Reading is a very important part of childhood. Through books, children can explore their imagination, expand their vocabulary and exercise their minds. While some books serve pure entertainment others offer much more than that. If we are lucky, a book can both entertain and teach us something. A new book I've just had the pleasure of reading, "A Wild Ride: The Adventures of Misty & Moxie Wyoming," does just that.

Written by Niki Danforth, this book - appropriate for kids ages 7-12 - is the perfect combination of fun, heartwarming and informative. It is about a 10-year-old animal lover who gets an old, retired horse for her birthday. Throughout the book, she teaches us we cannot judge a book by its cover. This 'old' horse proved to be full of magic and wonder. They go on adventures together and show readers the true meaning of friendship and loyalty.

Moxie is a very strong willed, independent girl. She is a great role model for all readers; promoting girl power and determination. Without giving the whole book away, the duo must go on a mission to save other animals. Through their actions it teaches young readers the importance of animal rights and working together to make a difference. Although Moxie is only 10, she proves to us all that there is no age limit when is comes to helping others.

The Real Life Moxie & Misty

"A Wild Ride" is clearly from a horse lover's point of view, but anyone will enjoy it. To educate the non-equestrian girl, the author has provided a glossary of 'Horse Talk' for some terms they may be unfamiliar with. Also, in the back of the book there is information about the real life girl the book is based on. How cool is that? There are also pages full of facts about the different animals featured in the book. One beautiful and detailed illustration accompanies each chapter for those younger 'readers' who can't read yet. They can look on while an adult or older sibling reads to them.

I don't know what more you could ask for in a children's book. As I promised, it's both entertaining and informative. But the reason I loved it most is because of the strong "girl power" theme... any girl reading this book is going to feel empowered and want to take on the world!

To get your own copy, visit Amazon.

You can also visit Niki Danforth's website.