The main idea of this book is to relay information about Seabiscuit the racehorse. The book discusses his rough beginning, his trainers that believed in him, and his final glorious races. The book teaches that sometimes the most unlikely candidates can surprise us.
I enjoyed this book for a few reasons. I found the writing very engaging. Though it was an informational text, McCarthy chose to use a narrative format which I found very helpful and more exciting. Especially for a book about horse racing, I found the use of a story line very useful. For example, one page reads: "'And they're off!' shouted the announcer. Seabiscuit took the early lead, but War Admiral was catching up fast! 'They're head-and-head...It's the best horse from here on...'" This style of narration makes the information more exciting and memorable.
I also enjoyed this book because the plot was organized and well paced. The book begins with the author describing Seabiscuit as a young horse who "loved to eat and sleep but hated to run. He had lost almost every race he had ever been in." The book then gives a synopsis of the people in Seabiscuit's life who saw his potential and trained him in revolutionary ways. After Seabiscuit wins his first race, McCarthy introduces the character of "War Admiral" who "was sleek, elegant, muscular, and fast. REAL FAST." This develops the reader's sense of anticipation of an upcoming race between War Admiral and Seabiscuit. McCarthy paces the action and builds anticipation even more so when she describes Seabiscuit's jockey and his sudden injury. The text reads, "Red's leg was badly injured...He was told he'd never race again...Was the race off?" Finally, McCarthy slows down the action of "race day" with play by play moments, which build tension/anticipation and create an engaging pace. McCarthy did an excellent job of organizing the plot in a way that keeps readers turning the pages. ( )