carried herself with aplomb under the roughest of combat conditions, in one battle she made 51 trips and carried 9,000-pounds of ammunition. Meanwhile she ate everything and anything, waking up the company cook to get her breakfast. Reckless would eventually attain the rank of Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. McCormick's narrative is excellent and Brunos's bold illustrations contribute to the story as much as the text. The work concludes with a synopsis of Reckless's retirement in the United States. While Melissa Higgins's Sgt. Reckless the War Horse: Korean War Hero is a suitable title, McCormick's is more exciting. VERDICT This well-illustrated war story will appeal to many, especially fans of Michael Morpurgo's War Horse. A strong -selection.-Margaret Nunes, Gwinnett County Public Library, GA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Bruno's stylized realism vividly brings to life the story of Sergeant Reckless, the only animal to officially hold military rank in the United States. Starving and abandoned during the Korean War, the former racehorse was discovered by U.S. Marines serving overseas and pressed into service to carry ammunition for a cannon dubbed the "reckless" rifle. More than a pack animal, the small mare who would eat anything (chocolate, Coca-Cola, blankets, poker chips) made herself at home among her new family: "After she figured out which bunk belonged to the cook, she'd clip-clop into his tent at daybreak and lick his face until he woke up and served her breakfast." Spreads heavy with green and brown camouflage hues depict the Marines training and doting on their charge, while poignant close-ups show Reckless nuzzling soldiers' faces, training, and performing bravely in battle. In an author's note, McCormick (The Plot to Kill Hitler) rounds out the story with details of Reckless's life in Korea both before the conflict and post "retirement." This endearing story of wartime camaraderie won't soon be forgotten. Ages 6-10. Author's agent: Heather Schroder, Compass Talent. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.