Sonrise Stable: Operation Christmas Spirit

By Abigail, age 12Operation Christmas spirit is a great book and would make an awesome Christmas present. This book is the 8th book in the Sonrise Stable series.This book is about Rosie a 12 year old girl and her friends that are putting together a live nativity. That is a lot harder than they expected, they needed costumes, scripts, sets and animals. They have lots of horses, ponies and a mule but they need to find more animals to borrow like a donkey and a flock of sheep. The group of friends are also doing a secret Santa thing too and the gifts have to be handmade! Rosie is not too good at making things and has no idea what to make. While all of this is going on Rosie and her sister Carrie are also training two ponies to pull carts for the live nativity which is also a lot harder then they expected!This is a really good and fun book. A lot of the horse books I have read take place at a fancy boarding stable and the girls are sassy and treat their friends and horses rudely, so I was happy when this book took place at a Christian family ranch. I loved reading this story, which includes Bible verses and there are even questions at the back of the book. The drawings in the book are beautiful, I can’t wait to read more in this series! This is definitely a great series for a Jesus and horse loving girl like me!

In the simplest terms, Christmas is a spirit of generosity inspired by love. What better way to revel in the true meaning of the season than with children learning about love in the company of ponies? Life is a series of transitions, from heights of wonder to depths of uncertainty. Teaching children to weather such changes without losing hope, faith, confidence, and affection is a daunting task in a world scheming to replace true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ with a caricature of hope that is, in truth, more of a lie than a promise.The Sonrise Stable family’s newest adventure offers a cornucopia of new challenges for resident kids, parents, friends, and equine family members. Author Vicki Watson masterfully weaves volumes of information into each novel for horse-crazy tweens. Readers learn how to teach a pony to pull a carriage, experience the blessing of generosity to others and how disappointments can be turned to triumphs in addition to facts about the birth of Christ many folks only assume are true.“Operations Christmas Spirit” is a wonderfully entertaining and educational read for young folks as well as a valuable tool for parents, grandparents, and Sunday school teachers. A Discussion and Activity Guide follows the story. Share the escapades and character-building experiences of the Sonrise Stable crew with children you hope to bless this Christmas season.Some of us in the horse industry like to remind folks that Love was born in a stable in the person of Jesus Christ that first Christmas. You may take issue with that statement after reading this book. Share your generosity of spirit by giving this story with its lessons and love of Christ with a child dear to your heart.

By: CJ, 10 yr old girlMy favorite part was the Christmas party because the play sounded exciting & it would’ve been fun to go on a sleigh ride.The character Rosie broke her ribs but God healed her. One of the lessons I learned was to not judge someone or something by the outside but to look on the inside. I was upset when Abigail didn’t appreciate the homemade gift that Rosie gave.These books by Vicki Watson are really interesting for kids who love horses & cats to read. There are stories & lessons about people, along with some horse information. Also there are Bible verses to go along with the stories. I like the map of the stable & list of characters & animals. It helps you visualize the stories better.You should read them all! I have read them all twice so far!

Operation Christmas Spirit is yet another wonderful book in Vicki Watson’s Sonrise Stable series. This particular novel would even make a great read-aloud for the entire family this Christmas season gathered around the tree, fireplace, or even on a car road trip. Vicki Watson is a talented author who has genuinely captured my daughter’s interest and attention throughout her books in this series. I love seeing my child so excited to have a new book come in the mail, and then be totally absorbed in soaking up the adventure. This series is truly enjoyable to her as she reads about characters that she would love to know in real life and who set an example for her in following God and seeking Him through the ups and downs of life. Sonrise Stable books are encouraging and delightful to read!

This is an adorable children's book with such a beautiful message. The children at Sonrise Stables begin talking about the Christmas story and wondering what the Bible actually says, and what has just been accepted by tradition. So, they explore the Bible to find answers. Added to that, they get the idea to use Christmas to bless others--not to gift themselves. Around these two themes is the excitement of living on a horse farm and putting together a special Christmas presentation. This book is packed with Scripture and character lessons. The perfect book to hand to my younger siblings, and the absolute perfect book for Christmastime!*I received this book from the author and happily provided my honest review*

I can’t aay enough about this book. I have read the entire series of these books to my girls ages 5 & 7. They both love horse and I love how the author incorporates Christ and accurate biblical facts into a fun to read book. I even learned new things about the wise men by reading this book. Can’t recommend enough!